The record in five lines
What the public files show about Verde Energy USA, Inc., read in October 2026. The links are at the bottom of the page.
| Line | What the file shows |
|---|---|
| License | Licensed to sell electricity in Pennsylvania since March 25, 2010, docket A-2010-2151038. (PUC license docket) |
| State order | On September 15, 2022 the PUC approved a settlement in docket C-2020-3017229: a $1,000,000 civil penalty, $75,000 to PPL's Hardship Fund and refunds to some customers. The settlement says it is not an admission or a finding. (PUC order) |
| Complaints | 24 complaints to the PUC in 2024, which is 9.69 for every 10,000 homes Verde served. (PUC 2024 report and federal EIA-861 data) |
| BBB | Rated C+ and not accredited. (BBB, read October 16, 2026) |
| Contract | A $100 cancel fee on the 12-month plans. Disputes go to individual arbitration, and class actions are waived. (Verde's terms of service) |
The PUC says complaint counts are not adjusted for company size and are not findings of wrongdoing. We adjust for size with a federal count of Verde's Pennsylvania homes.
Does the Verde Energy gift card pay? Test it
Pick your utility and your monthly use. The table shows every Verde plan on PA Power Switch today, with its price against your price to compare. The test under it sets the gift card against the price gap. Your bill names your utility. We cover PPL, PECO, Duquesne Light and FirstEnergy's four Pennsylvania utilities.
We could not load today's prices. You can still test any offer by typing its numbers in the form below. The state's own offer list is on PA Power Switch.
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The percent shows how far a plan's price sits above or below your utility's price to compare. Tap "Test it" to try a plan in the gift card test.
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Partner toolWe get paid if you sign up. You don’t pay more, and it never changes our scores.
Delivery charges and taxes are the same whoever supplies your power, so they are left out.
This is an estimate, not a bill. It counts each card at its full $50 value. It holds the price to compare where it is today unless you change it.
What does the Verde Energy gift card cover?
Verde's 12-month plan comes with $100 in digital Home Depot gift cards, sent as two $50 cards. Its 24-month plan comes with $200, sent as four. These are Verde's own terms. The offer is for new customers who sign up online and give a valid email address.
- After 90 daysVerde emails about the first $50 card after 90 continuous days of supply service.
- Then every six monthsVerde's terms say more notices follow after six months, to the end of the term. We read that as the second card at about month 9. Ask Verde for exact dates.
- Claim and spendYou have 30 days to claim a card after the email. You then have 18 months to use it. Your account must stay active and in good standing.
- Stay to the endThe offer is lost if the contract ends early. It is also lost if you switch to another Verde plan before all the cards are sent.
Verde's terms say: "This promotion will be forfeited if 1) this Verde Energy contract is terminated before the end of the initial term, for whatever reason and/or 2) if you change to a different Verde Energy plan before all Home Depot Digital gift cards are awarded."
- Each card is worth $50 at Home Depot stores in the U.S. and Canada and at HomeDepot.com.
- If you shop at Home Depot anyway, the cards are real savings.
- A card is not cash, and it cannot pay your electric bill.
- It cannot be used on a credit or loan balance, a tool rental deposit or an in-home purchase.
- It does not lower your price per kWh, and it does not pay the $100 cancel fee.
Does the card cover the higher price?
A card only helps if it covers what you pay above your price to compare. The sum is the extra cents per kWh, times a year of use, minus the cards. Here it is for Verde's 12-month card plan at Verde's October 16, 2026 prices. It assumes 700 kWh a month, as PA Power Switch does. It holds each price to compare where it stood that day.
A bar shorter than the $100 bar means the cards cover the gap. UGI had no Verde plans listed that day.
In PECO, Met-Ed, PPL and Penn Power, the cards cover the gap. They leave you $40 to $64 ahead if you stay all 12 months and the price to compare stays put. In Duquesne Light, Penelec and West Penn, they do not. You would still pay $55 to $162 more than the price to compare after the cards. In Penelec and West Penn, Verde also listed a 12-month plan with no cancel fee and no card. It cost less than the card plan, even after the cards.
Prices to compare change. For December 1, 2026, Duquesne Light, Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn have each posted an estimate 2.6% to 3.4% higher. PPL and PECO had not posted theirs on October 16. A fixed price does not rise with them, so a rise helps a plan you sign now. The tool has a box to test that.
What does Verde's contract say?
