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:05/19/2023

  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.

  This company is scamming me out of money. Month I used 500kw I was charged around $47, next couple months I used 200kw and was charged $70-80. There is no reason for the random charges and I definitely believe we are being scammed by this company. They can not explain their billing or why my charges are not consistent with energy usage. This is a **** poor online company that hides behind anonymity of the internet. The BBB itself is a racketeering scam, but hopefully they have some teeth to make this company do better (#doubt)I recommend you stay away from this company, and I will be telling anyone I know to avoid this company.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/05/2023

  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 ******s Arcadia charges.

  
  ****** enrolled with Arcadia on 12/13/2019 and in Arcadia Auto-Pay for the management of their ******** **** bill payments with their December 2019 ******** **** bill. They are also enrolled in a program with Arcadia to match their monthly kWh usage with Renewable Energy Certificates at an additional cost of 1.5 c/kWh. This program is voluntary.

  
  On 1/26/2021, they began receiving savings credits from their Community Solar subscription on their monthly statements. Through Community Solar with Arcadia, ****** keeps a 5% portion of the savings earned from their spot on the Community Solar farm. The remaining 95% portion is shared with the Community Solar developer for project maintenance and is thus billed through Arcadia. 
  
  It is important to note that with Community Solar, ******’s bills are determined by two factors, their electric usage charges and the Community Solar project production value. If the Community Solar production value is in excess of their usage charges, this would result in a credit balance that carries over to the following month’s utility charges. For the ******** **** bill mentioned in this complaint, ******’s Arcadia charge was $47.26 correlating with a 513 kWh usage. However, their total usage charges with ******** **** for this bill were $91.75. There was a reduced amount due because of their ******** **** charges being paid by the existing credit balance on their utility bill from their enrollment in Arcadia Community Solar. Community Solar is a savings program which results in reduction to their utility charges each month.
  
  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:05/10/2023

  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 signed up with representatives of Arcadia that were canvasing the area back in early 2022. At the time I was assured that going solar COULD save me on the electric portion of my ******** **** G & E bill as an up to 10% credit for the solar and (MORE IMPORTANTLY) there is NO COST TO ME for joining the solar farm/it W O U L D N O T increase my bill(s). On my March 2022 my ******** **** bill was $266.07, and Arcadia billed me the same. (Solar credits had not begun yet) (no problem). In April, due to a **** Credit, my **-** bill was $0.00. Arcadia charged me the same . All good. In May my ***** bill was $1.00, Arcadia billed me $54.99. Starting in June 2022 per the attached, my ***** bills have ALWAYS been less than my bill payment to Arcadia. ******** **** has had me on a budget plan, but I still have an overage with them of $607. As you can see by the attached, since December 2022 to my May 1 billing, ******** **** has issued me $0.00 due statements, yet Arcadia has billed me each month. I have spoken to them and they have tried to explain why, but the bottom line is (by my reckoning) I have paid Arcadia $914.69 more than I have been charged by my gas & electric supplier (******** ****). So, looking at my May billing. ******** **** charged me nothing as I was ahead on my account and Arcadia charged me $61.29 to "save" me $3.23. This is not an example of "you will not pay more for your energy bill" as promised . Also: **** gave our household 2 payments: $435.00 in December and $100.00 in April. Since ******** **** credited my account for these amounts (Issued by NY State) and so billed me $0.00 both months, yet Acadia still billed me both months. Arcadia basically billed me for my **** benefit. Is this legal??

  Business Response

  Date: 05/25/2023

  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 savings.

  
  **** signed up for Arcadia on 1/19/2022 and enrolled in Arcadia Auto-Pay for the management of their ******** **** bill payments on 1/20/2022. On 3/17/2022, they were enrolled on the ********** Community Solar project and started receiving Community Solar savings on their ******** **** bills on 5/28/2022 as Community Net Metering Adjustment credits. 

