Just a little more than six months from now, PECO and other electric service rate caps are set to expire throughout Pennsylvania. Some energy rate caps in Pennsylvania have already expired, and as all rate caps come to an end on December 31, 2010, some businesses and other customers may find themselves paying substantially higher electric bills as the price for generation supply provided by the utility will be set based upon the results of competitive wholesale procurement events.
But there is an opportunity for customers to shop for better options. The beginning of 2011 will be here before we know it, so now is a good time for businesses and organizations in Pennsylvania to consider locking into a new plan after comparing rates.
Last week, I was fortunate enough to speak to a highly motivated and educated audience at a seminar that was held at the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia about how businesses in Pennsylvania can begin the process of switching energy suppliers. You can watch a short video of my presentation, “Facts & Fiction of the Changing PECO Energy Market,” below.
As I noted in my remarks, the first step that a competitive supplier must take in order to develop a customized price quotation is to obtain historical usage information from the utility. In order to facilitate that process, customers must unrestrict the access to such account information. As I mentioned during the seminar in Philadelphia, the historical usage information is only used for the purpose of developing a customized price quotation – nothing else – and suppliers are required to keep such information confidential.
During the two-hour seminar, I was joined by colleagues Andrew Singer and Brian Stanton, as well as John New, CEO of The Hub Meeting & Event Centers. Other topics that were discussed throughout the seminar included a comprehensive energy market update, the impact of an integrated energy strategy in improving efficiency, controlling risk, and achieving budget certainty, as well as the importance and application of energy efficiency initiatives.
If you want to learn more about rates and how to receive a no-obligation quote, visit www.newenergy.com/PA.