Should You Switch to a New Electric Company?

Utility bills exist in our lives the way air circulates around us. It is part of the very fabric of our lives. At times, it almost feels like we work for these utility companies. If you notice that your electricity fees are higher than usual (even if you have switched to energy-saving appliances and are more prudent with the way you use electricity), it might be time for you to take a long hard look at your electricity supplier. But switching energy companies in Utah or another state isn’t a walk in the park. It’s easy enough to end an existing contract and switch to your new provider, but it’s finding out what your options are that things get murky.

Is Your Service Provider Unreliable?

Switching to another energy supplier won’t address the issues of unreliability. If you are experiencing intermittent power interruption, signing with another energy company isn’t going to solve this problem. Your new energy supplier has no way of producing electricity. They will be mere distributors. Your public utility company will still produce energy. The new energy provider will still use the old wires and poles.

If you want better and more reliable service, you should take this up with the public utility company operating in your state. Even if your state began energy deregulation and now allows other companies to distribute power to households and commercial areas, the public utility company will still be responsible for any infrastructure upgrades that will make the service more reliable.

Can You Ask for a Cheaper Rate?

Instead of switching to a new energy service provider, why don’t you try calling your current one and asking for a better rate? This works both ways: You won’t have to make the switch to a new company, and your existing one will be able to retain you as a customer. In the business side of things, it is easier to retain a customer than get a new one. The whole point of deregulation is to provide competition to these traditional electric companies so that they are “pushed” to serve their customers better.

Take advantage of the presence of competitors in the market and push for the rate that you’re comfortable with. If your existing company says no, then that’s your signal to switch to a better provider.

Are You Really Saving Money?

When an energy provider approaches you and says that you just need to pay 11 cents per kilowatt-hour, that sounds like an amazing deal. But this is the point when you should question everything. Is that a fixed rate? If it’s an introductory price, how long will that price last? And afterwards, what will be the rate per kWh? Scrutinize the terms of the deal before signing your name on the dotted line. Remember that most of these contracts last for at least three years. You might get stuck in a deal that’s more expensive than your older plan.

While you’re in the subject of switching to a “better” energy provider, you might also want to take a look at greener sources of energy. Most energy providers can now source and harvest alternative power sources such as wind, water, and solar power. You can have these panels installed in your home