Florida Power & Light [FPL] review: security deposit 30

I am a single mother of 3 who works full-time and goes to school full-time. I try very hard to pay my bills on time, but since the increase in FPL rates, my bills have been averaging approximately 300 dollars. I have been late on my bills for several months, but have never been turned off for non-payment. I just received notice that FPL is now requiring me to pay a deposit of $409.00 or they will shut me off. I have been a customer at the same address for over 6 years and now they are requiring a deposit? I could understand a deposit if I just moved in, to demonstrate that I won't raise my bill and leave. But I've been a resident of the same address for over 6 years and like most are falling on hard times. I think they should be ashamed of themselves and I have no where to turn. Talk about kicking someone when they are down.

Same issue. In economically challenging times, this monopoly chooses to strongarm its clients out of money . I have a similar experience and face the same threat. It is organized crime to demand access to someone's account. I have paid late by less than 5 days on two occassions in the past year. I have received a bill for 292 on top of my bill. I am already in budget billing. One would think they would consider thatfactor in determining raising deposits. They also do not respond as to the damage to my wiring due to power surges. They bear no responsibiliuty for repairs but send notices about 16 to 23 percent increases and are advertising surge protection for an unending monthly fee of 8.95month. They put profit before customers. Oh well off to buy some candles, since FPL robs its clients...

Miami Teacher/mom of two cannot afford electricity

They must be mass billing for additional deposits to make up for profit losses from all the middle class families and service professionals leaving Florida for lower cost of living.

I completely agree they have just recked me they have managed to take money out of my bank acount when I called them on the 3rd and they said they they would not and now because I dont have the money in the bank I have to pay my bank a 35 dollar fee that I dont have and a additional deposit because I told them to remove me from the automatic bill pay because I cant afford for this to happen every month because I have to pay it 1-2 days after it is due. They dont care about there customers all the care about is the mighty $ You would think that they could give you a few days after the due date right now because everyone is hurting but NO! They are going to cause us all to go postal! And the manager I spoke to was rude called me a lier and basically told me I was [censored] out of luck. Some customer service skills they have and then he told me there was no one over his head and that their was no corparate phone number so basically he was the bottom line What a Lie that is. I cant wait to move so I dont have to deal with them anymore their dumb as*es.

Unbelievable. I looked up "Fpl Complaints" just to see if there were other people with this problem. My story...I have been paying FPL an average of about $420 a month for electric in a large home. My husband is military, and gets paid on a monthly basis. SINCE they will never bend on exactly when your due date is, I have always had to pay the bill a few days after the due date. After 3 years of continued service, they all of u sudden send me a bill for $600 + as an extra deposit. When I called about it they said it was because I requested a payment extension on two occasions. (Even though I PAID when the extension was due) Mind you, that $600 + was ON TOP of my regular monthly bill of $400! They were "Gracious" (mean that sarcastically) to allow me to pay the EXTRA deposit split up into two months. Ok...so, I gave these crooks a little over $700 for two months in a row. For those of you familiar with the military pay scale, you probably know that we don't make the bunches of bucks some people think we do. This was an unreal hard time for us those two months. Next...fast forward a couple months, deposit is now paid, back to paying the average $400 a month. (which is insanely a bit more than my car payment, and a THIRD of my rent, that's ridiculous, come ON) So, withouth my husband here, I decide to make a responsible decision, move with the kids to a smaller home, to save on bills. We downscale to a two bdrm apartment. I check my bill a couple days ago, to see that my last bill from the other house is $540. It's for a month and 8 days of service. I also have a bill due at the end of October, for my new place of $200. Instead of freaking out, I figure, it's a good thing, that by moving I have cut my bill in half, and decide to call about a payment plan for that last bill, since again, I couldnt afford a $700 bill all in one month. I figure this will be no problem, considering these people DO have over $600 of MY MONEY sitting in a bank somewhere collecting interest on my deposit right? W R O N G!
A very RUDE customer service agent tells me on the phone that "unfortuneately I am NOT eligable for any kind of extension or payment arrangement because that account is now closed. I will have to pay at least $420 now, the other $120 on the 10th, and then my new $200 bill in a couple weeks.
I ask for a supervisor or manager...you won't believe what she tells me..."I'M SORRY MA'AM BUT MY SUPERVISOR DOES NOT TAKE TELEPHONE CALLS FROM CUSTOMERS."
My reply?..."you're kidding me right? what exactly does you supervisor do then?"
Her reply..."He WRITES MY PAYCHECK"
I then wanted to make sure I understood all of this correctly before I took any other action, so I said..."Ok, let me get this straight, I pay you people over $400 a month for several years, AND you have over a $600 deposit of MY MONEY sitting in an account somewhere, COLLECTING INTEREST, and even though you HAVE that money, OF MINE, as a DEPOSIT, you are going to continue to hang on to that, and REFUSE to work out a payment plan of ANY KIND? Is that correct? Seriously, even though you have a deposit, that you could apply towards my bill if I didn't keep up with my end of a payment arrangement, you STILL are telling me you HAVE to have over $700 from me RIGHT NOW?"

