Comments on: Reviewing Our Electricity Utility Supplier

By: omnatio

omnatio — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 22:48:42 +0000

Avoid WGES at all costs. Note they will try to hammer you with a $480 “termination fee” if you try to switch even after your contract has expired. This is one reason the have F and D ratings with BBB

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:52:21 +0000

I wasn’t aware they could cancel it with a 30 day notification…

By: Charlie

Charlie — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:47:28 +0000

Did you notice that this offer from WGES is a one way street. If the electric rates go down, you are stuck paying the higher rate that is in your contract with WGES, however if the rates go up such that WGES has to pay a higher rate to buy their electricity, they can cancel their obligations to you with a 30 day notification and you are stuck paying the higher rate that BG&E is sure to have. For WGES this is a no-lose proposition.

By: sharon

sharon — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:15:39 +0000

I live in MD in A.A. Co., and just got an offer from WGES good through Nov. 23, 09 for 11.4 cents/kWh. Wonder why my offer is for a higher cost?!

By: Chuck

Chuck — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:11:08 +0000

I just switched from BGE to WGES. I think my rate was 10.20 cents through July 2010. I estimate I will save $10-15/month. It all adds up.

In Maryland it is very easy to switch suppliers.

By: James

James — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:56:19 +0000

I live in the central MD area and just got a pretty good offer in the mail. Dominion is offering 10.37 cents/kWh (12 % lower than BGE) and that price is good through 12/31/2010.

I forget when MD deregulated energy utilities, but it seems like an awful long wait to get my first offer this year.

By: saladdin

saladdin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:23:32 +0000

I have thought about solar also. But I get my electricity from the TVA @ $0.084 kwh. No way would solar pay for itself the way the prices are now.

saladdin

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:24:43 +0000

I pay 13.7 in Orlando with no other option but solar, which takes too long to pay for itself.

By: lsward

lsward — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:02:14 +0000

We live in Virginia and have only one choice, a local electric co-op.

kWh cost for last month was $0.08762 before fees and taxes and $0.13625 after they are added.

By: joruva

joruva — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:29:42 +0000

Here in Macau (China) it’s 15¢ per kWh plus $2.50 in random fees, but the government cuts almost $19 off the bill each month

By: Glenn Lasher

Glenn Lasher — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:05:54 +0000

We have options here in New York, to be sure. In my case, I actually chose a slightly more expensive option, on the grounds that my supplier uses 100% renewable energy.

They offer two products:
* 60% wind, 40% hydro for about 6¢/kWh; and
* 100% wind for about 7¢/kWh.

The default from National Grid is about 5¢/kWh.

Additionally, between delivery and tax, everyone gets billed an additional 10¢/kWh above the energy price.

My total cost ends up being 16¢/kWh roughly, after all taxes and fees, for the 60/40 blend. This is not far from typical in my area, and ultimately the extra 1¢ I’m paying only adds about $7 to my bill on the average month. I’m good with that.

By: eric

eric — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:33:42 +0000

Mine is 12.42¢ per kWh. Argh.

By: Neil

Neil — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:04:54 +0000

The only piece missing is other third party providers. I get my electricity for 8c/kWh, similar setup. The “regulated” rate (which is really just a monthly average of the commercial floating rate that changes hourly), is usually between 11 and 12 cents/kWh.

Also, on our bill there are numerous costs, fixed and floating. Actual power represents about 1/2 the price, with the other half being mostly made up of a carrying charge (set by the wire owner), and a fixed “administrative fee” which does vary by supplier, between $4.50 and $6.50/month…ours is more or less in the middle.

By: zapeta

zapeta — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:47:06 +0000

I live in IL, and I didn’t even realize that residential customers could get a different electricity provider. A quick search showed that I have a total of 5 options so I’m going to break out the bills later and see if it makes sense to switch.

In some IL locations, you can do the same for your natural gas supplier but mine is not one of them.

By: lostAnnfound

lostAnnfound — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:14:01 +0000

We don’t have the opportunity to shop around for a supplier, as we get our electricity from the city. They generate their own power, which in turn supplies the residents. Supply rate from the city is 8.9 cents per kWh. It is the least expensive in the area as compared to the big supplier and some other municipalities in our region.