These terms come from Verde's Pennsylvania terms of service for its 12-month plan, version VRP.PA.E.TOS.D.10-06-2025. Other plans can differ, so read the papers for the plan you are offered.
| Term | What the contract says |
|---|---|
| Price | A fixed price for 12 months. The plan shows "Plus $0.00", so no monthly fee. |
| Free look | You can cancel by phone, email or in writing within 3 business days after you get the contract, with no fee. Pennsylvania sets that window, and Verde does not add days. |
| Cancel fee | $100 after those 3 days. The contract waives it if you leave because you are moving. State rules also bar it from the date of the second notice (the options notice) until the term ends. |
| Late and bounced payments | $30 for a payment that is returned. If you do not pay, you owe collection costs, including reasonable attorney fees and court costs. |
| Disputes | Binding arbitration with the American Arbitration Association, one person at a time. Class actions are not allowed, but small claims court is. Claims must be brought within 1 year. You can opt out within 30 days of signing up, by email or certified mail. PUC complaints are not affected. |
| Price changes | If new laws or rules raise Verde's costs, it may propose a higher price. It must send two written notices, and you can leave without a fee before the change starts. |
| Renewal | Two notices before the term ends, 45 to 60 days before and 30 days before. If you do not answer, service continues under the terms in the notice. |
What happens when the term ends?
Pennsylvania's rule (52 Pa. Code § 54.10) sets two notices. A supplier must send a first notice 45 to 60 days before a fixed term ends. It must send an options notice by first-class mail at least 30 days before. If you answer neither, the supplier must move you to a month-to-month plan or another fixed plan. Neither can carry a cancel fee. Verde's contract says that if you do not respond, "your service will continue with Company pursuant to the information contained in the notice of expiration."
So read the price in that notice. Verde posts the average variable rates it charged in each utility's area. The latest month posted when we looked on October 19 was September 2026. Those averages were far above the price to compare.
Verde's September 2026 average variable rates, from its own Pennsylvania rates page. The prices to compare are the ones in effect on October 16, 2026.
Across all seven areas, Verde's September averages ran 1.7 to 2.0 times the price to compare in effect on October 16. If you bought a renewable plan, the contract also says your renewal "will not be a Renewable Energy product unless explicitly stated" in the notice.
State rules say you owe no cancel fee from the date of Verde's second notice until your term ends. Set a phone reminder for about 75 days before your term ends. Read both notices. Then pick a new plan on PA Power Switch, or go back to your utility's price to compare.
How did Verde Energy earn its score?
Verde scores 62 out of 100, which our scale calls Fair (60 to 69). Six categories add up to the score. Each uses a public record or the company's own contract. Verde sits in the lower half of the 21 Pennsylvania suppliers we scored. Read how we score for the method.
| Category | Points | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints to the state | 20 / 25 | The PUC's 2024 report lists 24 complaints about Verde: 18 where Verde was the main company and 6 where it was the second company named. Federal data shows 24,769 Pennsylvania homes served in 2024. 24 divided by 24,769, times 10,000, is 9.69 per 10,000 homes. |
| BBB rating | 2 / 5 | The BBB lists Verde Energy USA Inc. at C+ and not accredited. We read it on October 16, 2026. |
| Fines and penalties | 8 / 20 | One Pennsylvania penalty in the last 10 years: the PUC's order of September 15, 2022, counted as $1,075,000 ($1,000,000 plus $75,000 to PPL's Hardship Fund). The settlement says it is not an admission or a finding. Our method counts any PUC penalty or settlement, whatever the company admitted. |
| Contract fairness | 13 / 20 | On the 12-month plan: a $100 cancel fee, binding arbitration with a class-action waiver, no extra fees, a simple fixed price, and no free-cancel window beyond the 3 business days the law gives. Verde's 30-day arbitration opt-out is not credited. |
| Price | 13 / 20 | On October 16, 2026 the 12-month plan was 13.79¢ in PPL's area (105.4% of the 13.079¢ price to compare) and 12.19¢ in PECO's area (103.7% of 11.759¢). The average is 104.6%. We take half a point off 20 for each percent above 90. |
| Time in business | 6 / 10 | Licensed March 25, 2010, which is 16 years (4 points). No bill-help program (0). Its parent published audited financial reports through 2025 (2 points). The $75,000 hardship-fund payment was a settlement term, not a program. |
What does the PUC's 2022 order on Verde say?
The PUC's enforcement bureau, called I&E, filed a complaint about Verde on January 30, 2020. A complaint is a set of claims, not a ruling. The order says I&E "alleged that Verde, and/or a third-party marketing agent acting on Verde's behalf, conducted deceptive and misleading sales tactics, enrolled customers without authorization, and accessed customer accounts without authorization" while selling in Pennsylvania, "from the period beginning February 2017 through the date of the Complaint."
