How to Switch

If you’ve decided to switch electricity companies, you’re on your way to more savings and greater control over your electricity bill. The procedure for switching is pretty simple.

1. Find the Best Contract for You

Remember, finding the best contract isn’t just a matter of selecting the lowest rate from a list. Rate does matter, but you’ll want to make sure that all aspects of the company and contract work for you. Other features to compare include signup bonus, contract length, rate changes, and energy source. Enter your zip in the box to find the options in your area.

Businesses may actually want to contact providers before choosing a contract, since they can often negotiate better rates on their electricity if they consume large amounts of it.

2. Contact the New Company

Energy companies want to make it easy for you to sign up with them. After all, they’re competing for your business. Most providers allow you to signup either online or by phone. You don’t need to meet with anyone in person or have anything installed in your electric meter.

If you do call your new provider, make sure to have a copy of a past utility bill on hand so you can answer questions that they have. They probably won’t need much more information than your account number, and you can complete the whole process in between ten and twenty minutes.

3. Profit

That’s it! Once you’ve made an agreement with your new company, they’ll take care of the paperwork. Your new provider will contact your electricity company and inform them of the new arrangement. The new rate will show up on your monthly electricity bill. You’ll still be paying some amount of money to your utility company for delivering your electricity, but most of the money will be attributed to the new company. It still all comes on one bill, created by the utility company, which you can pay in the same way you did before.

4. Precaution

Be careful if you switch between a few companies in a short period of time. Pay careful attention to the agreements you’re getting into, since some of them carry cancellation fees. Don’t give away your account information to a salesperson going door-to-door unless you’re absolutely sure you want to engage with her or his company.

Don’t worry about a sudden blackout because your new company turns out to be unreliable; it’s still your utility company’s responsibility to deliver your power.