Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Arcadia Power, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Arcadia Power, Inc.

  Washington, DC 20037-1148

  
• 

  Arcadia Power, Inc.

  555 11th St NW Fl 4 Washington, DC 20004-1326

  

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/16/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I enrolled in Arcadia's community solar program over a year ago and was recently added to a solar farm. When I received my June bill from Arcadia, I was shocked that it was over $1500. According to my ********** account, my actual usage was only $481, but I also had a $1207 credit balance. I contacted Arcadia about the discrepancy and received the following explanation: My ********** account was credited for a supposed allocation of energy production from the solar farm, NOT for the amount of my utility bill, and I am required to pay the amount of the solar credit back to Arcadia, less 10%. They provided some basic math to show how much I was credited, but they did not explain how they determine my allocation of credits or why they far exceed my actual electric bill. This is contrary to their user agreement and terms of service stating that subscribers will not be billed more than their utility charges. When I asked to cancel my subscription, I was told there is a 180-day "unenrollment" period during which I will continue to receive the solar credits.The solar credits and the 180-day unenrollment policy are briefly outlined in one of the documents in my Arcadia account, but the documents were only available after I had subscribed, and they don't fully explain the process. The monthly statements also don't disclose how the credits are calculated.A rep told me that the credits will eventually lower my monthly bill, but there is no guarantee that Arcadia will not continue adding far more credits each month than the actual amount of my bill, so that I will continue to have to pay exponentially more to Arcadia than I would be paying ********** directly. Basically, their service is set up to ensure that subscribers owe them money each month, regardless of the credits in their utility account. The rep I spoke with suggested that if this is a problem, I can contact ********** and ask them to cut me a check for any credit balance, which is an absurd solution.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/26/2023

  Thank you for bringing *****'s complaint to our attention. We completely appreciate their concerns surrounding their account and hope that we are able to shed some light on their Arcadia charges and Community Solar enrollment.

  ***** signed up for Arcadia on 6/2/2022. Their Arcadia Auto-Pay enrollment, for the management of their monthly bill payments through Arcadia, was finalized on 6/8/2022. All ********** electric bill payments issued for their account from that point were set to be managed through Arcadia. 

  On 11/28/2022, ***** was enrolled on the ********* Community Solar project through Arcadia. Through Community Solar, ***** is set to keep a 10% portion of the total value generated by their spot on the Community Solar project. The remaining 90% is owed to the Community Solar farm for project operation costs and is thus billed through their Arcadia statements. 

  Though ******’s Community Solar enrollment occurred in November of 2022, ********** did not pass along their generated Community Solar savings value as **** Transfer credits until 5/4/2023. These **** Transfer credits are equal to 100% of the total value of electric production by the Community Solar project in dollar terms. They reduce the total charges owed to ********** as a result. 

  Due to the delay between ******’s Community Solar enrollment and the application of the associated savings credits to their utility account, multiple months worth of savings credits have applied to their recent ********** bill in question. This is not the anticipated monthly amount of credit that should be received on *****'s bill. This will even out over time once their Community Solar savings credits earned thus far have been applied to their ********** bills in full. The remaining credit balance on their ********** account is theirs to keep and will apply to cover their future charges from ********** until used in full. 

  The 180 day cancellation period is the time it takes for the solar developer and utility company to fully process a customers un-enrollment from a Community Solar project. This timeline accounts for each accounts specific billing cycle, as well as the amount of time it takes for the utility to cease applying solar savings to a customers account. This cancellation timeline was presented in the SMART Participant Customer Disclosure Form and in the Community Shared Solar Subscription Agreement, both agreed to at enrollment on 6/2/2022. *****'s cancellation was requested on 7/12/2023 and will be processed within the 180 day cancellation period. 

  Should ***** or the Better Business Bureau wish to discuss this further, we can be reached at [email protected] or call us at ************** between 9am and 7pm EST, Mondays through Fridays.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/27/2023

  In Section 2, Paragraph D of Arcadia's Community Solar Agreement, it is clearly stated that "Arcadia only works with solar developers that permit subscribers to cancel their subscription at any time with no fee. Because the bill credits generated under the subscriber agreement reduce your utility bill, Arcadia guarantees that any subscriber agreement that it identifies for you will charge you less than you would have otherwise paid to your utility, although Arcadia does not guarantee any specific reduction."

