https://form.jotform.com/250784737716165 Anyone know details about this guaranteed 20% off electric via solar farms? There's a logic to what's being claimed, but on the other hand, it's setting off alarm bells in my head...

this went wild in baltimore like 6 months ago. frum people being paid to push it. I tried to drill down and find where the scam was by calling lots of people and asking lots of questions. My conclusion is that it’s not a scam but I am still too confused by it to be a participant bc it just smells weird, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

I signed up ages ago and nothing has happened so far. The farms are still being built or something

😮

Why are they asking for a health insurance card?

i don't remember that

Additionally, we offer an optional rate-lock program for 12 or 36 months to help customers save on rising energy rates.

This smells of the third party energy supplier scam from before

Who is issuing the 20% discount and how are they affording it?

in maryland it's a government program https://www.psc.state.md.us/electricity/community-solar-pilot-program/ and it's not really 20%, but still significant

What I was told is that basically the state of Maryland is giving lots of money to the energy companies to create solar farms. They are not allowed to just switch us over to solar so they need to incentivize us to switch by offering lower rates. What doesn't make sense to me is why the energy supplier can't just move over to solar without asking us.

I was thinking about it and that's what makes me most uneasy. I have a contract with my energy company to deliver me energy and they pay me x dollars. I don't care what happens under the hood as long as they get me the energy when I need it. So in theory they should be able to take all that money and keep it and switch me over to solar without telling me, as long as they keep giving me energy. The fact that I need to opt in makes me feel like I'd be assuming some sort of risk, or that I'm signing over something else other than permission for something you shouldn't need my permission for

Right but the more I dug into it I couldn't find any problems with it like you and I agree I should have found.

And don't offer me a discount to help you make the right business decision. Make it and give me better pricing and don't bother me.

Or don't give me better pricing! Keep the money and save the world. They're not running their other cost savings initiatives by me, why this one?

The explanation I was given is that people are building solar farms, and because of new laws, cutting out the middleman (utility company) when selling to the grid. So they're signing up people to buy their power directly.

In Maryland that's definitely not the case. You're still dealing with the energy company directly. The solar farm is a third party but they are selling it to the energy company, not to me.

Yes, still through the energy company, but they don't take a cut Now that I've confirmed my lack of clarity is not just me, I feel better - thanks everyone 😄

You still need to pay the energy company though... So I guess they want the future to be that they are just a distribution company?

For delivery, but not supply. The supply money gets passed on to the solar farm. Supposedly. If I understood correctly. I'll wait a year and see what happens lol

i am signed up (through a company called arcadia) I definitely get discounts but not 20% (only part of the bill is provided by the solar farm) I once got some strange bill from them and I reached out to them and they said it was a mistake and cancelled it. Other than that no issues

Sounds like a different program then. They say 20% off exactly (presumably on electric supply)

In maryland when you sign up for a specific farm, it turns out not to be 20%. I think that's the maximum possible or something, but not practically what you get

@nutritious-raincoat-28876 I get exactly 20% off of the portion that Arcadia supplies. But Arcadia has some type of limit. Sounds like a similar program, but the limit could be different (or not).