  
  Through Arcadia Community Solar, **** keeps a 5% portion of the savings value produced by their spot on the project. The remaining 95% portion is owed to the Community Solar farm for project operation and is thus charged through their Arcadia statements. 

  Due to their enrollment in budget billing and in ****, there are impacts to their Community Solar crediting on their utility bills. With budget billing in place, the 95% portion of their savings that is allocated towards the maintenance and development of the Community Solar project will be added on top of their normal budget billing amount. Without budget billing, the total Community Solar amount reduces a customers actual monthly charges so that they can clearly see savings. Arcadia Customer Support recommends that customers turn off budget billing on their utility account to ensure that their bill does not increase with their solar savings and that they start to see savings right away.

  
  **** also received **** credits on their ******** **** bills. With Arcadia Community Solar, **** did not lose their **** credits. The 95% portion of their Community Solar credit is still due to the Community Solar developer, and the **** credit cannot apply to cover that value. Any remaining credit balance on their ******** **** account carries forward to apply to future ******** **** bills until used in full. Enrollment in Community Solar makes that total account credit balance resulting from **** credits last longer. According to their most recent ******** **** bill issued 5/1/2023, they have a credit balance of -$607.46 remaining on their utility bills which will decrease future billing over time until it has all applied. 

  
  On 5/10/2023, **** requested cancellation from Arcadia Community Solar. This process takes 90 days to complete due to action required on their part by the Community Solar developer and their utility to finish un-enrollment. Any credit balance remaining on their ******** **** bill after the completion of Arcadia cancellation is still theirs to keep, resulting in an overall savings in the long-term. 

  
  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: 06/11/2023

  [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:  I am aware that the $607.00 credit I have amassed I will not lose because it is with National Grid and over time I will use it up.  My COMPLAINT is that each month my *************** was $0.00 while this process would catch up, I still was responsible to Arcadia for the Electric charges.  Now, I sort of understand about the 95%/5% set up BUT my complaint is that when signed up and on the first 3 of 4 customer service inquires I made, this wasn't explained to me so I could opt out before I ended up paying Arcadia over $600.00 over my actual *************** for 12 months.   Once I figured out what was happening, I realized this sign up does not work in my situation.  I feel I was "strung along" and that my solar saving was miniscule compared to my cost.  To simplify what happened to me:  Say my ******** **** bill for the year for gas & electric was going to be exactly $2000.00.  On January 1, Heap were to issue me $500.00, and I deposited $1500.00 in ****** account.  I would now have a $0.00 monthly bill until used up.  But, because of the way the Solar agreement works, each month I would still owe my electrical charges to Arcadia beyond my $0.00 owed to N-G.  Since this is the way it is done if this is legal that's fine but since I questioned it 3 times seeing it didn't seem proper to me and it was not explained by customer service in a way I could understand, I don't feel it was right for me to incur this constant over expense until I caught on and canceled.  
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/22/2023

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

  
  ***** billing situation with Arcadia is not the standard experience, but is publicly addressed on the Arcadia Support Center for transparency. *****************************************************************************************************************************************;

  
  Explanations of how **** crediting can impact a customers Arcadia statement such as ***** are discussed between a customer and Arcadia Customer Support if the topic is mentioned by the customer. 

  As of 6/19/2023, ***** Arcadia account is closed due to declined payment attempts for their account. This means that Arcadia will not be charging **** any further during the remainder of the standard 90 day cancellation period for Community Solar in New York. 

  **** has noted understanding that the remaining credit balance with ******** **** as a result of Community Solar crediting to their account is theirs to keep. That balance will remain with ******** **** despite their Arcadia account cancellation and will cover their ******** **** charges until used in full, working out in their favor financially. 

  
  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:05/03/2023

  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.