  My June-July bill from Arcadia was $1519. My actual ********** bill was for $481. There was no past due balance with either Arcadia or with ********** that would impact my monthly amount due (in fact, as already noted, I have a credit balance on my ********** account). Although I have a credit balance with **********, I was obligated to pay more than 3 times my actual energy bill to Arcadia. This situation is contrary to Arcadia's marketing and their community solar agreement. 

  The point is that regardless of the justifications that Arcadia uses in terms of solar credits being delayed, the actual situation is that I was forced into paying a bill that was substantially higher than it would have been if I had been paying my utility directly. Regardless of the credits on my ********** account, this expense had to come out of pocket, which seriously affects my monthly budget, and I had no up front notice that this would occur, and thus no ability to plan for it. 

  Arcadia should be making it clear to customers ahead of enrolling in their program that this situation could arise. They should also be providing monthly statements that are more revealing in terms of the number of solar credits generated and how they are applied. Currently, they provide only a dollar amount and the supposed savings.

  I am now stuck in an agreement that I enrolled in in good faith, on the understanding that it would provide savings on my utility bills; instead, I am being forced to pay an inflated bill without notice, and I have no assurance that this will not continue to occur for the remainder of the 6-month "unenrollment" period.
  

  Other complaints against this company indicate that other clients have experienced the same problem. I am extremely dissatisfied with the lack of transparency with this business and the poor customer service. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/17/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
  
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  In Section 2, Paragraph D of Arcadia's Community Solar Agreement, it is clearly stated that "Arcadia only works with solar developers that permit subscribers to cancel their subscription at any time with no fee. Because the bill credits generated under the subscriber agreement reduce your utility bill, Arcadia guarantees that any subscriber agreement that it identifies for you will charge you less than you would have otherwise paid to your utility, although Arcadia does not guarantee any specific reduction."

  My June-July bill from Arcadia was $1519. My actual ********** bill was for $481. There was no past due balance with either Arcadia or with ********** that would impact my monthly amount due (in fact, as already noted, I have a credit balance on my ********** account). Although I have a credit balance with Eversource, I was obligated to pay more than 3 times my actual energy bill to Arcadia. This situation is contrary to Arcadia's marketing and their community solar agreement. 

  The point is that regardless of the justifications that Arcadia uses in terms of solar credits being delayed, the actual situation is that I was forced into paying a bill that was substantially higher than it would have been if I had been paying my utility directly. Regardless of the credits on my ********** account, this expense had to come out of pocket, which seriously affects my monthly budget, and I had no up front notice that this would occur, and thus no ability to plan for it. 

  Arcadia should be making it clear to customers ahead of enrolling in their program that this situation could arise. They should also be providing monthly statements that are more revealing in terms of the number of solar credits generated and how they are applied. Currently, they provide only a dollar amount and the supposed savings.

  I am now stuck in an agreement that I enrolled in in good faith, on the understanding that it would provide savings on my utility bills; instead, I am being forced to pay an inflated bill without notice, and I have no assurance that this will not continue to occur for the remainder of the 6-month "unenrollment" period.
  

  Other complaints against this company indicate that other clients have experienced the same problem. I am extremely dissatisfied with the lack of transparency with this business and the poor customer service. 

  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 08/22/2023

  Thank you for bringing *****’s response to our attention. We hope that we are able to shed some light on their persisting concerns.

  ***** did cancel their account with no fee, but as stated in the SMART Participant Customer Disclosure Form and in the Community Shared Solar Subscription Agreement, a Community Solar cancellation does take 180 days to complete.

  Community Solar is designed such that the savings generated by the Community Solar farm are applied on a customer’s monthly bills as credits. Their subscription size on the Community Solar project is determined by their annualized electric usage, such that their Community Solar generation is based on their expected usage on an annual basis. ***** has still received savings overall, and the resulting credit balance on their ********** account will apply to cover their future charges from ********** until used in full. They have received more in Community Solar credit value than Community Solar related charges during their enrollment.

