PSE&G electricity customers looking to save money on their electric bills can do so by shopping for competitive rates.  Paying the PSE&G bill is becoming more difficult for many PSEG customers as energy costs have risen in 2011.  Further increases are expected to occur in the summer, starting on June 1.

Electric choice in New Jersey is bringing savings opportunities to PSEG electricity customers.  The PSE&G electric bill is divided into two sections.  The first section, the delivery section, includes regulated rates that PSEG charges their customers for power delivery.  These charges remain the same no matter which electricity supplier customers choose.  The second part is the Supply section, which makes up the majority of the electric bill.

The supply part of the PSEG electric bill includes all of the electric generation charges which have been deregulated, and therefor customers have a choice of which electricity company they want to use.  When PSEG customers sign an electricity contract with an alternative electricity company, the rate they sign for will replace all of the charges in the supply section of the PSE&G bill.

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Lowest Competitive PSEG Rates (updated daily)

New Jersey power consumers are finding savings through the state’s electricity choice program.  Electric choice in New Jersey has brought in more than a dozen electric suppliers offering electricity rates to commercial and industrial customers over the last several years.  Now electricity suppliers are starting to offer residential rates in New Jersey.

NJ power shoppers who take the time to compare electricity offers are finding the best deals.  In addition to low electric rates that offer significant savings versus utility default rates, some electric suppliers are offering incentives and promotions to entice customers to switch.  Despite electric bill savings of over 20% in some cases, less than 8% of New Jersey residential electric customers have switched suppliers.

Those who have not switched continue to pay a high default rate with their local electric utility company – PSEG, JCPL, ACE, Rockland.  PSEG and JCPL have been pushing power shopping and choice to their customers to help spread the word.  Though New Jerseyans now have a choice of who supplies their electricity, the power continues to be delivered by the local utility companies.  PSEG, JCPL, Atlantic City Electric, and Rockland Electric do not lose the customer when they switch electric suppliers.  Instead, the utility company continues to bill the customer and charge regulated rates for power delivery.  The only thing that changes is that instead of paying the high default supply rate, the customer pays a competitive supply rate.  If that competitive rate is lower than the default rate, than the customer saves money on their electric bill.

Here are some current low power rates in New Jersey:
PSEG Rates

JCPL Rates

Atlantic City Electric Rates

Residential customers of Rockland Electric in New Jersey can reduce the supply charges on their electric bill by 20% by going here.

Many customers of Rockland Electric, the smallest electricity utility in New Jersey, are unaware of electric choice in the state.  Due to its relatively low number of customers, very few electricity companies are offering competitive rates in the Rockland area.  However, due to recent market changes, the electric suppliers who have entered the market are able to offer low electric rates with that offer significant savings against Rockland Electric default rates.

Rockland Electric is a regulated electricity delivery company who serves customers in northern New Jersey.  They are required by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to offer a default generation rate for their customers.  Rockland Electric would prefer that all of their customers choose an alternative generation supplier so that they can focus on the management and reliability of the power lines and wires.

The cheapest electric rate that we were able to find for Rockland Electric customers is 9.7 cents versus the 12.15 default rate, a 20% savings.  The offer also includes a gift card up to a value of $75.

PSE&G electricity customers in New Jersey paying basic generation service rates, the PSE&G default rate, are paying among the highest electric rates in the country.  The basic generation service rates are supply electricity rates that PSE&G charges customers who have not selected and alternative electric generation supplier.  These default rates are based on a series of auctions that PSEG holds for their customers.  Electricity suppliers compete to provide rates for a percentage of the PSEG default customers.

PSE&G passes the supply rates from the electricity companies who win at the auction directly on to customers.  So even when a customer pays the basic generation service default rate, they are still paying money for their supply service to another electric supplier other than PSE&G.

Lower electric rates can be selected by customers who take the time to shop and find their own electricity supplier.  When the auction for default rates takes place electricity suppliers have to take into account that a certain percentage of customers will leave the basic generation service during the year.  For example, if an electric company wins the right to provide default service for 100,000 customers starting in June, they have to put a premium on the price taking into account that there is a probability that 15% of these customers might sign a contract with an alternative electricity supplier who is offering a lower electric rate.

When electricity suppliers market their service and rates to individual customers, they do not have to include a premium since they are pricing for one entity.  This results in lower rates and savings on the PSE&G electric bill.

Here are some current offers and savings for electricity customers in PSE&G:

Today PSE&G serves as the electricity delivery company for over two million residential and business energy customers living in New Jersey, including major suburbs of New York City and Philadelphia.  PSEG used to be a full functioning regulated electricity company, taking care of all aspects of electricity, generation, transmission, distribution, and customer service.  Now that New Jersey has enacted energy choice, PSE&G is now only in charge of delivering power, transmission and distribution, to their customers.

While New Jersey customers have a choice of who supplies their electricity they do not have a choice of who delivers the power to their homes and businesses.  Many consumers in the PSE&G service territory are reluctant to shop for lower electric rates because they feel loyal to PSE&G.  This is the wrong way to view electricity deregulation.  Even when a customer chooses an alternative electricity company to provide power, that person still remains a customer of PSE&G as PSE&G continues to act as the electric utility company delivery power to the property.

When a PSE&G customer receives their electric bill they will notice that the bill is divided into two sections; delivery and supply.  The delivery charges are those charged by PSEG to deliver power as well as maintain the lines and wires.  The electricity delivery charges are regulated by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.  The supply section of the electric bill is the part that customers have a choice and can compare electricity rates among other companies.  PSEG customers who do shop pay a default electric rate that PSEG is tasked with charging.  PSE&G does not receive a profit from these default supply charges as stipulated in the New Jersey Electricity Choice and Competition Act.

