For many years most households have had choices of electricity companies to save money or to choose a more sustainable option. It’s not difficult to shop for deals on your electricity service. All we did was search for electricity providers in our area, which brought us to one of the comparison sites. We live in eastern Massachusetts and our regular provider is Eversource. There are several comparison sites that could help us shop around. There may be different websites in your area, but here are examples of what we could use:
EnergySage: Allows you to compare energy rates and plans side-by-side from different providers in your area. You can also read customer reviews and learn about the different types of energy plans available.
ChooseEnergy: Offers a personalized search engine that helps you find the best energy plan for your specific needs. You can compare rates from multiple providers and filter your search by energy source, contract length, and other factors.
PowerSetter: Helps you to compare energy rates and plans from different providers. You can compare plans based on price, term length, and other factors, and you can also sign up for alerts when better deals become available.
ElectricityPlans: This website offers a similar search engine as the others, allowing you to compare rates from multiple providers based on your zip code. You can also filter your search by plan type, term length, and other factors.
These sites also allow you to sign up for the new provider, which in the process notifies your current provider of the change. You then get a few instructions on how to log on to the new company.
Since we wanted to save money and get 100% renewable energy (such as wind, hydro and solar), we picked a company called Verde Energy, which has 100% renewable sources. We also saved about 36% on the kilowatt per hour charge of our regular provider Eversource. Eversource will still handle billing, delivery and repairs.
Most of these alternatives offer a contracted price that lasts a few months. Pricing or available vendors will likely change by the end of your contract. Consider whether you want to look for a “time of use” plan and how it may fit your needs. These types of plans usually allow you to pay a lower price in the evenings when demand is lower and there is less strain on the grid.
By investing a bit of time into finding more sustainable energy sources, you might save some money at the same time.