  There is a three day period between Arcadia’s statement issue date and the corresponding scheduled payment date. During this time, customers can be aware of pending charges and can reach out to with any concerns once they receive their email notification about their bill. Their email statement for the Arcadia statement in question was opened on 7/11/2023, the same day that it was sent. 

  Should ***** or the Better Business Bureau wish to discuss this further, we can be reached at [email protected] or call us at (**** ******** between 9am and 7pm EST, Mondays through Fridays.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/08/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Hi,I just received (statements attached) my latest bill from Arcadia Energy and it's more than 4 times higher than last months bill. My usage is approximately 55 kWh less than the previous bill. This is ridiculous, as far as I'm concerned and is either a rip-off or a huge mistake. My previous bill was approximately $99 and this bill is $389. I don't get it? I'm retired, on a fixed income, live alone, single person. I'd like a statement credit for the difference in the kWh that I should actually be charged for. Please see statements attached that represent my complaint. Thank you ~ ***************************

  Business Response

  Date: 07/21/2023

  Thank you for bringing ****** complaint to our attention. We completely appreciate their concerns surrounding their account and hope that we are able to shed some light on their Arcadia statement issued in July 2023. 

  ***** started their sign up for Arcadia on 1/8/2020 and completed their Arcadia Auto-Pay enrollment on 4/22/2022. They received a $75 sign up credit which applied to their Arcadia statements to reduce their total charges until used in full. 

  Through Arcadia Auto-Pay, *****'s ********** bills are set to be delivered to Arcadia each month. Once they are received, Arcadia issues a corresponding monthly statement. Arcadia then manages a payment withdrawal three days later to pay to Eversource. 

  ***** enrolled in Arcadia Community Solar on the ********* Community Solar project on 11/28/2022. They started receiving the savings credits generated from the project on 5/4/2023.

  Through Community Solar with Arcadia, ***** keeps a 10% portion of the Community Solar savings value generated by the project. The remaining 90% of the Community Solar savings is owed to the Community Solar developer for project operation costs and is thus billed through Arcadia on *****'s monthly Arcadia statements. 

  When there is a delay of several months between enrollment on a Community Solar project and the application of those associated savings to a customers utility account, this can cause a situation where ********** would apply a Community Solar savings credit to a customers bill for multiple months worth of solar production. 

  On their July 2023 ********** bill, ***** will find a -$432.95 AOBC Transfer Credit total. This credit is in excess of their usage charges ($124.75). When a Community Solar credit applies to a utility account and results in an excess credit balance, that balance carries over to reduce future utility bills until used in full to cover their usage charges. 

  Originally, ****** July Arcadia statement was issued to bill them for 90% of the total AOBC Transfer Credit amount. After they reached out to Arcadia Customer Support, a billing solution was applied through which ***** would only ever be billed for 90% a Community Solar credit equal to or less than their monthly usage charges. Any unapplied Community Solar credit would carry over in terms of Arcadia accounting for use on future Arcadia statements. As a result, their July 2023 Arcadia statement was reissued with only $124.75 of the total AOBC Transfer Credit applied. They were only charged for $112.28 through Arcadia as a result. 

  Going forward, all of *****s Arcadia statements will be issued in the same manner so they can rest assured that they will not be billed in excess of their usage charges on a monthly basis. Any resulting credit balance with ********** is still theirs to keep over time. 

  Should ***** or the Better Business Bureau wish to discuss this further, we can be reached at [email protected] or call us at ************** between 9am and 7pm EST, Mondays through Fridays.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/07/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  they're aggressive sales tactics they came back twice and became very belligerent. After we told them twice we weren't interested in the please leave the property.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/13/2023

  Thank you for bringing ******** complaint to our attention. We completely appreciate their concerns surrounding their account and hope that we are able to shed some light on their experience with Arcadia sales representatives. 

  ******* has not established an Arcadia account nor will one be created without any action taken by *******. We have escalated this sales feedback to the appropriate party. ******* will be on a do not knock list going forward.