She said "that is correct ma'am. We absolutely will not work on any kind of extension for you at this time. That account is closed now, and it is no longer eligable for an extention. And if you DON'T pay it, it will transfer to your new account and your power will be turned off"

UNREAL

So, what we have here are CROOKS. It's ONE thing for us to be paying outrageous bills in this state. My out of state friends are appalled at what I pay for power. But it's still a whole new ball game for these idiots to have NO CUSTOMER SERVICE skills at all, and be so rude, and give NO ONE, even good paying customers NO SLACK for help when it comes to this type of situation. I was NOT asking for some crazy leeway here, I just wanted to split up $700 in a couple months instead of 2 weeks.
Everyone is having it rough right now, I feel so bad for families and single moms and dads who are working their ### off to support their children, who can't afford to pay these high prices and have to deal with a company so incompassionate, and so unbelievably RUDE. Something REALLY needs to be done about this. I wish SO BAD there would be other power companies we could deal with. I'd NEVER give FPL another DIME.

I would just like to follow up my previous post with some good news. I called Ellen Plendl
Regulatory Specialist
Public Service Commission
Division of Service, Safety & Consumer Assistance
[protected] (phone)
[protected] (fax)

like some on this board suggested and they were able to help me reach an agreement with FPL. I don't believe this could have happened without the help of the PCS. So thanks Ellen! I really can't thank you enough for helping me out. I appreciate your understanding, and empathy more than anything. Times are tough, and it's not always easy asking for help. You definitely made it painless and your response time was great. Thanks again!

I have a problem with fpl where I paid for me bill but it was posted to the wrong account. I tried to resolved it over the phone after three hours and they still do not to resolve the issue. They turned off my power and I paid them but to the wrong account. They will put the money into the account after three days but they will not turn on the power till then. So, I asked the money to be returned back to me and they told me NO. I mean you ask for a refund back and they told you no. So I bite the bullet and paid them again so they can return my power. So, I'm looking for a way to see if I can get my money back or something

FPL are thieves. From making ratepayers pay for their equipment damaged during hurricanes, to the flap over renewable energy monies being spent on advertising and promotions, to the arbitrary charges on our bills no one understands, to rate increases for THEIR cost of doing business - FPL must be stopped. Is this America? Where can I sign up to start my own utility company since apparently they can never lose money - ever. When is someone going to stand up to this monopoly and make them responsible corporate citizens instead of government-aided thieves. FPL is enough to make me want to move out of Florida so they can't get one more nickel of my money. Down with FPL!

FPL is holding there coustomers HOSTAGE and the only thing we can do is pay the ransom.
I concider FPL TERRORISTS in florida. as an fpl hostage i have been paying them for nearly 30 years now & will have to for another 30 years. they have a deposit now for 502 i have been in house for three billings 467, 450, 424and now 310 .i am getting the bill lower every time i fix something the water pump, broken windows, ect. ect.i did buy a fixer uper! when i called fpl and asked if they could not charge extra deposit at this time ?but wait untill another 2 or3 months to see what an average bill would really run ? the answer i got from them was ( you are lucky we dont want more of a deposit!)
WHERE ARE ALL OF OUR ELECTED OFFICALS THAT SHOULDE BE STANDING UP FOR US!
APPARNTLY THEY MAKE SO MUCH MONEY THEY DONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS .

HELLO! ANYBODY OUT THERE WE NEED HELP.

FPL (Florida Power & Light) is also extorting me for $530. From all of the complaints I have reviewed, and news paper stories I have read, the conclusion is that this is authorized extortion by the State of Florida Public Service Commission. (what an twist on words ... public service?) I wonder if anyone has investigated any ties or relationship there might be between The State of Florida regulators and FPL. ?

One thing I will say is that this is the Republican government at work that you elected, folks. You wanted it? You got it! (for the record...I did not vote for these bums) This is how your "red state" government treats you. How do you like it? When are you going to wake up and pay attention? When are you going to vote for the right people who would serve "the public" instead of huge corporations? It is not a far stretch to think that Florida wants you out of here...if you're not rich enough. Think about it!

