Amy Richardson guest blogs by way of a letter to the NJ opinion page.
I have accepted the fact that I am powerless when it comes to Delmarva Power's coming 59 percent rate increase. Although I agree with deregulation of utility companies nationwide, it may be years before Delmarva has any viable competition in New Castle County. I have accepted that exorbitant installation fees make solar energy an unrealistic option for me and many others.
What I will not accept is a company that forces customers into an interest payment plan unless they opt out of it.
It is disturbing that elected officials would endorse a plan so detrimental to constituents.
Despite my horror, I took time to log onto Delmarva's Web site. I found no obvious icon for opting out. Once I located it and entered my account number, my request could not be processed and I was directed to a toll-free phone number.
After a 10-minute wait, I got to speak with a representative. After a brief conversation, I was assured by the young woman that I had successfully opted out of the payment plan. I find it interesting that a company that has the technological capability to accept payments online and by telephone in a few minutes cannot create a system to allow a customer to opt out of the imposed payment plan in less than 30 minutes.
Amy Richardson, WilmingtonThanks Amy! We all need to remember to "thank" our elected officials for this situation in November.