  Arcadia currently has active representatives on the ground in states around the U.S. where homeowners are eligible for Community Solar. Each state has its own program and each member that signs up with Arcadia in these eligible areas has the opportunity to receive savings on their monthly utility bill. There are no sign-up or cancellation fees. The process to receive savings on their monthly utility bill is as simple as signing up with Arcadia. Once their solar project starts producing power, the member starts receiving savings. 

  Arcadia does everything it can to be clear and transparent with our members and prospective members. We are sorry to hear about their experience with one of our representatives and we appreciate their feedback as were always looking for more ways to improve our member communications, as well as sign up experience. 

  Should ******* or the Better Business Bureau wish to discuss this further, we can be reached at [email protected] or call us at ************** between 9am and 7pm EST, Mondays through Fridays.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/06/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This company is supposed to pay my power bill for me. I had automatic billing set up. They lost my information and stopped paying my bill and did not notify me in any way. They say they sent an email but I have searched my inbox and did not receive said email. They let my power bill go unpaid and rack up late fees. Now my power is turned off during a heat wave which is both careless and dangerous.Paying six months of power bills all at once is a strain on my finances when I had no reason to think to prepare for this. I want this money to cover half the cost that I just had to pay to restore power, which $611. I also need this company to correct any penalties to my credit due to this lack of payment.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/21/2023

  Thank you for bringing **** complaint to our attention. We completely appreciate their concerns surrounding their account and hope that we are able to shed some light on their Arcadia account status and Auto-Pay enrollment. 

  *** signed up for Arcadia on 12/08/2016 several addresses were enrolled in Arcadia Auto-Pay. Their account in question, **** ****************************** **, was enrolled in Arcadia Auto-Pay such that their bill payments starting in September of 2019 were managed through Arcadia. Their accounts at **** ****************************** ** and ***************** ** were enrolled such that bill payments starting in January of 2019 were managed through Arcadia. 

  Arcadia Auto-Pay operates in such a way that when ******* issues a bill for ***, that bill is sent to Arcadia and an associated statement is issued through Arcadia. The corresponding payment is withdrawn three days later.

  On 3/1/2023, we sent an email with the subject line Urgent: No utility charges issued to the email address on file for their account ************************* advising that, It looks like we have not received your ******* **: *********** charges for the service address of ******************************************************** (utility account #*********) in over a month, which means we have not been able to create your Arcadia statement.

  Please reply to this email as soon as possible if you have moved, have made changes to your utility account, or if there has been an event that would otherwise cause a disruption in your electric service.

  If none of the above apply, you may need to contact ******* **: *********** at **************** so that they can investigate further on your behalf. We did not receive a reply to this message. 

  We sent a second email on 3/13/2023 advising, We have still not received your ******* **: *********** charges for the service address of ******************************************************** (utility account #*********) in over a month, which means we have not been able to create your Arcadia statement.

  If you have moved or made changes to your utility account, please let us know within the next 72 hours by replying to this email. You may need to reach out to Entergy **: *********** at **************** so that they can investigate the disruption of your utility charges.

  We will need to move forward with temporarily deactivating your Arcadia account associated with **** ****************************** ** if we do not receive a response and you will be responsible for any charges that are issued moving forward.

  Following this message, we did not receive communications from *** until 7/6/2023, at which point they requested to completely close their Arcadia account due to them being unaware that **** ****************************** ** was unenrolled from Arcadia Auto-Pay. While we understand the stress and concern of letting a power bill go unpaid, the cause of this was due to a delay on ******** end issuing ***s regularly scheduled monthly billing. We attempted to share what was going on and what *** would be able to do to resolve this with their utility to prevent such an occurrence over email prior to any action being taken on their Arcadia account. 

  Once an account is unenrolled from Arcadia Auto-Pay, we are no longer able to manage statements for the account in question unless requested by the customer. As we did not receive communications regarding this, payment of the ******* bills issued for **** ****************************** ** after 3/13/2023 would need to be handled by *** directly. Any request to restore Auto-Pay for this address would need to be communicated to Arcadia by **** 

  As Arcadia is separate from *******, we are unable to speak to their processes for late payments and power shut offs. It was our intent that *** was aware of the changes to their Arcadia Auto-Pay enrollment status and that they would be able to resolve any delay with their utility directly to ensure their account stayed paid and up to date. 