Call this person.. she will help

Ellen Plendl
Regulatory Specialist
Florida Public Service Commission
Division of Service, Safety, & Consumer Assistance
[protected] (phone)
[protected] (fax)

Same thing, I m military retired, I received my SS and military retirement on the 1th and 3rd of each month. I call FPL to say I can paid my bill on time, just few days late, or ask if FPL can move my due date, and FPL say: No ! It's computerized so we can move your due date.

I paid 1 time $220 + $79 of additional deposit, and the last statement the due date is on the 3rd of Feb, that is really not business like, it's just take customers in hostages.

May be we can build something to help others customers and put our force together again FPL.

I call this unfair business practices, these people are JERKS. The only reason why they dont care is because of two reasons:
1. They ARE a monopoly that MUST be busted.
2. The Government allows them to do it.

My notice to our gov't officials is TAKE NOTICE: Look at BUSH, he and his thugs did bad things, didnt represent the american people well and helped ruin this country. TAKE NOTICE if you dont do something about it, YOU WILL BE VOTED OUT and that stinging sensation you will feel at the seat of your pants will be our FOOTS IN YOUR 4SS!

FPL... AKA MAFIA..
SOME ONE SAID IT ABOVE. THIS IS STRONG ARM ROBBERY. THEY TELL YOU HAVE TO PAY THE DEPOSITS OR ELSE. THERE IS NO GETTING AROUND IT.ITS A SHAME BUT ITS NOT GOING TO CHANGE. A 100, 000 PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO STOP PAYING IN ORDER FOR SOME-ONE TO HEAR THE CRIES.

I HAVE WORKED FOR 14 YEARS STRAIGHT WITH NO INTERUPTIONS UNTILL DEC 20TH WHEN I WAS SENT HOME. JUST LLIKE THAT. IF IT WASNT FOR FAMLIY AND FRIENDS, I WOULD BE IN THE DARK. I AM SITTING WITH A FINAL NOTICE READY TO BE DISCONECTED ANY DAY NOW.
WHEN I CALLED THEM FOR HELP THEY SAID FIND THE MONEY USE ALL YOUR CARDS USE YOUR FRIENDS YOUR FAMLIY ANYTHING BUT PAY YOUR BILL. SAD BUT THEY DONT REALLY CARE ABOUT US. IF FPL STARTS TO CARE ABOUT US THEN THEY WILL GO BANKRUPT? OR WILL THEY.I WISH SOME ONE WOULD LOOK IN TO THERE BOOKS. I BET THEY WOULD FIND SOME CRAZY ###.I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PAY I HAVE KIDS AND HAVE MEDICAL NEEDS. ITS JUST SAD !

I had a problem with FPL just today. I paid my bill of just $200 through Wal-Mart 2 weeks ago. This was supposedly a passed due bill because a couple months ago our budget billing didn't automatically go through due to some unknown reason, the money was there. They then back charged us all this supposed money we were saving through budget billing that was over $500, and we paid that about 3 weeks ago, plus 2 weeks ago another $200 through Wal-Mart, and a guy came today and shut off our electric, a total surprise to us. He wouldn't work with us or anything, he just said he wanted $200 CASH or he was going to shut it off, and we didn't have that much cash on hand so he did. I then have been spending the entire day on the phone with Wal-Mart money center and FPL trying to straighten things out. Apparently the payment was applied to the wrong account number. None of this seemed to matter to FPL though. I talked to a bunch or customer service people and was being told that it was my fault for not double checking that it was paid. Me and my wife couldn't believe this, we have 3 small children, and one is a 4 month old baby and the heat index was over 108 degrees today. The only thing they would tell me after Wal-Mart got the payment straightened out was that they would turn on my electric within 48 hours.

This is horrendous service. I mean we paid over $700 in the past month alone and they still shut me off due to a clerical error and then won't fix things in a timely manner. I used to live in PA and never had problems like this with any utility company. I can't believe that they were telling me they had nothing in place to take care of emergencies like this or to rectify problems that are not the customers fault. Well I've been trying to get a job in PA again so I can move back up, this is all the more reason to try harder.

