Celebrating Our First Customer

Robert “Bob” and Zora Henkel know what it’s like to need a good air conditioner. At their Cathedral City, California, home, temperatures on a hot summer day easily climb up to 114 degrees and beyond. So, in March of 1998, when an electric provider named Commonwealth Energy (now Commerce Energy) called to offer service at a good price, they signed up.

“It sounded like a good deal,” said Bob.

A lot of things have changed in California since then. Companies like Commerce Energy can continue to serve existing residential customers, but since the energy debacle in 2001, new customers cannot be added. The California Public Utilities Commission is currently determining if the deregulated market can be reopened to all consumers.

Bob and Zora are still Commerce Energy customers.

“We bought this house in 1966,” said Bob. “Zora and I have been married for 43 years. We don’t change things easily.”

“If you’re true to your word, we’re loyal,” added Zora.

To thank Bob and Zora for their loyalty, and for being our “First Customers,” Commerce Energy handed them a check, returning their electric commodity costs in 2007 – $1,385.99. They also received several long-lasting, energy-saving compact florescent lamp (CFL) bulbs from the company’s Energy Store.

“We still have a round florescent bulb for our table lamp that you can’t buy any more,” said Zora. “As we said, we don’t make a lot of changes.”

“The check was a real surprise,” said Bob. “We have a place for it. It’s already spent!”

Bob is retired from a former grocery store chain where he handled health care and beauty aids supply for Mayfair Markets in the Coachella Valley. Zora worked as a grocery clerk and bookkeeper for another grocery company. He and Zora also owned a 2-way radio, citizen band radio, short-wave radio and sound system business, called B & Z Communications, created by using the first letters from their own names. They have four sons and 10 grandchildren.

Congratulations, Bob and Zora, for being the first to sign up with Commerce Energy!