  Should *** or the Better Business Bureau wish to discuss this further, we can be reached at [email protected] or call us at ************** between 9am and 7pm EST, Mondays through Fridays.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/24/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  **************
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/03/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I just opened an Arcadia statement totaling $345.68 (discounted to $328) when I checked my ****** statement for the month of June and it is for $65.64. Arcadia is overcharging or incorrectly charging me and my payment is set to be automatically collected. I have read reviews about this company now on BBB and I am frightened by how they operate. This prompted me to check back on several statements and they have overcharged me for the past few months. I am outraged. They make it seem like you’re saving money but technically they overcharge you. I would like my membership cancelled immediately and the correct amount of money that has been overcharged reimbursed.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/13/2023

  Thank you for bringing ***** complaint to our attention. We completely appreciate their concerns surrounding their account and hope that we are able to shed some light on their Arcadia billing. 

  
  **** signed up for Arcadia on 5/15/2022 and started their Arcadia Auto-Pay enrollment on 5/16/2022 for the automatic payment of their ***** bills each month. On 6/29/2022, they were enrolled on the Brainum Solar, LLC project through Arcadia Community Solar and as of 9/2/2022, they began receiving Community Solar savings credits on their monthly ***** bills as Adjustments credits. These savings credits reduce their ***** bill amounts.

  Through Community Solar with Arcadia, **** keeps 5% of the total savings generated by their spot on the Community Solar project. The remaining 95% is owed to the Community Solar developer for project maintenance and operation and is thus billed through Arcadia. In the case that the total Community Solar savings amount is in excess of a customers usage charges, the 95% portion of the savings owed to the solar developer is still due and may be higher than their electric usage charges. However, any resulting ***** credit balance would be carried over to future bills with ***** to reduce upcoming utility charges until the credit is applied in full. This is in the customers favor as their ***** account will have already been credited equal to 100% of the *********************** credit value. 

  It takes a period of 90 days to process un-enrollment from Community Solar due to the administrative processing timeline to complete. ***** cancellation was requested on 7/5/2023 and will be processed within 90 days. Any remaining credit balance after that point will remain on their ***** account to reduce future bills until it is completely used.

  Should **** or the Better Business Bureau wish to discuss this further, we can be reached at [email protected] or call us at ************** between 9am and 7pm EST, Mondays through Fridays.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/26/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I connected my ********* electric bill to Arcadia Power. This company uses solar energy credits. I do not understand the billing, and they cannot explain it in lay terms. I cannot read my bill and understand why am I paying that amount per month I asked to be disconnected and returned to **********. They say that it takes 186 days to return the client to **********. However, it took them less than 1 day to connect me to their platform. I cannot understand their explanation of why it takes 1 day to make the connection and 6 months to stop the connection. It does not seem reasonable or fair to me that a company keeps the client for such a long time after the client expressed the will to terminate the service.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/30/2023

  Thank you for bringing ***’s complaint to our attention. We completely appreciate their concerns surrounding their account and hope that we are able to shed some light on their Arcadia billing and cancellation process. 

  *** signed up for Arcadia on 5/19/2022 and enrolled in Arcadia Auto-Pay for the management of their ********** bill payments on 5/20/2022. From that time, Arcadia started working to enroll *** in Arcadia Community Solar. They began receiving Community Solar credits on their bills on 3/2/2023 from the 180 New ****** Community Solar project. 

  *** receives a Net Metering Credit on their monthly ********** bills from the production of the 180 New ****** Community Solar project which reduces their total charges owed to **********. Through Community Solar with Arcadia, *** keeps 10% of the total Net Metering Credit. The remaining 90% is owed to the solar developer for project maintenance and operation. 

  ***'s ********** bills have recently displayed a trend where the Net Metering Credits applied were higher than their monthly usage charges. In this case, 90% of the total Net Metering Credit is still owed through Arcadia. However, there is a resulting credit balance with ********** which will reduce future charges until applied in full. This works out in **** favor over time. 