- Jan 30, 2020I&E files its complaint, docket C-2020-3017229.
- About Feb 6, 2020The settlement says Verde "voluntarily ceased in-person marketing and telemarketing in Pennsylvania on or about February 6, 2020."
- June 30, 2020Verde files an answer "denying the allegations." The same day, Verde and I&E file a joint petition to settle. The Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA), the state's advocate for home customers, later opposes it.
- Jan 21, 2022The judge issues a decision that approves the settlement, with changes.
- Sept 15, 2022The PUC denies the OCA's exceptions (its objections) and approves the settlement. Chairman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille dissents.
- Dec 5, 2022Verde's lawyers file Verde's sworn certification "in accordance with Ordering Paragraphs 4, 6, 8 and 11" of the order.
The order tells Verde to do these things.
| Paragraph | What it says |
|---|---|
| 4 | Pay the $1,000,000 civil penalty to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania within 60 days of a final order. |
| 5 | Do not pass any of the penalty on to Pennsylvania customers. |
| 6 | Pay $75,000 to PPL's Hardship Fund. |
| 8 | Refund the first two months of supply charges to each customer identified in the complaint who actually enrolled, less any earlier refund. |
| 11 | Refund the early cancel fees that customers who alleged unauthorized enrollment paid to their supplier, on proof of payment. |
| 13 to 15 | Report audits and complaints to I&E for two years after in-person marketing or telemarketing resumes, and report marketing changes for two years. |
| 17 | "cease and desist from any and all violations of the Public Utility Code and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission's Regulations and Orders." |
The order records the settling parties' own words. They said the settlement "does not in any way constitute a finding or an admission concerning the alleged violations of the Public Utility Code and the Commission's regulations." They also said none of its terms "shall constitute an admission, a finding of any fact, or a finding of culpability on the part of Verde in this or any other proceeding."
The Commission found the settlement "supported by substantial evidence and in the public interest," and concluded that the OCA was afforded due process. Chairman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille dissented in a written statement. She wrote that "because the OCA was not afforded due process, it is not possible to state affirmatively that the evidentiary record in this case is complete or that substantial evidence has been presented to support the Settlement."
Our score counts every PUC penalty or settlement from the last 10 years. So this one takes 12 points off the 20 for fines and penalties. A score is not a finding. It says what the public record shows, not what happened in any one customer's case.
Who owns Verde, and what was reported in other states?
Via Renewables, Inc. lists Verde Energy USA, Inc. among its subsidiaries. Via was called Spark Energy, Inc. until August 2021. Its annual report for 2025 was audited by Grant Thornton. It says all of Via's common equity is indirectly owned by its founder and chief executive. Via filed to end its SEC registration on July 1, 2026. So that is the last public audited report we expect. Via's Spark Energy brand scores 75 points out of 100 in our Pennsylvania scoring.
The cases below come from Via's own SEC filings, so the dollar amounts are the company's description. Our score counts only Pennsylvania PUC and Attorney General actions, so none of this changes the score. We show it so you can see the whole record.
| Where | What was reported |
|---|---|
| Ohio | The state commission (PUCO) opened a formal investigation of Verde's Ohio company on April 16, 2019. A settlement approved on February 26, 2020 included about $1.9 million in refunds and a $0.7 million penalty, as Via describes it. Settled. |
| Connecticut | On August 11, 2022 the state regulator (PURA) and the Office of Consumer Counsel issued Verde a notice of violation and civil penalty assessment. On October 13, 2022 PURA approved a settlement of $1.5 million for customers in financial hardship. Verde agreed to voluntarily leave the Connecticut market. Settled. |
| New York | On January 26, 2026 the state commission opened a proceeding and ordered Verde's New York company to show cause (Case 25-E-0763), about customer enrollment and proof of authorization. Via says the allegations arose from a marketing agent whose contract Verde ended in October 2025. Pending, and allegations only. |
| Class actions | Six lawsuits against Verde brands over variable rates, including one filed in Pennsylvania's Eastern District in August 2019, were settled together. The court gave final approval on December 17, 2021. Via's filing says the company denies the allegations. We did not find the amount. Settled. |
How many complaints has Verde Energy had?
The PUC's Bureau of Consumer Services counts the complaints it receives about each supplier. Verde's count peaked in 2019 and has stayed far lower since 2021.
From the PUC's yearly UCARE reports. The 2020 and 2021 counts come from one combined report.