OMG, I am using a generator tonight because of FPL, we paid their extended deposit because my daughter moved in with her kids for 6 months and they raised the deposit, so they added 250.00 to my bill last month, it was paid and now I’m sitting without power because they turned it off at 4:30 in the evening before I could stop them, I live 70 miles from my job so couldn’t make it home in time. Plus they left a ticket saying I now owe 600 dollars to turn it back on? I have the receipt however tonight my family sits in the dark until tomorrow. This saddens me not only for myself however others who has to go thru this. They should be ashamed of themselves and the director of fpl needs to be removed from his position. This has to stop, its simply wrong… Please email me at timexone@hotmail.com with more complaints so we can submit them all at once to the BBB to prevent another family like ours from every having to experience this, our silence is our worst enemy… I have never done this however I am up for the challenge… Its time to stop this monopoly or our elected officials will go unemployed… Please people, if you are here, it’s for a reason. Contact me… Together we will build a new tomorrow together, But I need your help.

Robert Greene
27 Wood Lawn
Palm Coast Fl, 32164

In the course of 6 weeks I have paid over 1100.00 dollars to FPL. I was out of town and got home on a Sunday nite @ 11:00 P.M. and foun d my power had been off for several days. One could only imagine how my house smelled. We lost all our food in the fridge, meaning everything had to be thrown out. This is where the nightmare begins. I made a payment over the phone, now keep in mind my wife has paid our bills for 34 years and is now suffering rom clinical depression. I've been a customer for 22 years and had never been lat unil recently.two weeks after that payment I made they showed up at my door wanting another 240.00, two weeks aftter that they showed up at my door wanting a 400.00 deposit. The only bill I had received was due on 8/25/09 this was the 24th when he was at my door to turn off my power.
I explained to him that I didnt have the money and that I would have to find some money somewhere, so he told me to write him a check and that would give me a little bit of time. The little bit of time was that day. The check was deducted from my avvount the very same day I gave it to him. How can that happen ? My uneployment is direct deposit and was issued on the 25th, much to my surprise it didnt get posted to my account until 2 days later, how can FPL get a check debited from my bank account and the State of Florida cant get a direct deposit credited to my account until 2 days later what is wrong with this picture. So I guess Monday they will be at my door again to turn my power off. I have no more blood, oh I mean money to give them

Problems with FPL ? call [protected] and or [protected] and report them.
I also complained to my state rep. Maybe you should e-mail yours?

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/SECTIONS/Representatives/representatives.aspx

Hello
I just resolved a dispute with FPL over an outrageous deposit. I spoke courteously and calmly, and came away completely satisfied. They waived the deposit! thanks to Ellen P for her assistance and advice.
Mr O

. The average bill where I am living is $285. FPL has 2 months average bill as a deposit ($570).

I am moving to a place where the average bill is $170. So the deposit should only be $340. They are refusing to refund or even credit the $230 difference to my account. They said the deposit will transfer over.

Do I pay on time? Not always. Have I ever let it get shut off? NO!

This is unfair and should be illegal.

Who can I call to complain?

My Parents are on social security also. I work part time and go to school part time. My father has Congested Heart Failure and my mother is a cancer survivor.. I live with them and have seen them struggle in there old age of 67, while feeling helpless at times because of my own issues.. God has been our only source. I honestly don’t know how we would have made it if it weren’t for him….But this time FPL is FLATOUT WRONG, they told my father that because we were struggling making our monthly payments. They were going to charge us a 300$ deposit.

Now ok, we have been struggling right, how in the world are we going to pay at 492$ bill., and they said we can auto pay…….HELLO we don’t have the money.

So you see how it works, 1. FPL(SATAN) TRIES TO TAKE THE MONEY OUT OF OUR ACCONT, BUT THERES NO MONEY. 2 THEN FPL CHARGES LATE FEE PLUS INSSUFFEINT FEES. 3. THEN THE BACK TURNS AROUND AND CHARGES YOU THE SAME INSSUFFEINT FEES TOO, 4. FPL IS TOO STUPID TO SAY “ OH, HE DOESN’T HAVE ANY MONEY” SO THEY KEEP TRING TO GET THE MONEY. AND IN THE END RESULT, YOUR GETTING PING-PONGED BETWEEN 2 COMPANYS YOUR BANK AND FPL (WORKING TO GETHER TO GET YOU FURTHER IN DEPT.) .

SO my father talks to them and he gets this nasty lady who is like “ well if you paid your bill, we wouldn’t need to do this….” UNBELIEVABLE…..

THEY ARE ONLY BULLING US BECAUSE THERE “ FPL “ . AND NO ONE WILL STAND UP TO THEM. BUT CONSIDER THIS…….

