{"id":105,"date":"2017-12-31T15:27:20","date_gmt":"2017-12-31T21:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.paenergyratings.com\/blog\/?p=105"},"modified":"2022-09-15T10:45:30","modified_gmt":"2022-09-15T15:45:30","slug":"switch-pa-electric-suppliers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.paenergyratings.com\/blog\/switch-pa-electric-suppliers\/","title":{"rendered":"Should I Switch PA Electric Suppliers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IsIs Your Electricity Supplier Really<\/em> the Best?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pennsylvania electricity customers have heard how an Erie woman was recently billed $284 billion dollars<\/a> by Penelec for her December electric service.<\/p>\n

Not so well known is that Penelec\u2019s parent company, First Energy, conducted an investigation on its own. It maintains that there\u2019s no evidence of the bill nor audio recordings of any customer service calls about it in spite of photos supplied to the Erie Times-News<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sheesh!<\/em> After a response like that, there\u2019s little wonder why some homeowners have been asking, \u201cShould I switch PA electric suppliers?\u201d<\/p>\n

When It’s Time To Shop For An Electricity Supplier<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Even though the electricity markets have been deregulated in Pennsylvania for more than a decade, some people still fall into the old habit of thinking that they don\u2019t have the power to choose an electricity supplier<\/a> and that it\u2019s easier just to settle for whatever deal their local utility offers.<\/p>\n

Balderdash!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Not only can you choose your own electricity provider but you have the right to dump \u2018em for any reason at all. And that can be high rates, wretched customers service, hidden fees, or even an ugly logo. In Pennsylvania\u2019s deregulated electricity market, electricity suppliers (and local utilities with their \u201cprice to beat\u201d) are supposed to compete for your<\/em> business. If your electricity supplier can\u2019t meet your energy needs or they just plain suck, go find another company and switch.<\/p>\n

And even if you are already signed up with the best electricity provider in the entire state, there\u2019s absolutely no reason why you shouldn\u2019t look around to see what other plans suppliers are offering. After all, it\u2019s your money.<\/p>\n

How Do I Know When to Switch?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Think about what your needs are as well as the rough average amount electricity you use each month, what the rate is, the terms of your electricity provider’s plan, and if you’ve been getting good service from your energy supplier. Here’s how you do all that.<\/p>\n

Know Your Usage<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For example, do you use 800 kWh, 1,000 kWh, or 2,000 kWh per month? An easy way to find out is to review your past electricity bills for the past year. Most providers already provide some sort of electricity usage profile information either through your on-line account or printed on your monthly statement.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t have that information, you can still estimate your usage by calculating your total electricity usage<\/a> in kWh for an average day and then multiplying that by 30 days. What\u2019s that look like? Say we add up the daily 24 hour usage for all our appliances<\/a> (the wattage used by refrigerator, washer, dryer, water heater, TV, etc for the amount of time it\u2019s in use). Let\u2019s we figure out that we use 28,030 watt\/hours per day, or 28.03 kWh\/day. Multiply that by thirty and you get 841 kWh per month (and by happy convenience is the exact average monthly electricity consumption for PA residences in 2016<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Know your electric current rate<\/strong>!<\/h3>\n

Your electric bill is divided into two parts:<\/p>\n