The number of PSEG electricity customers who are purchasing their power from competitive suppliers remains below 14% as of May 2013. Though the number of competitive power shoppers has steadily increased, the overall electric switch numbers are low compared to other competitive power markets in the United States. The slow number of shoppers has occurred despite rising PSEG default rates and low competitive electricity rates that are yielding electric bill savings above 20% in some cases.

For those PSEG power customers who have accepted New Jersey electricity choice into their lives, the result has been lower PSEG electric bills and price security into the near future. There are currently 246,000 residential customers in the PSEG service area buying their power from competitive energy companies out of 1,835,000 households in the area. These consumers have taken the time to compare electricity rate offers and find the best offer that fits their specific needs.

Many people have pointed to the slow growth of the New Jersey electric choice market to the limited marketing the state has implemented to educate their citizens. In contract, the Texas and Pennsylvania state governments have marketed electric choice with consumer friendly websites. In both states residential electricity switch percentages are hovering around 50%.

Others have pointed to the difficulty in finding the correct identification number on the PSEG electric bill to submit a switch request. In Pennsylvania the number needed to submit a switch request for the two largest electric utilities PPL and PECO Energy, is a simple 10 digit account number clearly visible at the top of the electric bill on every page. In contrast, the number needed for PSEG electric switch requests is the POD ID number which is an 18 digit number that follows the letters “PE” and can only be found in one small place situated mid-page. Some elderly consumers have complained that once they actually find the number the print is too small to even read. Furthermore, if PSEG also provides gas to the customer, a second POD ID exists on the bill for gas service which the customer often confuses as the electric POD ID.

Though electricity choice in New Jersey has had its hurdles, the private sector has stepped in to help push the ball that is already rolling slowly. Competitive suppliers are offering lower electricity prices and information sites such as NJelectricity.org have been developed to help educated New Jersey consumers about their energy choice options.

Competitive PSEG electricity rates updated daily:

While the overall electric switch percentages continue to increase in New Jersey, the portion of PSEG customers participating in energy choice has lagged behind that of the other state utilities. The electric switch percentages measures the portion of customers in a service utility area who are taking part in New Jersey electricity competition and buying power from a competitive supplier. Total active New Jersey electricity shoppers increased by 16,772 customers to 458,833 from May 2012 to June 2012.

Out of the three biggest New Jersey electric utilities – PSE&G, JCP&L, Atlantic City Electric – the PSE&G switch rate is the lowest at 11.8% compared to over 16% for the other big two utilities. The gas switch statistics show a similar story with only 6.64% of PGE&G gas customers taking the time to shop for competitive rates. The next largest gas utilities in the state, South Jersey Gas and New Jersey Natural gas, have switch rates of 10% and 8% respectively.

One theory of the lower switch numbers for PSE&G, the states largest utility for both electric and gas, is the complicated utility identification numbers found on the PSE&G bill needed to complete a switch to a competitive supplier. In order to switch to a competitive electricity company, the customer must find their 18 digit electric POD ID number found on their bill. Another similar 18 digit gas POD ID number exists as well on the bill for consumers looking to switch gas suppliers. ElectricRate.com, an energy comparison site, has reported that many PSE&G customers mistakenly enter in their PSE&G account number when attempting to make a switch. Competitive energy companies are unable to complete a switch request with just an account number according to New Jersey Board of Public Utilities rules. Many consumers struggle to find the correct POD ID on their electric bill and give up on making the switch. In some cases, the customer may accidentally give their gas POD ID when signing up for electric service or vice versa.

Customers willing to take the time to find the correct POD ID number on their PSE&G bills will reap the benefits with large energy savings. Below are current competitive electric rates available in the PSE&G service area.

Summer electricity rates for PSEG customers on supply default rates have been announced. The PSEG default rates are named Basic Generation Service (BGS) charges by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Customers who do not shop for competitive rates, offered through the New Jersey Electricity Choice and Competition Act, pay the BGS charges. Those customers who do shop for competitive electricity prices can find rates that are significantly lower than the BGS charges resulting in a lower PSEG electric bill. The competitive rates include all charges listed under the “Electricity Supply” section on the PSEG electric bill.

All BGS charges on the PSEG bill include the state SUT tax. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities requires all competitive electricity companies to include the SUT in their rate offerings to residential customers so that consumers can compare PSEG electricity rates smoothly and accurately, eliminating potential hidden fees that companies might otherwise try to impose.

Starting on June 1, 2012 residential customers paying BGS rates will pay $0.1097 per KWh for their first 600 KWh and $0.119038 for everything in excess of 600 KWh. Most residential properties bigger than a one bedroom apartment will consumer more than 600 KWh. The average BGS customer will pay over $0.1100 on their electric bill this summer. Competitive rates (see below) can reduce the rate per KWh tremendously resulting in a lower PSEG electric bill.

As the competitive electricity market takes shape in New Jersey, customers of PSEG are seeing more options as more power companies compete for market share. Electricity customers of PSEG can now compare power companies in order to find cheaper electric rates. While this still might be a new concept for some, the NJ BPU is in full force in monitoring the active electricity shopping market that was created by the New Jersey Electricity Choice and Competition Act.

