Many growers don’t know that they may have a choice when it comes to who they purchase their electricity from. After all, most of us think of our power bill as a single non-negotiable item.
In fact, your power bill is comprised of multiple parts, and in many states, large and small electricity customers can shop around for the best price and product for their power supply.
Without a doubt, this is one of the easiest ways for most electric customers to reduce their power bill, and we help clients through this process.
If you want to pursue competitive power supply (and frankly there is no good reason not to if you can), here are the steps you need to take:
1. Get a handle on your power bill. Confirm that you are on the right rate, that your power meter isn’t picking up load from outside your facility, that you know what equipment is driving your electricity demand.
2. Contact a supplier. If your state allows for competitive electricity supply, you can usually find a list of certified suppliers on a state government website. The American Coalition of Competitive Energy Suppliers offers information here for you about your state’s status and websites with supplier information. We can help you compare suppliers.
3. Consider your priorities. Do you want a fixed rate, electricity made from renewable sources, or want to ride the waves of the market?
4. Get bids. Once you get quotes from one or more suppliers, ask good questions, such as: If the rate is variable, are rate increases capped at some level? What is the contract term? What are the renewal/cancellation terms? How does this affect your participation in a special program or loan payback program?
You may also wish to aggregate your bid with others in order to get the best terms.
5. Celebrate your choice! Pick the supply offer that gives you the balance of price, environmental attributes, and predictability, and enjoy the benefits of having taken the time to understand your options.