GOLIATH TERRORIZED ISREAL DAY AND NIGHT, AND NO ONE WOULD STAND UP TO HIM BECAUSE HE WAS A “ GAINT” AND A LITTLE BOY NAMED DAVID DEFEATED HIM WITH 1 STONE……SO MY BIBLE TELLS ME WHEN YOU MESS WITH GOD’S PEOPLE AND OPPRESS THE PEOPLE THE PUNISHMENT OF THE LORD WILL BE UPON YOU….MARK MY WORDS….GOD’S JUDGEMENT IS UPON AMERICA BECAUSE WE HAVE PUT MONEY BEFOR GOD AS AN IDOL……..FPL AND OTHER COMPANYS WILL BE DESTROYED BECAUSE ON THERE RULING…..AMEN

FPL are crooks and do not care for anyone. I am a 72 yr old dissabled single woman with an ssi income of less than poverty line. After my terrible and unfortunate accident it has been hard for me to pay bills because of out of pocket medical expenses my HMO will not cover. This company will not help me in giving me an extension till I receive my August ssi. This would be three more days, no they do not care. On top of this the bills for last three months have been way way up, without reason because all I have that works is a refrigirator and a dollar store fan. Any other appliance, I do not have and I'm in the process of having to leave my house in three weeks and go live in Camillus House. WERE DOES FPL GET I USED OVER $100 PER MONTH OF ELECTRICITY WITHOUT ANY APPLIANCES BEING USED? They are ripping me off and don't want to help me? WE NEED ANOTHER COMPANY TO STOP THIS CROOKED MONOPOLY! And lets not talk about the deposit, they are always asking me for an outrageous amount of deposit, when I asked them to use the deposit to pay the bill they tell me they cannot do that. THEN WHERE IS IT!IF THEY CUT MY ELECTRIC BEFORE I GET MY SSI CHECK IN AUGUST THEY WILL BE A DEAD DISABLED SENIOR AND THEY WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE.!

PEOPLE GET SOLAR POWER.

Hello godsprophet217 That is why so many elderly die every year in the summer in this country. Because of power companies that put profit over HUMANITY.
They keep raising their rates but our ssi checks stay the same And by raising rates then our deposits keep going up. And many wonder why they see so many homeless lately like never before.

Companies that put profit over humanity = more homeless.

I provided FPL with a deposit of $300.00 2 years ago! I just got a letter saying i would get it back if I supply them with info proving I am who I say I am. Just send at least 5 pieces of documents that I used to live at the house that was taken away from me by Bank of AMerica! That's a whole other story.. Either way, i guess I didn't get the docs in soon enough. Yes, there is a time limit. Otherwise, u lose. No deposit for you! ARE U KIDDING ME? I could use that $$$$ That's alot of $$$
Especially when I live on disability! JRezzino

After reading all of the comments about FPL, I felt I was not completely alone in the struggle with FPL. They are definitely crooks of the worst kind, and they operate like a Mafia-run organization. We have been struggling for the past 2 years; my husband's health, and medical bills. I was laid off from 2 jobs in the last few months, and tried to plead with FPL just to give us some time and work with us. Because we were late a couple of times, and I chose not to use the automatic bill paying, I received a bill of $1000 dollars recently and just about dropped over. I realized then that they had added on a $500 dollar fee to the monthly bill. I then called FPL and they told me that I could make payments over 3 months, which would mean I had to pay $167 dollars in addition to our regular bill. I told them that if I already have trouble paying the elec. bill, how in the world could I pay additional money. In the past year, I helped my daughter and her family when my grandson, age 12 at the time, was diagnosed with cancer. My daughter was also pregnant with their third child at the time, so I started taking care of the children and my grandson when he was not in the hospital. This was a tremendous sadness to our family, although he ended his chemo this year and he is now 13 and in regular school. My daughter also had a precious baby boy, who is now 14 months and I take care of him. If I had to tell you the rest it would read like a novel, but FPL would not budge and we still don't know how in the world we are going to pay $500. This is the worst company I have ever had to deal with, and also my monthly bill started climbing, even though we are on budget billing. There has to be an end to this, and I am going to contact the person who was mentioned regarding this...there is something really wrong somewhere. I do know that it will take many, many people complaining about this to the proper authorities to make a difference. The one thing that is wrong is that they are a monopoly.

I am a single, senior disabled lady living on Social Security which doesn't even cover my bills each month, plus my home got major damage so I haven't lived there for 6 months! I can't afford to pay a few hundred dollars for a deposit! It's right after a state disaster and people are trying to pay the outrageous costs of home repair now so thats why bills are paid late! It's not fair to penalize us further!