Electricity customers of PSEG are able to shop for lower rates on the supply section of their electric bill. Savings versus the default electric rates for residential customers have been seen as high as 20%. The delivery section of the PSEG electric bill remains the same no matter which electric supplier is chosen. While electricity choice deregulated the generation supply portion of the electricity business, the delivery (distribution) of electricity has remained regulated. This means that PSEG remains responsible for the power lines and wires of their territory, and is in charge of responding to power emergencies.

Electricity choice in PSEG and other New Jersey utilities (JCPL, Atlantic City Electric, Rockland Electric) simply allows consumers to compare power companies and purchase electricity at lower prices and terms that meet a customer’s specific needs.

The ability to shop for electricity is proving consumers with multiple energy supplier options in Elizabeth, NJ. Taking the time to find competitive electric rates can result in huge savings on the PSEG electric bill.

The most efficient and time saving method to compare electric rate prices is to use an electricity rate comparison website. This allows consumers to instantly compare offers for the lowest rate, term length, and savings amount versus the utility default rate. For some customers shopping for electricity means finding the lowest electricity rate. However, the consumer should also consider how long the rate will be locked in for and how much, if any, the termination fee is.

Often the lowest rate offered will be for longer terms of 18 or 24 months. Locking in the lowest rate for two years might be the best thing for a home owner who is not planning on moving anytime soon. However, for a college student who has just moved into an apartment with a 10-month lease, the better option might be to choose an electricity company offering a low variable rate, or lock in a fixed rate for 6 months which will then change to a variable rate when the six months are up.

Power customers can also shop for renewable electricity offers where the electricity is generated from wind power farms. These electric rate prices might be higher than the lowest electric rate available, however some shoppers are willing to pay the extra charge for the ability to buy green power.

Energy choice in New Jersey has provided customers living in Elizabeth the ability to shop for all of these electricity options and more. The majority of Elizabeth electricity customers have PSEG as their utility company. Even after a competitive energy company is chosen, PSEG will continue to send your monthly electric bill, maintain the lines and wires, and charge you the distribution expenses found on your bill under the “Delivery” section. The delivery prices remain regulated by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and are the same no matter which electric company is chosen to provide you with your competitive supply rates.

Here is a list of current competitive electricity prices for Elizabeth customers who have PSEG as their utility (updated daily):

PSEG electricity customers can save as much as 17% on their electric supply bills by selecting an alternative electric supplier. Electricity shopping has been picking up steam in recent months as more competitive electricity companies have filed and received electricity supplier licenses from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. However, many consumers are still uninformed that New Jersey in now an electric choice market, and even more are uninformed about just how much they can save.

In the past, surveys done in New Jersey regarding market awareness on electric choice has shown that many people just don’t want to go through the “hassle” of shopping for electricity because the end result is only a few dollars a month in savings. However, as competition has heated up and pushed competitive pricing down, the savings are now becoming quite more significant, especially for medium and large houses.  In the past, electricity savings in New Jersey had been  reserved for the largest commercial and industrial customers in the state.  Things have certainly changed as more and more alternative suppliers compete for the 3.3 million New Jersey residential electricity consumers.

PSEG customers using 1,000 KWh would save $20 a month ($240 per year) by choosing the lowest rate available compared to the PSEG default rate.  Homes using 2,000 KWh would save more than twice that ($46.60 a month and $559.20 a year) because PSEG default rates get higher the more power you consume.  A good rule of thumb for figuring out your average monthly KWh is to figure you will use 1 KWh for every square foot of home (1,500 square foot home would use 1,500 KWh average per month).

 
Current Rate Offers From Competitive Suppliers (Updated Daily):

Performing an energy price comparison among different energy companies and their offers is not always as simple as it may seem.  If you are shopping for competitive energy prices you may not always get apples to apples rate comparisons, especially if you are doing electric rate comparisons for a business.

Increasingly competitive energy suppliers are finding creative ways to structure their rate offers which makes customers appear to be signing contracts for unrealistic low rates, when in truth the contract has many additional charges that show up on the electric bill.

In order to protect customers, New Jersey and Pennsylvania post their “Price to Compare” rates which are the default rates offered by the utilities that competitive suppliers are supposed to offer their rates against.  Most people understand that with electric choice, the bill is now divided into two sections:  the competitive supply section, and the regulated delivery section.  The “Price to Compare” rate that utility companies (PP&L, PECO, PSE&G, JCP&L) publish are the entire supply component of the bill.

The supply rate for energy is broken down into more smaller components.  Some of these charges, such as transmission and capacity, will often be displayed on the bill.  Other components, such as line losses and congestion fees, are charges that are not stated on the bill but are blended into the price to compare rate.  However, competitive suppliers will take out these charges and present their rate to a customer that only contains the energy commodity.  The remaining charges will show up when the customer receives the bill.

This practice makes offers seem significantly less than the utility price to compare.  Unfortunately, often when the bill shows up those extra charges push the rate well above the default price to compare.

