"Hey, have you picked an energy supplier yet?"
"Nope."
After going 11 for 11 with that question this month, it was clear I wasn't going to find a quick answer, one that would solve the problem created not by energy deregulation January 1 of this year, but by PECO's announcement of a rate hike this coming October 1.
For all the noise in the media about the damage deregulation would do to my bill back in January, it didn't happen. My PECO price never went above 9 cents per kilowatt hour. Every other energy supplier was either at that rate, or higher. Why change?
Summer wasn't much worse. The PECO over-500 kilowatts rate wasn't that bad: .10 cents. An extra-hot July produced a brutal bill for that month.....but the difference between it and the bill I would have paid had it been calculated at last year's rates was $6.
But then PECO filed for a new rate hike, one that jacked my lovely 9 cent rate up to 11.14 cents.
And suddenly I was shopping my friends and colleagues for ideas on suppliers.
I thought, given my streak of nobody's-changing-anything-yet mentioned earlier, that I might help out by posting my research....and my final choice.
My choice?
DirectEnergy.
I'm married to a senior citizen, so we grabbed the senior rate for a year. Next March, we'll see what the market is doing and decide whether to stay or move on.
Second choice is Energetix. The rebate, delivered after two months, covered 70% of the early termination fee if I decided to leave, and the rate is still below 9 cents. A microscopic amount below 9 cents, yes. But still.
The Research
Streamenergy.net -- 877-369-8150
Period rate Type Early Term Green Rates
6 mo .0909 Fixed $75 .0979
1 yr .0959 Fixed $150 .1029
Var .0969 Var $0 .1039
Direct Energy -- Directenergy.com/protection -- 877-627-4675
Period rate Type Early Term Green Rates
1 yr .0959 Fixed $0 n/a
1 yr .0879 Fixed $0 Senior Citizen special rate
Energetix.net -- 800-544-0182 -- $25 rebate at the time of this research.
Period rate Type Early Term Green Rates
1 yr .0895 Fixed $35 .0925
Var n/a Var $0 n/a
1 An inquiry about variable rate trends was answered. See below.
Gateway Energy -- www.gesc.com -- 877-296-1645 -- $50 rebate at the time of this research.
Period rate Type Early Term Green Rates
1 yr .09590 Fixed $0 n/a
Var .1059 Var $0 n/a
North American Power -- napowerperco.com -- 877-572-9444
Period rate Type Early Term Green Rates
3 mo .09990 Fixed $0 n/a
Var .1199 Var $0 n/a
North American's power schedule was a problem2. See below.
Constellation Energy -- home.constellation.com -- 888-900-7650 -- $50 rebate at the time of this research.
Period rate Type Early Term Green Rates
1 yr .989 Fixed $150 n/a
Footnotes:
1Mr. Robinson,
Unfortunately, since we are new to the PECO territory we do not have any real market rate information at this time.
Thank you,
Kate Brantley
Customer Service
Energetix/NYSEG Solutions
2 North American's website described a combination deal--the first 3 months would be fixed. The next 9 months shifted to variable. Variable rates for PECO customers would be recalculated "quarterly, semi-annually, or annually." I called looking for clarification of which one it would be--quarterly, or one of the others. I was on hold for 12 minutes before giving up.
