Did you know that natural gas and electric utility companies offer their customers the option of choosing from a menu of available service rates? What they don’t do, however, is take responsibility for making sure that each customer is always served under their most economical rate.
Consider the following statement taken directly from the approved tariff of one of Michigan’s largest utilities:
“The selection of the rate is the responsibility of the customer. The [Local Utility] company does not guarantee that the most economic rate will be applied” The bottom line is that it falls on each utility customer to spend a little time in evaluating and staying up to date on the various rate plans available through their local utility.
Unfortunately, when it comes to evaluating your options, the utilities don’t make things easy. Frequent rate case filings, new and/or expiring surcharges, fluctuating month-to-month prices, and confusing terms are all summed up in tariffs that are 300+ pages long. For many, it’s just too much information to sort through and slipping into that “just pay the bill” mindset is an all too common result. The problem with that is being on the wrong rate could expose you to excessive costs that you just aren’t prepared to handle. Utility customers down in Texas learned that the hard way recently when household electric bills under certain utility service rates skyrocketed to as high as almost $20,000... for a single month!
Consider the following statement taken directly from the approved tariff of one of Michigan’s largest utilities:
“The selection of the rate is the responsibility of the customer. The [Local Utility] company does not guarantee that the most economic rate will be applied” The bottom line is that it falls on each utility customer to spend a little time in evaluating and staying up to date on the various rate plans available through their local utility.
Unfortunately, when it comes to evaluating your options, the utilities don’t make things easy. Frequent rate case filings, new and/or expiring surcharges, fluctuating month-to-month prices, and confusing terms are all summed up in tariffs that are 300+ pages long. For many, it’s just too much information to sort through and slipping into that “just pay the bill” mindset is an all too common result. The problem with that is being on the wrong rate could expose you to excessive costs that you just aren’t prepared to handle. Utility customers down in Texas learned that the hard way recently when household electric bills under certain utility service rates skyrocketed to as high as almost $20,000... for a single month!
So, what’s the best way to go about making sure you’re taking service under the best rate available through your local utility? Inquiring directly on your own is an option, but that usually means dialing in to a customer service center where you’ll sit on hold for who knows how long and then get passed around several times before finally reaching someone who might be able to provide proper rate guidance. A better option is to consult with a reputable third party who specializes in utility rate analysis and selection. For almost 25 years now, that’s exactly what we’ve been doing for our clients here at Reliable Energy. As a member - or even a prospective member - of the MRLA, you are entitled to that service at no charge and with no additional commitment. Reliable Energy will evaluate your utility invoices and report back to you with an easy to understand comparison of your current rate vs other rates available through your utility. Our goal is to make this as simple as possible for you.
It all really boils down to the fact that you need to take responsibility for making sure you’re being served under the most economic rate available through your local utility company. Reliable Energy is here to help you in fulfilling that responsibility. And, as the endorsed partner of the MRLA, you can be confident in knowing that we’ll be providing you with clear, unbiased, and honest guidance.
For more information please contact Pam Sawatzki at [email protected] or 517-702-3940.