It is important to understand that in most energy choice markets, business customers can save money on their bills through shopping and comparing offers.  However due diligence needs to be done and the contracts read.  If your staff is unable to do this themselves they should consider working with an energy consulting firm or use a electricity comparison site that presents all offers equally against each other and against the utility’s current price to compare rate.

Here is some information on specific price to compare rates:

PPL:  The price to compare includes the energy rate and transmission rate that are posted on the PPL website.  The rates also include a GRT tax that is 5.9%.  Current PPL commercial rates increased by 33% on June 1.

PECO:  The price to compare includes the energy rate and transmission rate that are posted on the PPL website.  The rates also include a GRT tax that is 6.06%.  PECO commercial rates will increase by 9-11% on July 1.  PECO residential rates will increase by an average of 10% on July 1.

PSEG:  The official term for the price to compare in New Jersey is Basic Generation Service (BGS) rate.  The BGS rate for PSEG businesses is a little complicated because they use different measurements for different charges.  They charge a per KWh rate for energy commodity, and then a dollar per KW demand for transmission and capacity.  This causes the total BGS to change slightly from month to month.  To get an overall idea of what your BGS default rate is, take your total supply charge and divide it by the total KWh amount for that month.  All of this is stated on the bill.  Then you can compare competitive rates against the total BGS rate to see what type of savings are available.  Keep in mind that BGS rate include a 7% NJ tax.

JCPL:  The official term for the price to compare in New Jersey is Basic Generation Service (BGS) rate.  The BGS rate includes energy and transmission charges.

Electricity customers who are serviced by the utility PSEG are finding savings on their electric bills by shopping for lower electric rates.  Electric shopping in New Jersey is picking up as PSEG and JCPL get ready to set their summer rate increases.

Customers who have not shopped and compared electricity prices are paying high default rates.  The default electricity rates in NJ are set for one year at a time starting on June 1 and ending on May 31.  The summer months (June through September) have a different set of energy rates than the non-summer months (October through May).  While electricity savings are currently available for customers who compare energy prices, the savings are expected to be even greater once the summer default rates take effect on June 1.

In addition to lowering your electric bill, many of the competitive energy suppliers offer promotions such as gift cards and cash back bonuses.  Below are electric rate offers that also have promotional offers.

Electricity choice is certainly becoming a reality in New Jersey.  Customers of PSEG, JCPL, and Atlantic City Electric are seeing more and more electricity options.  One year ago their were less than a handful of options for NJ residential electric customers, now there are about a dozen electricity companies offering electric supply service with more filing the paperwork to enter the market.  True electric competition is taking place in New Jersey.

Compare Competitive PSEG Rates (updated daily):

PSE&G electricity customers looking to save money on their electric bills can do so by shopping for competitive rates.  Paying the PSE&G bill is becoming more difficult for many PSEG customers as energy costs have risen in 2011.  Further increases are expected to occur in the summer, starting on June 1.

Electric choice in New Jersey is bringing savings opportunities to PSEG electricity customers.  The PSE&G electric bill is divided into two sections.  The first section, the delivery section, includes regulated rates that PSEG charges their customers for power delivery.  These charges remain the same no matter which electricity supplier customers choose.  The second part is the Supply section, which makes up the majority of the electric bill.

The supply part of the PSEG electric bill includes all of the electric generation charges which have been deregulated, and therefor customers have a choice of which electricity company they want to use.  When PSEG customers sign an electricity contract with an alternative electricity company, the rate they sign for will replace all of the charges in the supply section of the PSE&G bill.

Compare Electricity Rates

Lowest Competitive PSEG Rates (updated daily)

New Jersey power consumers are finding savings through the state’s electricity choice program.  Electric choice in New Jersey has brought in more than a dozen electric suppliers offering electricity rates to commercial and industrial customers over the last several years.  Now electricity suppliers are starting to offer residential rates in New Jersey.

NJ power shoppers who take the time to compare electricity offers are finding the best deals.  In addition to low electric rates that offer significant savings versus utility default rates, some electric suppliers are offering incentives and promotions to entice customers to switch.  Despite electric bill savings of over 20% in some cases, less than 8% of New Jersey residential electric customers have switched suppliers.

Those who have not switched continue to pay a high default rate with their local electric utility company – PSEG, JCPL, ACE, Rockland.  PSEG and JCPL have been pushing power shopping and choice to their customers to help spread the word.  Though New Jerseyans now have a choice of who supplies their electricity, the power continues to be delivered by the local utility companies.  PSEG, JCPL, Atlantic City Electric, and Rockland Electric do not lose the customer when they switch electric suppliers.  Instead, the utility company continues to bill the customer and charge regulated rates for power delivery.  The only thing that changes is that instead of paying the high default supply rate, the customer pays a competitive supply rate.  If that competitive rate is lower than the default rate, than the customer saves money on their electric bill.

Here are some current low power rates in New Jersey:
PSEG Rates

JCPL Rates

Atlantic City Electric Rates