Customer Choice

Understanding Electric Choice

Citizens' "Price to Compare" = 6.9769 ¢/kWh
(Includes Generation, Transmission & State Tax Adjustment Surcharge)

What You Need to Know

     Electric Choice gives customers the option of choosing their Electric Generation Supplier (EGS). It also allows the customer to select a generator based on price, products and incentives as well as personal preferences as to the type of generation to purchase, such as nuclear, coal, or green energy products such as solar and wind energy.  Electric Choice will not change the industry's tradition toward safety, reliability and maintenance.

What Are You Choosing?

     Customers will be choosing the EGS, which is the company that generates their electricity.  The Electric Distribution Company (EDC) will still deliver the electricity to the customer's home or business, respond to outages and maintain the local distribution system (the poles and wires).

Be an Informed Shopper

• It's important to be an informed shopper. Keep in mind, contracts are legal agreements
• Some suppliers could require fees or penalties for terminating agreements or switching suppliers.
• Compare offers from more than one supplier.
• Compare the supplier's price per kWh with Citizens' Price to Compare noted above.
• Use the list of questions below to evaluate and compare suppliers.

     After you have shopped for the best deal and carefully reviewed the information from different suppliers, you must:

1. Inform the EGS of your choice.
2. That EGS will notify your EDC of your desire to obtain generation from them.

     Your EDC will then send you a letter confirming your EGS selection. If the selection is not correct, you have 10 days to contact your EDC before it becomes final. If the 10 day waiting period ends more than 16 days prior to your regularly scheduled meter reading, you will become a customer of that EGS on the next read date. If there are less than 16 days until your next meter reading date, you will become a customer of that EGS on the next month's read date.

Questions to Ask Suppliers

• Are you licensed by the PUC?
• What is the length of this agreement?
• Will the price stay the same for the entire time?
• Is there a penalty for canceling before the time is up?
• or for switching suppliers?
• Do you offer special pricing options?
• Do you offer interruptible or time-of-day rates?
• Does my rate depend on how much electricity I use?
• or when I use it?
• Do I need a special meter?  Is there a charge for the meter?
• What steps must I take to switch suppliers?
• Is there an access or exit fee for starting/stopping supply?
• Do you have a budget billing option?
• Do you participate in low income assistance programs?

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