  This business advertises as a way to save money on your energy bill and claims there are no costs to use the service but has been overcharging for the past year sometimes almost triple what my utility bill would have been. I'm seeking $1,349.12 in over charges for the past year. The breakdown of each month and each bill is specified on the attached documents. This is predatory marketing and a complete scam.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/25/2023

  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 2/7/2022 and was enrolled on Arcadia Auto-Pay for the management of their ******** **** bill payments on 2/7/2022. On 3/17/2022, they were enrolled on the ********** Community Solar project through Arcadia. On 5/27/2022, they began receiving savings credits on their monthly statements from the ********** Community Solar project. 

  Through Community Solar, a credit equal to the total production value of ****s Community Solar enrollment is applied to their ******** **** bill as a Community Net Metering Adjustment. ***** keeps a 5% portion of that Community Net Metering Adjustment. The remaining 95% portion is owed to the Community Solar farm and is thus billed through Arcadia.

  Upon a review of ****** Arcadia bills, there have not been any additional charges through Arcadia. Any Community Solar Farm value listed on *****s Arcadia statements refers to a corresponding reduction to their displayed ******** **** charges from the application of a Community Net Metering Adjustment. They would not have received the Community Net Metering Adjustment without their Arcadia Community Solar enrollment. Details about Community Solar billing are surfaced on Arcadias ************** for transparency: ***********************************************************************************************************************************

  On 5/3/2023, ***** contacted Arcadia Customer Support with concerns about their billing. The agent attempted to explain how Community Solar billing works with Arcadia, but states that the customer cut them off and did not allow them to provide an explanation. Community Solar with Arcadia is a savings program, and ***** has received a savings of $75.96 throughout the course of their enrollment.

  
  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:05/01/2023

  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 signed up with Arcadia community solar to save money. I never did. And I tried to cancel my account with them but they refused to do it. They began to over charged me after I sent the cancellation request. Every month they are sending my a bill for electricity I never used . By now my credit with ************* electric company is over $400.00 . According to our contract with Arcadia they should use my credit with electric company first and if there is not enough credit they may sell me their electricity. Arcadia never used my credit which I have with my electric company. They are scammers. Im a senior citizen and shame of they to take the advantage of people like me. Im sending you some pictures and you can see that I didnt use any electricity but I was charged by Arcadia.Could you help me to stop them of scamming me and cancel my account with them, please??Let my know if you need any additional information.Thank you so much ******

  Business Response

  Date: 05/25/2023

  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 2/16/2022 and enrolled in Arcadia Auto-Pay for the management of their National Grid bill payments on 2/20/2022. On 12/23/2022, they were enrolled on the ********* Community Solar project. On 2/1/2023, they began receiving savings credits on their statements from their Community Solar enrollment with Arcadia. 

  Through Community Solar, a credit equal to the total production value of ****** Community Solar enrollment is applied to their National Grid bill as a Transfer Credit. ****** keeps a 10% portion of that Transfer Credit. The remaining 90% portion is owed to the Community Solar farm and is thus billed through Arcadia.

  It looks like ****** has rooftop solar panels in addition to their Community Solar enrollment with Arcadia. This has resulted in their ******** **** bills showing a $0 amount due after the application of both their rooftop solar production and their Community Solar credits. 

  The credit balance accumulated on their ******** **** account is theirs to keep in full and will apply to cover future utility charges. Arcadia is unable to access any credit balance that is listed on their ******** **** account to apply to Arcadia Community Solar related charges, but this will apply to utility related charges in the future. As a result, this is still a savings to ******

  
  ****** requested cancellation of their Arcadia account on 2/10/2023. In Massachusetts, it takes a period of 180 days to complete un-enrollment from a Community Solar farm due to the administrative process necessary. This is necessary to ensure that both the Community Solar developer and utility can process this while Arcadia continues to ensure the proper distribution of the Community Solar savings generated. 

  On 5/8/2023, ******s Arcadia account was canceled prior to the completion of the 180 day cancellation period as a goodwill measure. 

  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:04/19/2023

  Type:Order 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.

