Energy Suppliers - Saving money on your Electric Bill

Hey there,
I know this is outside the realm of cigars, but I am a Baltimore boy through and through, so I gotta show my hometown some love every now and then.  I spent a few years working in the utility industry; BGE and Pepco in particular and I have a pretty solid understanding of deregulation and what it means for the utilities and consumers.

Anyways, I've been bombarded with sales guys trying to get me to switch to their respective supplier and was tired of hearing things I knew weren't true.  So I set out to find the best rates and a supplier I could trust and one that I would want to do business with.

All in all, the less money I spend on my BGE bill, the more cigars I get to smoke!
In my search, I came across a local Baltimore company called Point Click Switch.  These guys, rather then push one supplier, they are set up like priceline or expedia, but for energy choice.  They provide a bunch of choices and are an unbiased source of information.  I switched through them and am now paying about 20% less on my bill.  Here is a write up the company provides its clients.

Energy Choice in Maryland - PointClickSwitch.com

At www.PointClickSwitch.com  we want our patrons to be educated about their choices and what switching energy suppliers means. An educated consumer makes better decisions and in the end is happy. There is nothing more we want then happy customers. The team at PointClickSwitch.com wants you to be educated and happy because we want you to be life-long customers and proponents for our brand. We want you to take advantage of the savings available and we want you to be proud to say; “I get my energy from PointClickSwitch.com.”

In 1999, the government stepped in and told BGE that it was unfair to consumers for BGE to own the power plants that generate electricity and then create the prices for the electricity they sell to their utility customers. That age-old business practice was basically a monopoly; and unfair to BGE's customers. This resulted in deregulation of the electric industry, which forced BGE to get rid of its power plants and also allows consumers to choose who they purchase their electricity from.

Let it be clear, by law, BGE must provide service to all consumers in BGE's territory. This means that they repair damages, fix power outages, maintain the electric grid and keep the wires that feed your home or business up and working. That is the purpose of a utility company.

Now that the Maryland energy companies have been deregulated for almost 13 years, there are a lot of companies that want to supply and sell you their electricity. Some of them are able to offer cheaper rates then BGE, including PointClickSwitch.com.

If you choose another supplier to take advantage of saving money, or to purchase from a green energy supplier, BGE still sends you a bill and makes sure that your lights are on. The only thing that changes is the rate you pay. BGE will continue serving you with no changes; they are a utility company given a service territory by government regulators and by law they must serve all consumers in that territory.

So, now that you know buying electricity from a different supplier changes nothing other then the price you pay, it is important for you to choose the right supplier. To better serve you and be the best choice out there, PointClickSwitch.com offers their customers a variety of places to buy their energy.

If a supplier approaches you, they are asking you to buy electricity from them. They are offering you one option. As you know, people can be biased and always think their company is the best choice. The fact is, there isn't just one company that is always the cheapest and always the best choice. PointClickSwitch.com understands this and we allow you to choose from a few companies to ensure you find the one that is best for you.

Energy suppliers differ in a few key places.

1. Price
2. Fees (if any)

Some suppliers have fees associated with their services. Some have start up fees, others have cancellation fees and others have membership fees. Be certain you understand all fees associated with the company. PointClickSwitch.com has offers with no fees, and we provide our customers that information.

3. Energy Source

Most companies use electricity from regular power plants, while there are suppliers that offer green/renewable energy. PointClickSwitch.com lets you choose green energy if you'd like.

4. What Happens At The End of Term or Agreement

Suppliers often start you up with a low-rate or special offer. This can be for 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years. Any time really. It is important to know what happens at the end of the term. Most companies start cheap and then after your term is up, the price also goes up.

So, understand that these companies sign you up at a rate lower then BGE, then when your agreement ends, the price goes up; sometimes higher then BGE, sometimes lower or close. This is what they want. This is why most people that have switched from BGE don't know the name of the company they are with now and when their term ends.

You're getting the same BGE bill, you forget the company name, and a few months or year down the road the price goes up. You call to cancel, and they say that you now have a cancellation fee. You can avoid this by choosing a company that allows you to renew your agreement at a low rate.

This is why PointClickSwitch.com is different then the other guys. This is why PointClickSwitch is the best place to choose your energy. We want you to know who we are. We want you to know that you choose your supplier from PointClickSwitch.

Before your term is up we want you to renew at a lower rate then you would get if you did nothing. We want you to be a happy, lifelong customer.

PointClickSwitch values its customers and are proud that we do business different then the other companies out there. We have different suppliers for you to choose from. That means more options for you; more opportunity for you to save money.

So do your homework, check out www.PointClickSwitch.com, choose the best supplier for you and renew through PointClickSwitch to keep your rate low. We want you to make the best choice for yourself and your wallet. Take advantage of deregulation and saving money. Take advantage of the way we do business and you'll be saving money on your BGE bill for years to come.

Testimonials

PointClickSwitch.com
is a wonderful website. I saved over $200 last year in utility cost and saved time in shopping for electricity suppliers.

Bill B., Hanover, MD