How Electric Choice Programs Work to Your Advantage

In the United States, Electric Choice Programs are available in the District of Columbia and seventeen states. These programs allow customers to choose their electricity supplier. The power of choice gives customers the opportunity to compare rates, which encourages electric retail suppliers to offer competitive rates.

Overview of Electric Choice Programs

When you choose an Electric Choice Program to deliver your electricity, many things do not change. For instance, the way your electricity is delivered, who you call regarding problems or electric emergencies and the way you receive your bill will all remain the same.

Benefits of Choosing an Electric Choice Program

The benefits of choosing an Electric Choice Program is that it allows you to compare rates of licensed electric generation suppliers in your area. With this information, customers can do their research and find the supplier that is offering the best price in their area.

Where to Find a List of Licensed Electricity Generation Companies

The fastest and easiest way to find licensed electricity generation companies is to visit your state's local Public Utilities Commission website. It is necessary to choose suppliers solely from these lists. If a company you are interested in is not listed on this official website, you should avoid it because it could be an unlicensed company or a scam. 

How to Shop for the Best Electric Choice Program

When you begin to shop for the best Electric Choice Program, you will need to have some basic information from your current electricity bill including your customer number, your 12-month usage history and your price to compare.

You will need this information to determine whether the prices electricity generators are offering is truly cheaper than the price you are already receiving from your current supplier. If competitors rates are not less than your current price to compare, you will not save any money by choosing a different electricity supplier.

Important Information to Consider When Shopping for an Electric Choice Program

When you are choosing an electricity supplier, you want to make sure consider all your options. You don't want to simply choose a supplier based on someone else's recommendations, or fail to research your options at all. Doing this can cause you to spend more money on electricity than you need to.

It is also crucial to remember that many electricity generation supply companies offer a low rate that is only valid for a certain period of time, usually around 12 months. With many programs, you can choose to lock in a rate for 24 to 36 months, but the rate is usually a bit higher than the quoted 12 month rate. In addition to special rates, you will also need to determine whether your current budget program or other unique arrangements will carry over to your new supplier.

To learn more about Electricity Choice Programs, you can visit www.ohiogascompanies.com or your state's Public Utilities Company website. Information on how to choose the right program for you, and how the programs work can be found on these websites, which will help you make a responsible and informed decision.

Ruth Samuels is a financial advisor. She writes regularly and enjoys helping her readers save their hard earned money.