  When signing up for Arcadia, all of their literature and correspondence indicates that there is no extra cost to you beyond your current electricity bill, and once you're matched with a solar farm you will begin saving 10% per month on your electric bill. At no point in time and in no clear way on their website or in their correspondence do they indicate that once your solar farm is live, you will be charged an ADDITIONAL fee on top of your electric bill to support your solar farm, and that the 10% savings will come from this fee and be charged back to your bill. For example, when our family joined, we began paying our $149 flat fee which we were on with our electricity provider to Arcadia, who then paid it on our behalf. Once our farm went live in March of this year, based on everything I had read and been told, I anticipated we would begin paying $149-10%, and that Arcadia made their money through negotiated deals with power providers where they provided sustainable energy and in turn received a discount which was passed through to the customer. However, when my March bill came I owed the $149 PLUS an additional $145, essentially doubling my bill. When I called, I was told this was the fee for my solar farm, and going forward I'd pay be paying both my electric bill AND the solar farm fee every month, minus 10% of the solar farm fee credited to my electric bill ($14 and change, which is meaningless in this context). The agent pushed what a great deal the savings was and that I was helping the environment, but I simply can't afford a double bill nor did I ever plan to pay one when I signed up. I would not have signed up otherwise. On top of all of this, I was told there is a 90 day opt out and I would be on the hook for 3 more months of fees, which I could not remove from autodraft so I could more easily time my payments. The whole thing feels like a bait and switch, and I'm ashamed I was tricked into it.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/22/2023

  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 their Arcadia Community Solar enrollment and cancellation process. 

  
  **** enrolled with Arcadia on 10/09/2022 and set up their Auto-Pay enrollment to manage the payment of their ******* ***** Power bills effective on 10/24/2022. In January of 2023, they were enrolled on the *** ****** Solar project for savings on their statements. In March of 2023, **** began to receive the savings earned from their Community Solar enrollment. 

  Through Community Solar with Arcadia, the total production value of their spot on the Community Solar farm is applied to their ******* ***** Power bill to reduce the total value shown as due. In the example referenced, $275.34 in Community Solar credits have applied to their ******* ***** Power bill as Generation kWh values. Arcadia applied $145.70 of their Community Solar credit to the corresponding Arcadia statement. **** keeps a 10% portion of the reduction to their ******* ***** Power charges while the remaining 90% portion goes back to the solar farm for project maintenance and operation. Arcadia does not retain either of these portions. In this example, $131.13 was owed to the Community Solar farm while the remaining $14.57 was their 10% savings amount.

  **** is enrolled in a budget billing plan with ******* ***** Power which affects the way that their bills are displayed. The Community Solar savings credit applies to the ******* ***** Power account balance instead of the monthly balance due. This means that at the time that their budget billing is reconciled, any credit that has accumulated would be applied to their charges. Arcadia recommends turning off budget billing for an optimal Community Solar billing experience, and advised **** of this over email on 12/22/2022. When budget billing is turned off, the amount due directly to Central ***** Power would have been decreased. 

  
  Additionally, information about Community Solar billing, including with budget billing in place, is available publicly from the Arcadia Support Center here: *******************************************************************************

  
  ***** Arcadia cancellation began on 4/19/2023 as requested and will take a 90 day period to complete. This is due to Community Solar being included on their ******* ***** Power billing as it takes a 90 day period to process removal from a Community Solar farm once enrolled. More information about the 90 day cancellation period can be found on the Arcadia Support Center.  

  
  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: 06/01/2023

  [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:
  

  The business' response lays out information I am now aware of but which wasn't clearly communicated during the recruitment or sign up process. Had they read my initial complaint, they would have been aware that my issue is with the fact that they have a policy which effectively doubles members' electric bills (by adding a solar farm hill on top - not in place of - their electric bill and providing them with a measly savings each month) which is not expressly and clearly communicated up front, and is instead buried in fine print. This is blatantly done as a means of getting customers locked in before they understand the effect of the program on their budget, and is the reason for my complaint and desire for resolution. 

  I see that they have provided this same stock response to every person who has submitted a complaint, which is further evidence that this practice of theirs is having widespread effect and that they're aware, as they've developed a template for a legalese response to cover themselves. 

  As for the cancelation, again, I am sure that the 90 day period is buried in their fine print, however I spoke with ******* ***** Power who indicated that there is no necessity on their end for the 90 days other than it being a policy of Arcadia's. It's apparent that this policy exists so they can maximize income when customers realize that what they signed up for doesn't match the product that was advertised to them, and find themselves paying double for electricity than what they planned. 

  With CMP and other utilities purchasing the solar power from Arcadia, they are essentially being double-paid for the power they generate: once by the utility and once by their customers. If folks knew this ahead of time, far fewer folks - myself included - would sign up for their service.

  I do not accept this response as adequate resolution and will continue to press for reimbursement of my solar fees - including any future fees charged within the 90 day window - and immediate cancellation of my membership. 

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

  Business Response

  Date: 06/08/2023

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

  
  Arcadia values transparency regarding the operation of Community Solar and its effects on customers bills. As a result, descriptions of Community Solar billing, Community Solar billing with budget billing in place with an electric utility, and the 90 day cancellation period are publicly available at the Arcadia Support Center. The Arcadia Support Center is linked to email messages sent by Arcadia and each customer’s Arcadia dashboard, and is available online through a general search or on the Arcadia website.  A link to all articles pertaining to Community Solar ***** state can be found here: *******************************************************************************

  Furthermore, Arcadia sent **** an email advising that they turn off budget billing with ******* ***** Power on 12/22/2022. This email notice was sent to **** prior to their enrollment in Arcadia Community Solar on 1/11/2023 and prior to the application of Community Solar credits to their bills on 3/22/2023. 

  The 90 day cancellation period for Community Solar in the ************** is necessary due to the administrative timing of program un-enrollment on the part of a customers electric utility and the solar developer. As long as Community Solar generation is associated with a customers bill, Arcadia is responsible for ensuring the proper distribution of the savings produced between the customer and the solar developer, which is why the 90 day cancellation period is enforced. As a special case, our team has decided to waive ***** 90 day cancellation period. 

  
  As **** has incurred no additional costs from Arcadia, no refund is available. Once ***** budget billing with ******* ***** Power is reconciled, it will become more evident how savings credits have applied to their overall account balance with ******* ***** Power to reduce it. ***** 10% Community Solar have been $47.50 in total.  

  
  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:04/18/2023

  Type:Order 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.

  This 3rd party energy supplier refused to cancel my account in a timely manner. Stating that I signed a contract that I did not sign which says it may take them 90 days or more to cancel my account. This is just a tactic to overcharge me for 3 extra months while they hold me hostage. I didn't sign their contract. They don't have proof of my signature. I didn't agree to pay 3 months of extra charges and be held hostage to an account that I specifically asked to be canceled. They are going to screw me out of over $750 that they don't deserve unless you can help.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/22/2023

  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 their Arcadia account and cancellation period in place. 

  
  ******* signed up for Arcadia on 10/2/2022 and accepted Arcadia terms and conditions at that time. These Arcadia terms and conditions are visible from ******** online Arcadia dashboard. They enrolled in Arcadia Auto-Pay for the management of their ******* ***** Power bill payments on 10/4/2022. On 2/2/2023, they were enrolled on Community Solar with Arcadia. 

  
  During the course of their Arcadia membership, ******* was not overcharged by any value. Instead, they were charged through Arcadia for the exact amount displayed as due on their ******* ***** Power bills. Arcadia sent each payment in full to ******* ***** Power to post to their utility account which managed the payment of their monthly billing statements.

  While they were enrolled on Arcadia Community Solar, the associated savings credits had not yet applied to their statements. Through Arcadia Community Solar, customers keep a 10% portion of the value produced by their Community Solar subscription spot while the remaining 90% is shared with the Community Solar developer for project maintenance and operation. 

  In Maine, it takes a period of 90 days to process un-enrollment from a Community Solar farm, even if the savings credits have not yet started to apply to their bills. This is a standard in their state due to the administrative process on the part of the solar farm and utility to complete un-enrollment. They requested their cancellation on 2/17/2023, and their cancellation process completed on 5/18/2023 at which point, their Arcadia account was completely closed.

  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:04/13/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  Been a user of Arcadia since 2019 and was mostly happy for a while. Using a credit card to pay off a utility was convenient. However, over the past six months they have repeatedly charged too many solar credits to my account. Therefore I have been overpaying for my electricity and have excess credit of $300 on my utility account. This past month they charged double my actual energy use while already having enough credit to cover my bill. They are essentially giving the utility company a free loan on my behalf. My bill should have been 0 but they keep piling on credits for no reason. Upon seeking cancelation I discovered they snuck in terms on their website stating it takes six months. Upon reviewing the documents, this was not in the agreement when I signed up back 2019. I want my account canceled immediately. Six months is an unacceptable time frame. My entire life could change by then. I could be evicted or move in a fraction of that time. Heck, I could cancel my utility service the the actual energy provider much quicker than that. Standard courtesy timeline in housing related agreements is 30 days notice, that is the only reasonable time frame for cancelation of service. Making it difficult to cancel a product is a scam. I like the idea of this service and the potential savings but the company is at best incompetent (overbilling, lack of transparency) or at worst outright malicious (slow to contact, hard to cancel).

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2023

  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 cancellation process. 

  ***** signed up for Arcadia on 8/21/2019 and starting with their November 2019 ************ Energy bill, they began having their bill payments managed through Arcadia Auto-Pay. Starting in February of 2021, ***** began receiving Community Solar savings credits on their monthly statements. 

  Through Community Solar, ***** keeps a 10% portion of the total production value of their spot on the Community Solar project while the remaining 90% portion is owed to the solar developer for project maintenance and operation. The total Community Solar production value is displayed as the Transfer of Net Metering Credit on their ************ Energy billing. 
  
  In the case that the total Transfer of Net Metering Credit exceeds their monthly usage charges, 90% of the total savings credit earned would still be owed to the solar developer for project maintenance and operation. Overall, this would still be a savings for ****** account over time, as they will have kept a 10% portion of this savings credit that they otherwise would not have access to. 

  The 180 day cancellation period when Community Solar is present on an Arcadia account is standard practice in the state of Rhode Island. This is due to the administrative process of un-enrollment from a Community Solar farm which does require action on the part of the solar farm and a members utility company. This is not outlined in Arcadia general terms of service as it varies based on a customers area and project, but is outlined in the original documentation communicated in reference to ****** Community Solar enrollment with Arcadia for visibility. This period does not apply if service has ended with the utility provider, such as in the case that a customer has moved or been evicted. This 180 day cancellation period only is in place for an account that remains active with the electric utility.  

  After communication with Arcadia Customer Support, ****** 180 day cancellation period has been waived as a special case. Their Arcadia account is closed completely as of 4/20/2023. 

  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: 05/17/2023

  [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:04/11/2023

  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 signed up with Arcadia, with the explicit caveat, that I would not be on autopay. When the first months' bill came due, they, without my consent, withdrew funds from my account. I called them, very upset, since this caused me to incur several overdraft fees from my bank, and ended my account and association. I recently received this months' bill from my power company (CMP), with an $154.36 attachment from Arcadia, with no services or products rendered.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/11/2023

  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. 

  ******* enrolled with Arcadia on 2/18/2023 and in Arcadia Auto-Pay on 2/20/2023. Through Auto-Pay, Arcadia was set to manage the payment of ******** monthly ******* ***** Power bills. A welcome email was sent to ******* explaining Arcadia Auto-Pay in addition to an email with the subject line Make sure you're set for your first clean energy statement which outlined the Arcadia Auto-Pay process for transparency. This message was opened on 2/24/2023 from the receiving end of ******** email on file, *********************. 