In addition to PSEG’s service of delivering power and providing default supply rates, they also continue to provide customers with their monthly electric bill.  Even after a PSEG customer chooses an alternative electricity company to provide their electric supply service, the customer will continue to receive one electric bill from PSE&G, in most cases.  It is possible that the alternative electric supplier will want to send their own invoice in which case you will receive two bill, one from PSE&G and one from the chosen supplier.  However, in most cases the competitive electricity companies choose to have their charges billed as a separate line on the PSE&G bill.

The competitive electricity company’s rate takes the place of the PSEG default supply rate, and if the chosen rate is lower than the default rate the customer saves money on their electric bill.  Here are some competitive electric rates that are currently lower than PSE&G default rates.

Rockland Electric delivers electricity to just under 63,000 residences in northern New Jersey.  Though electricity choice has existed in New Jersey for several years, competitive electricity companies have just recently started offering competitive electricity rates in the Rockland Electric area.

Though, as of December 2010, only 1.8 percent of the residential customers have chosen an alternative electric supplier, Rockland Electric residential customers can save as much as 18% versus the Rockland default rates.  Rockland Electric offers default electricity rates for those customers who do not shop and compare electricity offers.

People have been slow to shop the competitive energy market in the area mostly because they are unaware of their choices.  Of the four incumbent electricity utility companies in New Jersey, Rockland Electric is by far the smallest.  Because of this, the competitive electricity suppliers are focusing more of their marketing efforts on the bigger utility areas of PSEG and JCPL, even though the greatest savings opportunities currently exist for Rockland customers.

It is expected that more and more Rockland Electric customers will shop for lower rates in 2011 as they become more familiar with their electricity choice options.

Rockland Electric Price to Compare – $0.1215
	$0.097 /Kwh	20% Savings

The Atlantic City Electric company, the electricity utility company serving the majority of southern New Jersey, has the highest electric default rates in the country among utilities serving electricity deregulated markets.  Current residents serviced by Atlantic City Electric who have not chosen a competitive electric supplier for the supply portion of their energy usage, are paying the Atlantic City Electric price to compare rate of 13.15 cents per kilowatt hour.

Customers can save 13% by paying a fixed rate of 11.40 cents per kilowatt hour.  The offer also includes a Visa Prepaid Gift Card.

Despite the large savings available for Atlantic City Electric residential customers, well under 10% of them have switched electric suppliers to companies offering lower electric rates.  Much of the resistence is centered around the unfamiliarity that New Jersyans have with electricity choice.  Most people might be surprised to find out that the Atlantic City Electric company supports energy choice and wants their customers to shop for lower rates. Those who switch electric suppliers will still receive their electric bill from Atlantic City Electric.  The only thing that changes is the Atlantic City Electric price to compare rate, or default rate, is replaced by the rate offered by the electric supplier of the customer’s choice.

Here are current competitive electric rates:

PSEG electricity customers are finally able to save money on their electricity bills by choosing a lower rate than the default PSEG rates.

In recent years, electricity suppliers had been slow to enter New Jersey electricity market.  Now that the electricity companies are able to offer electric rates that are lower than the  utility basic generation service rates, companies have entered the market and are offering their service to PSEG customers.

To see if money will be saved, customers should look at the “Supply” section on their PSEG bill.  There they will find the electric rates that can be compared to alternative electricity company offers.  Electric savings are currently being offered by as much as 12.4%, but not all offers result in saving, so it is important for customers to compare rates.  Some PSEG bill payers are even choosing to pay more on their electricity bill for the right to buy 100% wind power or other forms of green energy.

Customers who shop for lower power rates might also find promotions that can further sweeten the deal on top of electric bill savings.  PSEG customers will still receive their electric bill from PSEG even after they switch electric suppliers.

The best offers, (lowest rates plus promotions) for fixed and variable electric rates, that we have found are below:

Residential electricity customers of the New Jersey utility company Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) are receiving competitive offers for the first time.

Though JCP&L has had a deregulated retail energy market for several years, electricity companies were slow to enter the market due to low JCP&L electric default rates.  JCPL sets their default rates for their roughly 972,000 electric residential customers by holding an auction the previous year.  Between 2004 and 2008 energy prices were in a consistent upswing.  This made it difficult for competitive electric companies to offer discounted rates as they were always buying in a market where the price was higher than the default rates established in previous months.

With a general downturn in electricity prices in 2010, competitive electric companies are finally able to offer residential customers attractive electricity offers.

As competition has increased in the JCPL market some electricity companies have focused their marketing efforts on promotions and sign-up bonuses.

Fixed rate offers for terms as little as 4 months and as high as 24 months with a $75 gift card can be found here.

Variable month to month rates with a $50 cashback bonus can be found here.

Fixed electric rates will protect customers from JCPL electric rate increases that are expected to occur on June 1, 2011.

Residential customers who are serviced by Atlantic City Electric can currently save up to 22.5% on their electric bills. This is a result of the New Jersey Electricity Choice and Competition Act that went into effect in 2003.

Savings above 10% are available for the first time for Atlantic City Electric customers because retail electric rates in the competitive market are lower than current Atlantic City Electric default rates, also called Basic Generation Service (BGS) rates.

When an Atlantic City Electric customer chooses an alternative electric supplier, they will continue to receive their bill from Atlantic City Electric, who remains the customer’s electricity delivery company and who is still responsible for the maintenance and management of the lines and wires throughout the southern New Jersey Electricity grid.

See offers from competitive New Jersey Electricity Companies Below: