The Western Mass Electric company recent price hike has sent many customers searching for a new electricity supplier in order to save money on their electricity bills. The utility company, which is often abbreviated as WMECO, is the third larges utility in the state of Massachusetts and provides power to about 210,000 residential customers. On January 1, 2015 WMECO customers who were on the default generation rate structure saw a substantial rate increase of 29 percent. This increase can be lowered for those consumers who shop for and find a competitive rate being offered by a Western Mass Electric supplier.

Massachusetts electricity choice is a new concept for many of these consumers causing a wave of confusion and questions to be answered. Electricity choice in Massachusetts allows customers to shop for a competitive generation electric rate that will replace their local utility default rate for generation supply. However, the local utility company will continue to deliver power to their customers at distribution rates that are regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.

Even after a customer switches to a competitive supplier, Western Mass Electric will continue to send the customer their monthly electric bill and respond to power outages and emergencies. The only difference will be the rate for generation charges on the monthly electric bill. In response to the recent default price hike by WMECO, many competitive electricity suppliers are offering lower electricity rates to customers in order to attract new customers. To find a competitive WMECO supplier look at current rates being offered below. All companies offering electricity rates to WMECO customers are licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.

Plano is one of the most affluent cities in America. Located just outside of Dallas, everything Dallas has to offer is very accessible to Plano residences. Plano’s schools rank among the highest in scores in the country. With all the preserves and parks scattered throughout the city, Plano provides a great environment for people who enjoy the outdoors. However the climate can be quite unpleasant in the summer as temperatures often reach above 100 degrees. The hot summer months can make electric bills for Plano residences very high if they have not taken the time to find an electricity provider with a low fixed rate.

Plano grew substantially when huge manufacturers came in and set up their home bases. Familar companies like Frito Lay, Dr. Pepper, Snapple, Cinemark, and Dell Services are all based out of the city. Plano is home to 272,000 residents, making it the 9th largest city in Texas. The climate is what you would expect from a Texas city, it can fare humid and very hot in those intense summer months. The winters can be cold but generally mild in reference to snow and inclement weather.

Finding a Plano electricity provider to service your home is now easier than ever with energy price comparison sites that allow customers to quickly and easily compare offers from multiple providers. There are now over thirty Plano electricity providers competing to gain market share. The success of the Texas electricity choice market has kept electric rates low for those Plano residences who stay on top of their electric bill plans. Customer who haven’t taken the time to review their plan and make sure that their electric rate is still fixed might find that they are substantially over paying from what they could be if they take the time to shop and compare Plano electric rates.

Below is a list of current Plano electric rate offers from providers who are licensed to service Plano homes.

The cold winter of 2013-2014 has resulted in a jump in wholesale energy prices across the country. Rising oil, coal, and natural gas prices have caused higher electricity prices for suppliers, and those suppliers have passed the expense on to their customers where possible.

Many electricity customers in energy choice markets have enrolled in variable rate plans over the last few years. Electricity companies offering variable rates often entice new customers into their service by offering a low teaser rate that shows impressive savings against the utility default rate for the first month. However, with time the variable electric rate inches up month after month, or rapidly if the energy markets see a big spike forcing electricity companies to pass the higher prices onto their customers.

In January and February many electricity customers of North American Power, Energy Plus, and Systrum Energy are seeing their bills double, and in some cases triple, do to skyrocketing variable electric rates. These electricity companies, and others, have attracted customers in over the last several years offering “no contracts” and rewards programs. However, as many consumers are finding out, not having a contract in place can be a costly mistake. Despite rising energy prices, consumers who have elected to enter into fixed electric rate contracts are not being hurt as their rates are locked for a specific term.

Electricity customers who are on variable rate plans should start shopping for fixed electric rates as soon as possible. If you are on a variable rate and haven’t gotten your bill yet it would be a good idea to call your supplier and get an estimate of how much the electric bill will be. Once you receive the electric bill, switching suppliers at that point will guarantee that you receive at least one more bill from your current supplier.

Power companies who have taken notice to the success of electric choice in Pennsylvania’s largest cities are now targeting the smaller towns by offering competitive rates and instant bill savings. The Metropolitan Edison Company is the fourth largest electric utility in the state of Pennsylvania delivering power to more than 550,000 power users, all of whom are outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Meted customers have seen a surge in electricity competitive rate offers as power companies continue to enter the area looking for new customers.

The competitive power companies have been successful in their marketing efforts to Meted customers. Over the last year the residential switch percentage, the number of customers who are purchasing their power from a competitive supplier in relation to the total number of Meted residential customers, has surged to 35.9% as reported by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. The Meted switch rate is actually higher than the 32% switch rate of Pennsylvania’s largest electric utility, PECO Energy, where power companies have spent more efforts on gaining customers.

Residential customers in the Meted service area are learning that can save money on their monthly Meted electric bills by shopping for competitive low electric rates. Customers who do not shop for competitive rates pay a default electric rate through Meted. Though the Meted default rate recently went down, competitive rates in the area still remain lower. The majority of power companies offering service to Meted customers offer consolidated billing which means that the customer continue to receive the same familiar electric bill from Meted even after they switch.

A list of some of the more competitive rate offerings for Meted residential customers is below. Rate offers are updated daily.

Energy choice is bringing thousands of consumers lower energy bills in cities across the country who have embraced electricity and natural gas competition. Some areas are seeing larger savings dependent on a number of issues including how the specific state’s energy choice bill was written and how the local utility purchases their power supply for default paying customers, or consumers who are slow to shop for lower competitive electric rates.

Pennsylvania electricity customers in the Duquesne Light area are seeing some of the best electric rate shopping opportunities in the history of energy choice. Duquesne Light delivers power to over 560,000 residential customers in western Pennsylvania in the Pittsburgh area and suburbs. Customers in this area who remain on the Duquesne Light Price to Compare – the default rate structure that non-choice participants pay for power – can enter into an fixed electric rate contract with a competitive supplier that is over 30% lower; simply put, they can save over 30% on their Duquesne Light electric bill.

To date, over 44% of Duquesne Light residential customers have taken the time to search, find, and compare electric rates. These customers are enjoying electric bills that are 30% lower than if they hadn’t taken a few minutes to search for the best Duquesne Light electric rate. All else considered, the switch percentage in western Pennsylvania is healthy and high enough to ensure that Pennsylvania electric choice remains constant in the state. However, this also means that close to 56% of the residential electric bills that Duquesne Light sends out every month are missing out on a huge savings potential.

Here are a list of some of the best Duquesne Light electric rates, updated everyday:

Residential electricity prices will be increasing on April 1, 2013 for PECO Energy customers who have not shopped for a competitive electric rate. The current PECO price to compare rate – which includes power generation supply, the alternative energy portfolio standard charge, and transmission charge – of $0.0869 will increase to $0.0959 on April 1st, an increase of nine-tenths of a penny or 10.4%.

The rate increase will only occur for PECO Energy customers who are on default electric service. Default customers are those consumers who have not taken the time to shop for a lower electricity price from a competitive electricity company. As of January 16, 2013, 69% of PECO Energy customers remain on the PECO default service. The 10.4% increase on April 1st is expected to increase the number of PECO electricity shoppers as competitive energy companies are offering low electricity rates below even the current default prices.

The 31% of PECO Energy customers who have participated in the Pennsylvania electricity choice market will not be affected by the PECO electricity rate increase. Consumers who have locked themselves into low fixed electric rates can take pride in the fact that while the PECO electric bill will increase by 10% for the majority of their neighbors, their bills which most likely are already lower, will not see a rate increase.

One of the greatest benefits of Pennsylvania electricity choice is that it brings rate product choices to consumers. Many of the Pennsylvania consumers who have participated in electric choice have opted to select fixed rates that last a year or longer. This strategy has proved to be beneficial with the recent news of utility default rates increasing. Not only will selecting a fixed rate save you money in the near term, but it can help you save even more throughout the year as PECO adjusts their default Price to Compare.

See below for a list of competitive PECO electric rates that are apples-to-apples comparisons to the PECO default price to compare.

The Commonwealth Edison Company, responsible for delivering power to 3.8 million electricity customers in northern Illinois, recently raised their electricity supply rates for residential customers by 20%. The increase went into effect on October 1, 2012. The new high rate of 8.32 cents includes generation and transmission charges. The 8.32 cents does not include the “Purchase Electricity Adjustment” which is a true-up payment ComEd charges or refunds customers based on the difference between what ComEd paid to acquire power supply for the default customer class and what ComEd actually charged this class of customers. ComEd has estimated that this true-up cost will be another $0.005 from now until May 2013. If this estimated increase is accurate, it means that the true price to compare will be closer to 8.8 cents per KWH for default paying customers in the ComEd territory.

Default paying customers include all electricity customers who receive their electric bill from the Commonwealth Edison Company who have not chosen a competitive electricity supply company to provide them with competitive eletric rates. Customers can eliminate the increase, and even pay less for electricity than the default rate of 6.935 cents that was offered during the summer by participating in the Illinois electric choice market and shopping for electricity rates that are competitive. Switching off of the high ComEd price to compare rate and onto a lower electric rate offered by a competitive electric supplier will also eliminate the “Purchase Electricity Adjustment” charge on the ComEd electric bill.

With competitive rates being as low as they are (see below) the number of power shoppers in Chicago and surrounding areas is growing rapidly. People are starting to understand that electric choice can simply provide a lower ComEd electric bill without sacrificing quality. ComEd is still in charge of delivering power and responding to power emergencies for their 3.8 million customers in northern Illinois. Furthermore, ComEd continues to deliver the monthly electric bill to their customers. Switching electric suppliers simply amounts to the rate on the supply section of the ComEd electric bill to be altered.

Competitive electric companies are able to offer substantial savings versus the Commonwealth Edison default price to compare rate. While many consumers are catching on, there are still many who have not had the time to research the benefits of energy choice. For more information on competitive electric rates in ComEd, see our daily update prices from approved suppliers licensed by the Illinois Commerce Commission.

PECO energy customers who have yet to shop for a competitive electricity rate are about to see their electric bills rise substantially. PAElectricity.org, an energy price information site for Pennsylvania consumers, has reported that a PECO residential rate increase that will go in effect on October 1. The increase will only effect those customers who are still paying the default rate for electricity supply with PECO; which represents all residential customers who have not chosen a competitive energy supplier to provide electricity for their home.

The average household using 1,000 KWh a month will see their PECO electric bill rise by $15.95 a month. That household, using 1,000 KWh a month, who would have paid a rate of $0.08905 per kilowatt hour in September will pay an additional $0.01595 starting in October for a total rate of $0.108 per kilowatt hour. PECO residential customer will pay $0.1050 per KWh for the first 500 KWh they consume, and $0.1114 for all kilowatt hours above that. This means that the more energy you use the higher your rate will be. Most houses use more than 500 KWh of electricity per month.

Fortunately, PECO residential electricity customers can protect themselves against the rate increase and pay even less than what they were paying in September. Several state licensed electricity suppliers (see below) are offering competitive electric rates to PECO energy customers that will offer huge savings versus the PECO default rates.

People who have been slow to shop for competitive rates often have lack of understanding of how the Pennsylvania electricity choice market functions. Here is what you need to know about switching off of the PECO default rate and onto a lower competitive electric rate:

1. The quality of the power will be the same.
2. PECO Energy remains your regulated electricity delivery company.
3. PECO Energy will continue to send you your monthly electric bill.
4. The lower competitive rate will replace the PECO default rate (generation and transmission)
5. PECO will not be upset that you have switched and are now saving money.

The last statement is often confusing to consumers who are new to electricity choice. Through the Pennsylvania energy choice act, PECO Energy remains a regulated utility company who generates revenues from the regulated distribution charges found on your electric bill. Those distribution rates are the same no matter who you choose to supply your electricity (generation and transmission rates)

Here are current competitive electric rates for PECO Energy customers that will save you money against the higher PECO default rates:

Many Pittsburgh consumers are surprised to learn the Duquesne Light is not the only power company in the area. This is because the Pennsylvania electric choice law allows alternative power companies to offer competitive pricing to power users in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area.

Consumers who have not participated in Pennsylvania’s competitive electricity market pay a default rate with Duquesne Light labeled the “Price to Compare”. Regardless of which Pittsburgh power company chosen, Duquesne Light continues to deliver the power to the homes and businesses of Pittsburgh. This is because Duquesne Light is the area’s regulated electric utility company, which means they are responsible for the maintenance and management of the power lines.

Selecting a competitive power company can lower the electric bill for Pittsburgh consumers substantially. Here are some current electric rate offers by Pittsburgh power companies:

As the competitive electricity market takes shape in New Jersey, customers of PSEG are seeing more options as more power companies compete for market share. Electricity customers of PSEG can now compare power companies in order to find cheaper electric rates. While this still might be a new concept for some, the NJ BPU is in full force in monitoring the active electricity shopping market that was created by the New Jersey Electricity Choice and Competition Act.

Electricity customers of PSEG are able to shop for lower rates on the supply section of their electric bill. Savings versus the default electric rates for residential customers have been seen as high as 20%. The delivery section of the PSEG electric bill remains the same no matter which electric supplier is chosen. While electricity choice deregulated the generation supply portion of the electricity business, the delivery (distribution) of electricity has remained regulated. This means that PSEG remains responsible for the power lines and wires of their territory, and is in charge of responding to power emergencies.

Electricity choice in PSEG and other New Jersey utilities (JCPL, Atlantic City Electric, Rockland Electric) simply allows consumers to compare power companies and purchase electricity at lower prices and terms that meet a customer’s specific needs.