  On 2/28/2023, Arcadia sent ******* their first Arcadia statement for $236.11. This was the total amount due as shown on their ******* ***** Power bill that was issued on 2/24/2023 and includes no additional costs from Arcadia. Through Arcadia Auto-Pay, a payment is withdrawn three days after their Arcadia statement is issued. ******** payment was initiated on 3/3/2023 through Arcadia and then sent to ******* ***** Power to post to their account prior to the ******* ***** Power bill due date of 3/23/2023. 

  ******* had been placed on the list for enrollment on an active Community Solar project in ***** as of 3/1/2023. The eventual enrollment on a Community Solar farm would have been contingent on the continuation of ******** Auto-Pay enrollment with Arcadia and the timing of enrollment on that Community Solar farm. The process of Community Solar enrollment can take a few billing cycles to take place after account creation and thus, no Community Solar savings had applied to ******** bills. 

  Through Community Solar in *****, ******* would have kept 10% of the production value of their spot on the Community Solar farm. The remaining 90% of the solar production value would have been owed to the Community Solar developer for project maintenance and operation. The distribution of the Community Solar savings credit would have been managed through Arcadia Auto-Pay.

  ******* called Arcadia Customer Support on 3/7/2023 to advise that they did not want Auto-Pay to be in place for their Arcadia account. The Customer Support agent closed their  Arcadia account to comply with this request on 3/7/2023. As Auto-Pay would be necessary for their Community Solar enrollment with Arcadia, ending Arcadia Auto-Pay resulted in the full closure of their Arcadia account. 

  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:04/10/2023

  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.

  Arcadia power has me signed up for their community solar program since September however they are reporting a 7 month lag in receiving their promised discounts. Ive also found that I am accruing additional costs on my electric bill from them. They are refusing to cancel my account and then saying itll take 6 months. I want out immediately and a refund for the $20 a month charges that have resulted.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/11/2023

  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 Community Solar enrollment and cancellation process. 

  
  ******* signed up for Arcadia on 4/29/2021 and had their ********** bill payments handled through Arcadia Auto-Pay starting with their June 2021 bill. Through Arcadia Auto-Pay, there are no additional costs. Instead, the total value owed to ********** is charged through Arcadia three days after the corresponding Arcadia statement is issued. The withdrawn value is then sent in full from Arcadia to ********** to post to their account prior to their utility bill due date. 

  On 9/7/2022, ******* was enrolled on the ******** ****** Solar project through Arcadia Community Solar. From the point of enrollment on a Community Solar project in Massachusetts, the corresponding Community Solar credits can take several billing cycles to begin applying to a customer’s billing statements. This is due to the administrative process of Community Solar enrollment and un-enrollment in the state as it does take action by multiple parties to process. The Community Solar developer and the electric utility provider also need to take action. It is for this reason that a 180 day cancellation period is in place for Community Solar un-enrollment Massachusetts. It will take that length of time after cancellation is requested with Arcadia to fully process. This cancellation timeline is outlined in the agreements regarding Community Solar that were accepted prior to enrollment. 
  
  It is Arcadia’s role to manage the enrollment of a customer on a Community Solar farm and to manage the distribution of savings credits earned by the customer’s Community Solar enrollment. Through Community Solar, ******* keeps 10% of the total Community Solar savings credit earned from their subscription. The remaining 90% of the Community Solar savings is owed back to the solar developer for project maintenance and operation. This is managed through Arcadia Auto-Pay statements when savings are visible on customer utility bills.
  