The PUC adds a warning: "Suppliers vary in size and the data for the number of customers isn't available to BCS, so a high number of complaints may occur for a supplier with a higher number of customers but isn't necessarily indicative of a non-compliance issue." That is why we divide by homes served. At 9.69 per 10,000 homes, Verde falls in the 5 to under 10 band of our scale. The counts also include requests for payment plans, not only supply disputes.
For context, Verde was 11.4% of the complaints in the PUC's table of non-major electric companies in 2019 (273 of 2,403). In 2024 it was 1.7% (24 of 1,393).
How does Verde compare with other suppliers?
Here is Verde next to three suppliers we scored the same way. The price column compares each supplier's simplest 12-month fixed plan with the price to compare. It averages PPL and PECO on October 16, 2026. 100% means the same price as the utility.
| Supplier | Score out of 100 | Price vs price to compare | Cancel fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verde Energy | 62 | 104.6% | $100 |
| CleanChoice Energy | 78 | 98.5% | None |
| IGS Energy | 73 | 115.8% | $99 |
| Inspire Clean Energy | 72 | 104.5% | None |
Verde's price sits near the middle of this group. Two things hold its score down. The 2022 settlement takes 12 points off. The BBB grade is 3 points below the A+ suppliers. No supplier wins every line: CleanChoice had more complaints per home than Verde in 2024. See all 21 on the Pennsylvania supplier ranking.
Who should pick Verde, and who should skip it?
You will stay the full term, you shop at Home Depot anyway, and the test shows the cards cover the gap in your area.
You may leave early, or you want the lowest price. A plan with no cancel fee keeps your options open.
How do I cancel Verde Energy?
- 1Inside 3 business days.
Contact Verde (1-800-388-3862) by phone, email or in writing. There is no fee.
- 2After that.
Tell Verde or your utility your name, address, phone number, account number and that you are ending the contract. The $100 fee can apply, unless you are moving or you have already received Verde's second notice.
- 3Choose what comes next.
Pick a new supplier on PA Power Switch or go back to your utility's price to compare. You pay Verde until the switch is done.
- 4Keep proof.
Write down the date, the name of the person and any confirmation number.
How do I complain about Verde Energy?
- 1Call Verde first.
Use 1-800-388-3862 and ask for its answer in writing.
- 2Then file with the PUC.
Use the online form at puc.pa.gov/complaints or call 1-800-692-7380. Have your acount number and your last two bills ready.
- 3Say so if you were switched without your OK.
State rules (52 Pa. Code § 57.177) can clear the supply charges for the first two billing periods and switch you back at no fee. File early.
Questions, answered
Is Verde Energy legit in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Verde Energy USA, Inc. is a licensed Pennsylvania electricity supplier. The PUC licensed it on March 25, 2010, docket A-2010-2151038. Licensed does not mean cheapest or best. It scores 62 out of 100 here, and a 2022 PUC settlement is part of its record.
Is the Verde Energy Home Depot gift card worth it?
Sometimes. On October 16, 2026 the $100 in cards covered the extra price in PECO, Met-Ed, PPL and Penn Power. They did not in Duquesne Light, Penelec or West Penn. You must stay the full term to get all the cards. Use the test above for today's prices.
How much is Verde Energy's cancellation fee?
The 12-month and 24-month gift-card plans carry a $100 cancel fee. Verde's four- and six-month plans and its no-card 12-month plans listed none on October 16, 2026. The contract waives the fee if you leave because you are moving, and state rules bar it after the second notice.
What happens when my Verde Energy contract ends?
Verde must send two notices, one 45 to 60 days before the end and one at least 30 days before. If you ignore them, service continues under the terms in the notice. State rules say any new contract must carry no cancel fee. Verde's posted variable averages ran far above the price to compare in September 2026.
Is Verde Energy cheaper than my price to compare?
Usually not. On October 16, 2026, almost every Verde plan was priced above its utility's price to compare. The exceptions were two Met-Ed plans, by less than a tenth of a cent. The tool above shows each plan's percent against your utility today.
How do I cancel Verde Energy?
Within 3 business days of getting the contract, you can cancel with no fee by phone, email or in writing. After that, tell Verde or your utility your name, address, phone, account number and that you are ending the contract. A $100 fee may apply. Verde's number is 1-800-388-3862.
Who owns Verde Energy?
Via Renewables, Inc. lists Verde Energy USA, Inc. among its subsidiaries. Via was called Spark Energy, Inc. until August 2021. It filed to end its SEC registration on July 1, 2026. Its last public audited annual report covers 2025.
What did the PUC's 2022 order on Verde say?
The PUC approved a settlement on September 15, 2022. It orders a $1,000,000 civil penalty, $75,000 to PPL's Hardship Fund and some refunds. The PUC's enforcement bureau had alleged deceptive sales and unauthorized enrollments. Verde denied it, and the settlement says it is not an admission or a finding.
