An aerial view of Ohio, near Cincinnati
My colleagues and I were excited when we heard the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report that Ohio became the leading state for residential choice customers in 2009. According to the report, with approximately 1.7 million customers equaling 58 percent of all eligible households, Ohio’s new leading position is remarkable. Especially given that Georgia, one of the first states to adopt a choice program in the U.S., has had the largest number of choice customers for years.
But what’s even more noteworthy is that choice program enrollment reached an all-time peak nationwide “with about 445,000 more participants than in 2008, a boost of 9 percent” according to the EIA. Choice programs could have reached this record high due to the competitive nature of states like Ohio and the variety of products offered to residential and smaller commercial customers. Through choice programs, these customers are able to choose suppliers like Constellation NewEnergy Gas that can provide natural gas premium services and products typically reserved for large customers.
In states like Ohio, where temperatures drop significantly during the winter, businesses, home-owners, and renters also benefit by locking in a natural gas rate that will help protect against a potential spike in natural gas prices in cold weather, while pursuing competitive pricing for their natural gas supply needs. Constellation NewEnergy Gas has helped natural gas customers of all sizes in Ohio manage and control their energy budgets, while helping them to easily identify and understand the variables that affect the price they pay for natural gas. This is true for choice customers, too.
We know the area’s utilities, how the systems work, and have been successful in Ohio. And we’re looking forward to what the future holds for the Buckeye State. For more information about our choice programs in Ohio, contact us at ohiochoice@constellation.com or 866.622.6569.
To view the full EIA report, visit www.eia.doe.gov/natural_gas/restructure/state/us.html.
Katie Dawson, customer choice associate, has been closely following the growth and expansion of the Ohio natural gas choice market. This is her first post on the NewEnergy blog.