  ******* began receiving Community Solar savings credits on their Arcadia billing as of their 4/26/2023 Arcadia statement. They will find a -$147.28 Net Metering Credit on their ********** bill which reduced the displayed amount due from $288.33 to $141.05. A 10% portion of the -$147.28 Net Metering Credit is *******’s to keep (-$14.73). The remaining 90% portion was charged through their Arcadia statement ($132.55) to be sent to the Community Solar developer. This resulted in their Arcadia statement being $273.60, which is $14.73 less than their charges would have been with ********** directly. 
  
  As there have been no additional costs but instead, a savings applied to their Arcadia statements, a refund is not available. Regarding cancellation, the 180 day cancellation period will need to stay in place in correlation with their initial Arcadia cancellation request on 4/1/2023. This is necessary to ensure the proper distribution of Community Solar savings credits through their billing during their Community Solar un-enrollment 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/08/2023

  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.

  I have been repeatedly charged in excess of the power I have used, My ********* account has a credit balance nearly 5 months electrical of electrical usage. I have repeatedly tried to have Arcadia access the is credit balance and they have made no effort to explain why it continues to happen or when it will be resolved. In fact they have not done what they said they would by applying the credit to my future bills. I am still receiving bills and the credit at ********* continues to grow.A reasonable person expects to pay for the electricity they use, and to have any credit situation resolved in a reasonable number of billing cycles, reasonably resolved in the least number of billing cycles. Not only is this not resolved once I asked for redress, it continues.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/11/2023

  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.

  **** enrolled with Arcadia on 2/22/2020 and began having their ************ Energy bills paid each month through Arcadia Auto-Pay in March of 2020. Starting in April of 2021, **** began receiving Community Solar savings credits on their monthly statements. Through Community Solar, **** receives Transfer of Net Metering Credits on their ***** ****** Energy bills from the production of the Community Solar farm. They ultimately keep 10% of the total Community Solar credit value while the remaining 90% is owed back to the solar developer for project maintenance and operation. 

  In the case that the Community Solar production value exceeds a customers electric usage charges, a credit balance results on their ************ Energy bills. This has occurred on ***** account and the good news is that the resulting utility account credit balance is still theirs to keep. It will carry forward until it can apply to their utility charges in the future.

  Community Solar production can exceed expected amounts due to various factors, including seasonality and administrative factors. It is in Arcadias best interest to make sure that ***** monthly Arcadia charges are lower than their usage charges, so a billing solution has been applied for their account to prevent this following an email conversation in April of 2023. Each month, starting with their May 2023 statement, their Arcadia statement will be calculated based on their utility usage charges instead. 

  If their Community Solar credit is higher than their usage charges, only a portion of their Community Solar credit is applied to the corresponding Arcadia statement. They save 10% on that value while the other 90% is charged. The end result is that going forward, **** will always be charged less than their usage charges. 

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/20/2023

  [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: My credit balance on my national grid account continues to grow, this credit now exceeds 500% of my monthly electrical expense.  I would like to terminate my relationship with Acadia.
  
  Regards,
  
  **************
  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/30/2023

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

  
  Any credit balance that has accumulated on ***** utility account as a result of Community Solar with Arcadia is ultimately theirs to keep and will apply to their utility bills going forward until used in full. Any corresponding Community Solar charge from Arcadia is always 90% of the total Community Solar credit value applied, meaning that there have not been excess charges as a result of their Arcadia membership. This works out mathematically in ***** favor over time as the accumulated utility credit balance is applied to their future usage charges.  

  
  ***** account is now canceled as requested, with the standard 180 day cancellation period in ************ waived as a goodwill measure as they had previously expressed interest in cancellation with Arcadia Customer Support.

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/06/2023

  [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. I would like to note that the company was consistently vague and evasive when I asked why Acada continued to develop a growing month over month credit with the electrical utility which eventually totaled a sum larger than I had been charged in the previous 6 months.   It was a total disaster of empty promises and vague platitudes of green energy.  To tell you the truth if I did not see this perpetual credit, I would have been entirely happy with my electrical charges.

  I am entirely happy to have ended my time as their customer.

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