Does Verde Energy have many complaints?
Fewer than it used to. The PUC logged 24 complaints about Verde in 2024, down from 273 in 2019. That is 9.69 per 10,000 homes it served, which earns 20 of 25 complaint points in our score. The PUC says counts are not findings of wrongdoing.
How do I file a complaint about Verde Energy?
Call Verde first at 1-800-388-3862 and ask for its answer in writing. If that fails, file an informal complaint with the PUC online at puc.pa.gov/complaints or call 1-800-692-7380. Have your account number and recent bills ready.
What if my electricity was switched to Verde without my OK?
Tell Verde or your utility you did not agree. Under 52 Pa. Code § 57.177, you do not owe the supply charges for the first two billing periods if you file in that time. The dispute must show the switch was not authorized. You are switched back at no fee. The rule counts from when you should have known of the switch.
What happens to my Verde gift cards if I move?
Verde's contract waives the $100 cancel fee when you leave because you are moving. Its gift-card terms say the offer is forfeited if the contract ends early "for whatever reason." Ask Verde in writing, before you move, which cards you would keep.
What do you want to do next?
Sources and updates
Sources (28)
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Opinion and Order, Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement v. Verde Energy USA, Inc., C-2020-3017229 (September 15, 2022): The order quoted on this page.
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Statement of Chairman Dutrieuille, C-2020-3017229: The dissent.
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Docket C-2020-3017229: The case filings.
- Verde Energy USA, Inc., Certification filing letter, December 5, 2022: The cover letter for the sworn certification.
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Docket A-2010-2151038, Verde's license: The license date.
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, 2024 UCARE report: Complaint counts and the PUC's note on size.
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, 2023 UCARE report: Complaint counts for 2023.
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, 2022 UCARE report: Complaint counts for 2022.
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, 2020 and 2021 UCARE report: Complaint counts for 2020 and 2021.
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, 2019 UCARE report: Complaint counts for 2019.
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, 2018 UCARE report: Complaint counts for 2018.
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, 2017 UCARE report: Complaint counts for 2017.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861: Verde's Pennsylvania residential customers in 2024.
- Verde Energy USA, Inc., Terms of service, 12-month plan in PPL's area: The contract terms.
- Verde Energy, Get it Fixed Home Depot terms and conditions: The gift card terms.
- Verde Energy, Pennsylvania average variable electric rates: Verde's posted variable averages.
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, PA Power Switch: Plan prices and prices to compare.
- Pennsylvania Code, 52 Pa. Code § 54.10, contract expiration notices: The renewal notice rule.
- Pennsylvania Code, 52 Pa. Code § 57.177, customer dispute procedures: The unauthorized switch rule.
- Better Business Bureau, Verde Energy USA Inc. profile: The C+ rating and accreditation, read October 16, 2026.
- Via Renewables, Inc., Annual report for 2025 (Form 10-K): Ownership, auditor and the New York proceeding.
- Via Renewables, Inc., Quarterly report for March 31, 2026 (Form 10-Q): The New York case, Verde's response and the marketing agent.
- Via Renewables, Inc., Notice of termination of registration (Form 15): The July 1, 2026 filing to end SEC reporting.
- Via Renewables, Inc., Annual report for 2022 (Form 10-K): The Connecticut settlement.
- Via Renewables, Inc., Annual report for 2021 (Form 10-K): The variable-rate class action settlement.
- Spark Energy, Inc., Annual report for 2020 (Form 10-K): The Ohio investigation and settlement.
- Duquesne Light Company, Residential rates: Its estimate of the December 1, 2026 price to compare.
- FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, Estimated price to compare, Met-Ed: The estimate for December 1, 2026. Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn publish the same kind of sheet.
Changelog · last updated October 20, 2026 · 1 update
- October 20, 2026: Review published with the gift card test.
How to cite this page: The Day Company, "Verde Energy reviews in Pennsylvania: 62/100, and the gift card tested", updated October 20, 2026, https://theday.company/pa/verde-energy-reviews.
The Day Company is not affiliated with Verde Energy USA, Inc., Via Renewables, Inc. or The Home Depot. This review reports what public records, Verde's own documents and the PUC's data show on the dates given. It is information, not legal advice, and a score is not a finding about any one customer's case. Allegations are described as allegations. If you see an error, email info@theday.company and we will check it. Our plan finder is Power HQ, operated by Blitz Ventures Inc. (doing business as EnergyBot), which holds Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission licence A-2018-2647582.