A couple years ago I worked for Direct Energy doing the door to door gig. I was on the front line selling this stuff *Ducks tomatoes because people aren't eating them*.
Anyway, here's the truth of the truth in my opinion:
I could get into all kinds of details, but I won't because I'm not sure how much I can actually reveal. But I think the following should be safe. The door to door guys are paid through commission, but only paid assuming you pass a credit check. At the end of the day, they probably don't care whether or not you sign up because everyday they are getting at least a couple and making what they need to make.
If they don't have a badge, it may be a scam, don't talk to them. We were sent to the field with identification. If they claim they are there to 'check your meters' don't talk to them, that's most likely a good way to get into your home which cuts off the "door" barrier and enables easier selling.
The year I sold, the customers who signed up at the beginning of the summer would have ended up saving them a bit of money (gas at about $7.50 elec at 7 cents), but by the end, they would have ended up losing money (gas at about 9.50 elec at 11cents). I wouldn't sign up at those prices.
Some companies like DE offer the seasonal gig, which isn't bad, it means your variable in the summer months and fixed in the winter. All in all I would say if people WERE losing money, they weren't spending a whole lot more, and if they were saving money, they probably weren't saving a whole lot either. You've got to remember that your bill is a combination of consumption as well as price, so if you stop using as much energy, your saving anyway. The admin fees seemed like the only real selling point for me.
If a Direct Energy guy says that it combines into 1 bill.... think about it. He/she are referring to the fact that they will move elec to the gas bill to make it 1 gas/elec bill. Unfortunately, Enmax still will be sending you a bill for water/sewage, so the only company that can get you a TRUE 1 bill is Enmax by putting gas on the sewage/water/elec bill.
No need to tell the guy at the door to "f" off.. he's just working and doesn't care one way or the other if you sign up because his commission isn't THAT huge (when I worked it was roughly 40 but it may be different now).
Once you are signed up, you'll have to do a phone call (for Direct at least). If the salesperson does not do a phone call, you are getting scammed. The phone call is for verification purposes that yes, you are a human and yes, you are agreeing to the deal.
I don't think you could back out of the Direct Energy deals (unless its within 10 days of signing like Alberta law dictates), but they may have changed this I guess over the last couple years.
If I were to sign up, I would do the seasonal, but to be honest I probably wouldn't bother to sign up because as Ive said it isn't a big deal one way or the other. And one important thing to note...
I'm pretty sure that companies like Direct Energy / Enmax don't care one way or the other which way the price goes if you sign up. Here's why; they already bought the commodity in bulk several years ago at around say $3 for gas. Now they are just trying to get fixed prices for themselves. THey can make more accurate revenue predictions if their customers are at fixed prices, and I imagine this is convenient on the accounting side as well.
And man oh man... the stories I have are classic. I was on the southern Alberta travelling team, going to all the small towns. Such a hilarious job.
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