  
  It does take a period of 180 days to process un-enrollment from a Community Solar farm due to the process of removing a customer from their solar subscription. This is outlined in the Community Solar Subscriber Agreement accepted in order to proceed with enrollment and is displayed publicly on the Arcadia *************** During this time, Arcadia has requested **** removal from the Community Solar farm. Arcadia is waiting for the un-enrollment process to complete and for corresponding Community Solar credits to stop applying to their Eversource bills. Until that point, the distribution of Community Solar credits still needs to occur through Arcadia billing.

  Should *** or the Better Business Bureau wish to discuss this further, we can be reached at [email protected] or call us at ************** between 9am and 7pm EST, Mondays through Fridays.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/26/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In July of 2021 I signed up with Arcadia Solar. It took until March 2023 to be connected to a Solar farm. My first month's "bill" from Arcadia was twice that of my bill from my utility company. I have contacted Arcadia multiple times for explanations and to finally cancel my account with them after receiveing my most current "bill" from them for $700!! Had I been aware up front that I would be paying an arm and a leg out of pocket instead of saving money every month I would not have signed up. When I wrote to them requesting to cancel my Arcadia account I was told that the process takes 180 days. This is unrealistic. And to be expected to pay approximately $700 for the 4-5 months is completely unaffordable. When I explained to them that my family of 5 on one income would not be able to afford to pay this and asked about a payment plan I was told they did not offer that assistance.

  Business Response

  Date: 07/05/2023

  Thank you for bringing ******* complaint to our attention. We completely appreciate their concerns surrounding their account and hope that we are able to shed some light on their Arcadia Community Solar enrollment. 

  
  ****** signed up for Arcadia on 6/21/2021. Their Arcadia Auto-Pay was set up on 6/23/2021 for the management of payments to ******** **** for their monthly bills. From there, we worked to finalize ******s enrollment in Community Solar through Arcadia. They were enrolled on the ******** Solar project on 9/26/2022, but the Community Solar project became live on 3/9/2023. Project development can be delayed due to construction delays and the time it takes to ensure a project is synced to its appropriate electric utility so that savings generated can be applied to bills. 

  
  At that point, Community Solar savings credits began being produced, but the application of these savings credits were delayed on their ******** **** bills until 5/12/2023. Delays in the application of savings can be due to administrative delays of the utility applying the savings credit, but any credit generated is applied to a customers utility bill. Due to the delay between the Community Solar project becoming active and the application of those savings to ******* bill, there were multiple months worth of Community Solar production applied to their bill at once. 

  It is Arcadias responsibility to ensure that ****** keeps 10% of the Community Solar savings earned and that the remaining 90% is sent to the Community Solar farm for project maintenance and operation. Thus, Arcadia charged ****** for 90% of a credit that they have already received on their monthly utility bill. Any excess credit balance accrued with their utility is theirs to keep and remains on their utility account to cover their future usage charges until used in full. 

  When ****** reached out in June 2023 regarding the next bill issued, it was clear that the same pattern of a credit in excess of their usage charges had occurred again. While in the short term, this results in a higher monthly charge, it does still work out in ******s favor over time as they keep 10% of the total credit applied. 

  However, ****** brought this trend regarding their bills to our attention and expressed how it was not affordable for their purposes. We stopped their pending payment for $717.82 so it would not occur. Their Arcadia account was then canceled immediately on 6/28/2023, bypassing the standard 180 cancellation period for Community Solar in Massachusetts. ****** still keeps the credit value of $797.58 applied to their ******** **** account to reduce their bills going forward despite the corresponding Arcadia payment not going through. 

