Start-up Texas Broker Touts AI, Free Subscription Service Until Savings Found

Trade Names Include Words "Spark", "Genie"

July 17, 2024

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Copyright 2024 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com

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Cost Effective LLC, a newly formed entity, submitted a "new broker registration" with the Texas PUC as an electricity broker

Cost Effective LLC listed its trade names as including "EFFICIENT GENIE", "COST EFFECTIVE ENERGY", "SYNC UP ENERGY", and, "SPARK MANAGERS". The trade names as listed in this story are listed as they appear in the Texas broker registration. As registered with the Texas Secretary of State, the trade names do not include spaces between each word (i.e. "SPARKMANAGERS")

Cost Effective in its broker registration stated that it will use AI to analyze customers' past usage, "and identify the best-fit plans."

Cost Effective will accomplish this through a subscription service, though, in the company's broker registration, the precise nature of the subscription program was not fully detailed

Cost Effective states that it will, "Utilize AI to conduct an in-depth analysis of the user's past interactions, preferences, and usage history," and "Identify plans and services that would provide the most benefit to the user based on their historical data."

"If the savings or benefits identified through our AI analysis exceed the subscription fee, the user will be encouraged to start a paid subscription," Cost Effective states in the registration. The use of the term "identified" and "encouraged" in this instance suggests that Cost Effective will present found savings opportunities to customers, but may not engage in concierge auto-switching or plan selection (or, perhaps at least not until a paid subscription is instituted)

However, at another point in the registration, Cost Effective states, "If the savings exceed our subscription fee, users will start a paid subscription."

"If the savings or benefits do not exceed the subscription fee," Cost Effective will, "offer the user free services until a beneficial deal is found."

Cost Effective LLC's registration listed Saad Rehman as the contact for customer service and PUC inquiries, but did not list a job title for Rehman. The registration also included an affidavit, intended to be filed by an owner, partner, or officer, signed by Rehman, but the affidavit did not designate which of those descriptions applied to Rehman

Texas Secretary of State records list Komal Siddiqui as Managing Member of Cost Effective LLC

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