From The North Brooklyn Community Group: Know Your (ESCOS) Rights

May 22, 2012 ·
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic

A person we’ll call “C” writes:

the IDT energy scammers are back. Hit my building twice in 2 months. my neighbors have got to stop letting anyone in the building who buzzes (another story) but they got mouthy when I refused to open the door & told them to get lost and not come back. put up the flier in the entrance way…

I was particularly upset because they knocked on the door and introduced themselves by name, and seemed offended when i asked them what they wanted from behind a locked door. His response was “we’re here about something on the back of your electric bill that you haven’t responded to” and that’s when I knew what was up. I said “not interested” and he started talking again and i said “I know it’s a scam, get lost.” I walked away from the door so I didn’t hear if there was a response. The gall of these hucksters.

While perhaps not the most exciting stuff to be found on this site do take a moment, gentle readers, to read the above flier* about third party energy providers. An ounce of education is worth a pound of sticker shock!

*Which comes courtesy of the awesome folks at Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights! Those of you who care to do so can download a print quality version of the flyer gracing this post by clicking here.

Posted by missheather Leave a Comment

Now On The Blog Roll Of Gowanus Lounge Dot Com: IDT Energy

February 22, 2010 ·
Filed under: 11101, 11206, 11211, 11215, 11222, 11231, 11237, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, Bushwick, Bushwick Brooklyn, Clinton Hill, Gowanus, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Kensington, Long Island City, Long Island City Queens, Manhattan, Maspeth, Navy Yard, New York City, Park Slope, Queens, Sunnyside, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn

In regards to Bob Guskind (to whom they have dedicated a page) they write:

Bob Guskind was a unique man, and his writing will forever stand as a testament to the person that he was.

While we’ve bought the site Gowanus Lounge, we are not trying to replicate or replace his work or his spirit. We intend to continue to explore issues that are important to the people of New York, while also addressing topics of concern to other markets and communities.

Bob Guskind’s work has been moved to another location where fans can continue to read his prose and benefit from the wisdom that he provided.

Speaking as someone who has had the benefit of Bob’s wisdom I found Gowanus Lounge 2.0’s linkage to “Energy Savings” and “IDT Energy” of particular interest. The Mister and I pointed and clicked. Here’s what we found:

Energy Savings

The IDT Energy Store (You can see the registration info by clicking here). When you click on “Company” here’s what you’ll find:

Yup, the same people who saw fit to plague my community with people hitting our buzzers— REPEATEDLY— stating they were from Con Ed and that they wanted to review our energy bills. Time and time again. This is not purely Greenpoint phenomenon either. You can read other accounts/musings/ranting regarding IDT’s chicanery by clicking on any of the following links:

But I do not want to suggest IDT has plied its dubious trade solely in the county of Kings. No sir, their nefarious reach goes much further. Which brings me to this delightful video submitted from a reader in Harlem.

Needless to say after the aforementioned barrage of negative publicity IDT has seen fit to retool its image. In the 20th century the last refuge for a scoundrel was religion. In the 21st Century miscreants and ne’er do wells go “green”…

and operate blogs: idtenergy.wordpress.com

In closing, I leave you with this choice morsel from Gowanus Lounge 1.0 dating from January 28, 2009. Note the comments (and all caps abuse). Here’s my favorite segment from someone who calls himself IDT EMPLOYEE:

PS: THE PEOPLE WHO CLAIM THEY GOT SCAMMED ARE IGNORANT & NEEDS TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND THEM. TO THOSE WHO DID NOT CHOSE THEIR ESCO HAVE FUN PAYING THOSE 3 EXTRA TAXES THAT IDT MEMBERS DO NOT PAY…

Can a leopard change its spots? I’ll leave it up to you, dear readers, to make the call All I ask is please be an informed consumer and do not take this businesses promises at face value. Exercise due diligence!

Miss Heather

Posted by missheather 1 Comment

More ESCOS Fun In Greenpoint

February 23, 2009 ·
Filed under: Greenpoint Magic

I recently received an email from my buddy down at Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights. It would appear that IDT Energy is no longer the only ESCOS game in town. On February 20, 2009 he wrote:

7:45pm, 3 folks were canvasing the block saying ‘ Hi, we’re from the power company.”

This ESCOS was less “deceptive” due to the fact that they had hats and jackets with the logo on it, but they did not identify them as an ESCOS. Add U.S. Energy Savings Corp to the list.

I told them to get off the block or we’ll call the cops…initially they were “nicer” than IDT Energy and said “good night.” When I pressed them further, they got nasty.

Response was “go ahead, we have dealt with that before.” (and a few profanities).

After I yelled at them at every house they hit after ours, and more of “what we’re doing is regulated by the New York State” (only partially true) and “we deal with the cops all the time,” they left the last third of the block. On to the rest of the neighborhood, I guess.

Argh! Another ESCOS doing deceptive tactics! Here’s the ESCOS…

On a related note, yesterday afternoon as I was running errands around the Garden Spot I made an interesting discovery. As a result I have some good news and some bad news to relay.

Let’s start with the bad news first: not content to let IDT Energy have all the fun in our fair burgh, someone has posted fliers for another ESCOS entity called Ambit Energy along Driggs Avenue. Now comes the good news…

they’re hiring! Those of you who have been laid off (and have the moral flexibility required for this kind of work) should give “Mr. Licko” (I’m not kidding— this really is his name) a ring STAT.

Tell him Miss Heather sent you!

Miss Heather

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