What are my energy choice options in Pennsylvania?
Making the choice for your Pennsylvania energy supplier can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. Once you’ve dug into the information, however, it becomes much clearer. Let’s go through 3 similar plans for Reading, PA, in the Met Ed. footprint. It’ll hopefully help make your electric choice easier.
Learn to shop for the best offers for your electricity
The first part of an electricity plan that we all look at is the price. Let’s look at the Met Ed electricity rates for 12 month plans in Reading. Three of the most competitively priced plans for the area are North American Power’s 12-month fixed plan, Next Era’s Saver 12 plan and Direct Energy’s Live Brighter 12 plan. With rates of 6.6 cents per kwh, 6.5 cents per kwh, and 7 cents per kwh respectively, the differences are rather small. But, over the course of a year, small differences add up. The average residential PA electricity consumption according to the Energy Information Administration is 10,402 kwh per year (about 867 kwh per month). So knowing this information, we can easily do the math for a guess at your monthly bills and total cost with each of these plans.
- North American Power – 6 cents/kwh x 867 kwh = $57.22 monthly bill x 12 months = $686.53 total cost
- Next Era-5 cents/kwh x 867 kwh = $56.36 x 12 months = $676.13
- Direct Energy- 7 cents/kwh x 867 kwh = $60.69 x 12 months = $728.14
Knowing that math, we can see that Choosing NextEra’s plan can save you the most compared to the other Pennsylvania energy suppliers, saving you at the very least $10 over the full year and in some cases much more!
You have the freedom to switch
Price differences are important. But if a plan is more expensive, there’s usually other perks and factors that you need to consider. The first thing I look at beyond the cheapest options is how they penalize or facilitate shopping around for other suppliers and switching. While Next Era may offer the lowest rate, and North American Power may be very close, both offer a flat $10 per-month-left cancellation fee. In contrast, Direct Energy’s plan has no cancellation fees. So, if you decide you want to powerswitch to a new electricity supplier, two of these plans will charge you to leave their plan while another one won’t. This is why it’s always important to read suppliers’ disclosure statements, and keep an eye out for other conditions that may apply when you shop for energy providers.
Green Choices and More for your Consideration
Plans may also offer additional perks such as being green energy! Some companies offer plans which invest in green energy sources to help provide clean energy to the state and could be the right choice for you. Though none of these three plans are green, these electricity providers and more may offer green alternatives! Companies may also offer valuable incentives. For example, Direct Energy offers a refer-a-friend bonus, should you decide their plan might not only work for you, but also for friends or family! On top of that, they also have a very large and active online community, which can offer even more feedback about their service.
The Right Energy Choice for you
All in all, there are many factors to consider when choosing the right plan for you. A plan that works for your neighbor may not be right for you. To compare these plans and more, head on over to https://www.paenergyratings.com/ and read up on your options today!