Electricity rates in the National Grid utility zone increased 40 percent on November 1 and Eversource utility zone rates are likely increasing on January 1. So it’s good news that the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) launched an interim comparison shopping tool today. We firmly believe that the more opportunities people have to choose their energy provider, the better.
Here’s what the new tool offers
- Two plans from each supplier who opts to participate
- Plans that will be updated twice monthly with terms that are six months or longer
- Information about each plan, including any perks like a free Nest or gift card, as well as any risks like an early termination fee
- Contact information for each supplier so you can contact them for more information on each plan
Here’s what is missing
While we love that MA residents will have a new tool, there are a few best practices that make shopping for energy a whole lot easier.
- Simple online shopping
- You have to call each supplier to switch instead of being able to shop with the click of a button
- Many studies show that the majority of people prefer to shop online versus a retailer by phone or in person. And almost 14,000 residents in Massachusetts have already shopped and switched electricity suppliers on ChooseEnergy.com.
- A way to find suppliers with stellar track record
- How do you know if suppliers are reliable and have great customer service? Extra research means extra time. While is imperative for the state site to allow everyone to participate, we hope to see priority given to the suppliers with a track record of reliability and excellent customer service. Perhaps that means including customer reviews, number of customers served, number of customers who chose a particular plan, etc. Here at Choose Energy, we are proud of our supplier list because they are these exemplary business partners. In MA, we work with ConEdison Solutions, Constellation, Direct Energy, Just Energy, Oasis Energy, Think Energy, and Xoom Energy.
