New York's electric rates are some of the highest in the nation, having the7th highest average residential electricity prices in the United States.Fortunately, residents and businesses in Rochester, NY can reduce their electricity costs by switching to a retail electricity provider (often referred to as energy service companies or ESCOs in NY).
Compare Rochester Electricity Rates
Retail electricity providers are companies that sell electricity, often for lower rates than the default utility in the area, Rochester Gas & Electric. When customers switch to a retail electricity provider, not much changes besides a different electric rate on the monthly bill. Rochester Gas & Electric will continue to deliver the electricity to your home, respond to power-related emergencies, and send your monthly bill.
Electric choice in NY has been around for over a decade now, so you've likely heard a lot of hype from various retail electricity providers trying to get your business. And with the abundance of providers in the Rochester area, it can be quite a task to sift through all of the information needed to make the best decision for your home or business's electric needs.
Fortunately, we're here to help. ElectricityRates.com was created as a comparison website for retail electricity providers. We can do the hard work for you; you just decide what types of electricity plans are best for your needs.
1. View a List of Rochester Providers
Residential customers and small businesses can compare providers by using our free Compare & Switch tool, located on the right side of this page. Just type in your ZIP Code, click "Search", and then select Rochester Gas & Electric as your utility. Now you can start comparing Rochester electricity rates.
Medium and large commercial businesses or organizations shop around a bit differently than residential customers. Since energy usage is higher for medium and large entities, they'll have to contact several different providers to negotiate the best rates. We can shop around for businesses for free too, just fill out this online form for businesses. We'll contact the providers in our carefully vetted network and find the best rate for you. There's no obligation to switch.
2. Look for a Lower Rate
You'll now want to compare the rate you are currently paying with the rates offered by the retail electricity providers in the list. Your current rate can be found on your most recent electricity bill, under "electricity supply charges". Add the merchant function charge and the supply charge together to get the total supply rate, expressed in cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).
As you look through the rates of the retail electricity providers, you'll notice that a few providers are offering lower rates. But before you sign up, consider additional features of a plan that can add or subtract value.
3. Features of a Plan
Here are some questions that you'll want to ask yourself when comparing providers and plans:
- Do I want a Fixed or Variable Plan? Fixed-rate plans have one set rate that cannot change during the contract term. Variable-rate plans have rates that generally vary along the wholesale electricity market, and are subject to change each month. Most customers are satisfied with a fixed-rate plan.
- How long do I want my contract to last? If you believe that Rochester Gas & Electric's default rates are going to rise in the near future, go with a longer plan. If you believe their rates will decrease, go with a shorter plan. Most customers opt for 6 to 24 month plans.
- What types of incentives do the providers offer? Since there is a lot of competition between retail electricity providers, most have come up with innovative ways to get and keep your business. Many providers offer sign-on bonuses, discounts on energy-related products and services, and valuable rewards programs.
- Do I want to purchase renewable electricity? Since the cost of renewable electricity has gone down significantly, many providers offer green plans that power your home or business with electricity generated from partial or 100% renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. Even better is that these plans are affordable, often still below the default rates of traditional electricity from Rochester Gas & Electric.
Switch Rochester Electricity Providers
Once you know which provider and plan to select, the switching process takes less than ten minutes. You can switch online through the Compare & Switch tool by clicking on your plan of choice and then filling out an online form. Make sure you have a recent utility bill on hand so you can provide your account information.
Rochester Gas & Electric will continue to deliver your electricity with the same reliability and level of service that it always has. They'll continue to send your electric bill and will continue to respond to power-related emergencies. The only change you'll see is a different supply rate on your bill.
Clickhereto view The New York State Public Service Commission's ESCO Consumers Bill of Rights in order to learn about your rights as an energy service company consumer.