  
  Should ****** or the Better Business Bureau wish to discuss this further, we can be reached at [email protected] or call us at ************** between 9am and 7pm EST, Mondays through Fridays.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/23/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to file a complaint against Arcadia for unauthorized charges and deceptive practices. Since October of last year, Arcadia has been submitting unauthorized bills to my electric company, ****, resulting in additional charges to my account. This has caused significant financial burden and concerns. Here are the key details: Unauthorized Charges: Arcadia deducted $5 per transaction from my **** account, claiming to provide clean energy. However, upon reviewing my bank statements, I discovered that Arcadia charged me an extra $5 per transaction on top of what I owed ****. These unauthorized charges date back to October of last year. Deceptive Practices: Arcadia gained access to my **** account and used my email address for these unauthorized charges. They exploited this access to siphon off funds without my consent, resulting in an outstanding balance of $300 as of today. I feel deceived and taken advantage of by Arcadia's actions. They have manipulated the system and breached consumer trust. Enclosed are copies of relevant bank statements and **** bills to support my complaint. I kindly request a thorough investigation into this matter by the BBB and appropriate action against Arcadia for their deceptive practices and unauthorized charges. Holding them accountable is crucial to protect consumers from such fraudulent activities.Enclosed are copies of relevant bank statements and **** bills to support my complaint.Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I anticipate a fair resolution. Please contact me if you require further information or updates regarding the investigation.Sincerely,

  Business Response

  Date: 07/03/2023

  Thank you for bringing ****** complaint to our attention. We completely appreciate their concerns surrounding their account and hope that we are able to shed some light on their Arcadia Auto-Pay enrollment. 

  ***** signed up for Arcadia on 9/20/2022 and completed enrollment in Arcadia Auto-Pay on 10/3/2022. This enrollment and acceptance of Arcadia terms and conditions authorized their Auto-Pay enrollment. Through Auto-Pay with Arcadia, Arcadia was set to receive *****'s monthly **** bills and to issue statements to correspond with each *****************. Three days after the Arcadia statement was issued, a payment would be withdrawn by Arcadia to make sure that ****** **** account was paid prior to the ***************** due date. 

  In *****s area, an Arcadia membership costs $5 on a monthly basis. This $5 membership covers the cost of Arcadia purchasing and retiring Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) on behalf of customers enrolled in this program. The clean energy match that is provided is RECs matching the kWh quantity of a customers electric usage on each monthly bill. This is at a $5 cost, no matter the total kWh amount being matched. 

  An email notification for each monthly Arcadia statement was sent to *********************** for transparency. Additionally, a welcome email outlining the function of Arcadia Auto-Pay was sent to ***** on 10/3/2022 and interacted with on ****** end less than two hours after it was delivered. This email explained the timing and process of Arcadia Auto-Pay. One important aspect of this process is that for accounts such as ****, where the username is a customers email address, Arcadia must change the username on file with the utility to ensure that Arcadia Auto-Pay can operate in a timely and accurate manner. There is a section about this in each Arcadia Auto-Pay activation email so that customers will still know how to access their online utility account.

  During the time that Arcadia Auto-Pay was operational, ****** **** account remained paid and up to date each month. Arcadia reached out to ***** over email on 4/27/2023, 5/2/2023, and 5/7/2023 with a message with the subject line Action needed on your Arcadia account. In these communications, Arcadia advised that *****s utility sync to their **** online profile was no longer valid and that an update would need to be made to maintain their Auto-Pay enrollment. If a customer attempted to access their **** profile and requested a password reset, this would have rendered their Arcadia utility sync invalid if this information was not updated on Arcadia. On 5/11/2023, Arcadia reached out over email to confirm that because of the utility sync errors, *****s Arcadia account was now closed. Any balance owed to **** at that point going forward would be owed directly from ***** to **** as Arcadia was no longer able to provide that service. 

  Should ***** or the Better Business Bureau wish to discuss this further, we can be reached at [email protected] or call us at ************** between 9am and 7pm EST, Mondays through Fridays.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/07/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution satisfices. However, I will ammend that I received no such emails on those dates, and was unaware I would be cut off. I'm willing to drop the issue.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/16/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Arcadia advertizes 10% off your Electric bill. They jack up the charges from ** Energy with the added charge of 'Transfer of Net Metering Credit' and then apply the 10% off. See enclosed attachment. I have cancelled Arcadia today and may have to continue paying these extra charges for 120 days! That's how long they say it takes to cancel. Enrolling usually takes under 60 days. Thanks

  Business Response

  Date: 06/30/2023

  Thank you for bringing ******* complaint to our attention. We completely appreciate their concerns surrounding their account and hope that we are able to shed some light on their Arcadia billing and Community Solar enrollment. 

