Industry group calls on Americans to take advantage of electricity choices

The Retail Energy Supply Association, a competitive electricity industry group, called on Americans who have the option to switch electricity providers to look into their options throughout the holiday season.

The shopping frenzy of the so-called Black Friday weekend, and its online counterpart Cyber Monday, has passed, but the holiday season remains a time centered around the shopping for the best possible bargains. Though it centers around Christmas to a large degree, many Americans take advantage of the countless sales during the season, finding ways to save money on what they need.

The RESA wants to extend this habit, or perhaps tradition, to shopping for lower electricity prices.

"More than 12 million business and residential consumers are shopping for electricity across our country, yet millions more have the ability to consider their options, switch their service to a competitive supplier and potentially save on their energy costs," David Fein, president of RESA, said in a statement. "It's easy to shop and energy suppliers are competing for your business, so it's a great time to learn more about the competitive energy market and what's in it for you."

More than 20 states have some form of electricity deregulation, and some already boast huge numbers of people choosing to switch from their utility companies. The majority of Texas now gets energy from an alternate electricity provider.