  ****** signed up for Arcadia on 5/8/2022 and completed enrollment for Arcadia Auto-Pay on 6/16/2022. Through Arcadia Auto-Pay, their ******************* bill payments are set to be managed through Arcadias system. ****** first enrolled at ************* and later enrolled in Arcadia Auto-Pay at a second address, ********************************************.

  In ************, Arcadia customers are able to enroll in Community Solar for savings on their statements. Through Community Solar, a Transfer of Net Metering Credit is applied to ******* ******************* account to reduce their monthly billed amount. ****** keeps 10% of the Transfer of Net Metering Credit as their savings. The remaining 90% is owed back to the solar farm and is thus billed through Arcadia. 

  Instead of an extra cost, this results in a savings to ******* ******************* billing. Even in the case that the Transfer of Net Metering Credit exceeds ******* usage charges for the month, the application of that Transfer of Net Metering Credit is in ******* favor as they will keep any resulting credit balance that is with ******************* to reduce future charges. 

  ****** requested cancellation from Arcadia on 6/16/2023. With Community Solar on their account, this process takes a period of 180 days to complete due to action necessary on the part of the solar developer and the utility as well. ****** completed Auto-Pay enrollment on 6/16/2022. They didn't begin to receive Community Solar credits for ************* until 11/15/2022 and for ** ********** ** Lot *** on 5/16/2023. The 180 day cancellation timeline for Community Solar is comparable to the enrollment timeline. 

  Should ****** or the Better Business Bureau wish to discuss this further, we can be reached at [email protected] or call us at ************** between 9am and 7pm EST, Mondays through Fridays.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/13/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Arcadia ran a promotion that offered a $250 ****** gift card to customers that signed up for their services using the promotion link. After signing up through that link, I emailed their customer service to make sure that I would be able to take advantage of this promotion, to which they requested some information from me, and confirmed that I was eligible. They requested I wait 30 days, which I did. After reaching out to them when nothing arrived during those 30 days, they took back their offer and previous promise and gave some excuses about why they are not honoring this promotion. Their claim that this is an expired promotion makes no sense, as I signed up on their own website using that promotion link, and when requested, sent them a screenshot of the promotion they still had active at that time. I want them to keep their promises and stop deceptively acquiring customers with offers they clearly do not want to fulfill.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/22/2023

  Thank you for bringing ******* complaint to our attention. We completely appreciate their concerns surrounding their account and hope that we are able to shed some light on the referenced $250 ****** gift card offer. 

  ****** signed up for Arcadia on 5/8/2023 and in Arcadia Auto-Pay on 5/9/2023 to manage the payment of their ***** ** bills through Arcadia. Additionally, they are enrolled on the ******** * - *************** Community Solar project which will result in savings credits on their monthly statements from the production of the Community Solar farm. 

  When ****** inquired about a $250 ****** e-gift card, they were informed that the $250 Amazon e-gift card offer identified on the ****** ** ****** website was an expired promotional offer and unable to be honored as a result. Arcadia only became aware of the unauthorized post published to the ****** ** ****** website after customer inquiries and complaints to our Customer Support team. This unauthorized post contained a link to an expired landing page that was first created before 2021. The page link was associated with a direct mailer promotion that Arcadia previously offered in a specific Community Solar area. The link posted to ****** ** ****** expired over two years ago, and we have since been in direct contact with them directing the removal of the link to prevent further confusion. Arcadia occasionally creates unique landing pages that tie back to specific marketing campaigns and that require prospective customers to use the specific link prior to its expiration to take advantage of the promotion.  

  Despite the expiration of the promotion, in this instance, we will honor the fulfillment of a $250 ****** e-gift card as a goodwill gesture for ****** and have communicated this to them over email on 6/22/2023. 

  ******s Arcadia account remains open for future enrollment in Community Solar, through which they will receive a savings credit on their monthly Arcadia statements to reduce their total charges. 

  Should ****** or the Better Business Bureau wish to discuss this further, we can be reached at [email protected] or call us at ************** between 9am and 7pm EST, Mondays through Fridays.