As you look over your monthly household expenses, you may find it advantageous to switch electric companies to lower your energy bills. It is worthwhile to review bills a few times throughout the year and understand your energy consumption and how much you are being charged for the electricity, gas, and water that you use on a regular basis. Gather up a few months worth of bills from various times of the year and then get to work investigating your options.

Not all states allow customers to choose their electric companies. Before you begin, you will need to determine if your state has a customer choice program. Many communities across the United States have passed legislation to partially or totally deregulate utilities.

In years past, customers had no choice but to pay a set price for such things as electricity and natural gas. These utilities were regulated by the federal government and the price that was set was non-negotiable between the utility company and the customer.

Now many states offer competition between electricity companies which allows customers to pick the provider who offers a competitive price and reliable customer service.

When choosing an electricity company for your residential service, be sure to understand the terms of your contract. Most electricity companies require a minimum duration of service before you are allowed to switch electric companies without incurring a cancellation fee.

While it might save money to switch your service before the end of your service contract in many cases the fees you will be charged outweigh the savings. Before signing up with any utility company, be sure to ask about cancellation fees.

If you think that you would like to switch electric companies to get a better rate or because you are dissatisfied with your service, then you are ready to start the comparison process. Determine which electric companies offer service in your area and then go on line to investigate pricing and payment plans.

Better yet, pick up the phone and start making calls. By reaching out by phone you will get a good sense of the customer service that the various electricity companies offer. If you have a hard time getting through or acquiring the information you are seeking, then you probably will not be happy with that electricity company.

For people who live in areas where there are a large number of electricity companies to choose from, looking for an objective source for information may be the best route. It can become confusing to do your own comparison and weed through the various promotions that the electricity companies offer.

You should be able to find an on line resource that will show you the side by side comparisons of rates and customer service satisfaction. Many programs will not allow you to switch electricity companies on line so be prepared to spend some time on the phone and make sure you understand all the details and hidden charges that may be associated with your current or new plan. In the end you may decide to stay with your current provider rather than switch electric companies.

MXenergy is a leader in switch electric companies as well as a retail power company which offers commercial and retail electricity.

Please visit us at http://www.mxenergy.com/ for all your energy needs.

Author Bio: MXenergy is a leader in switch electric companies as well as a retail power company which offers commercial and retail electricity.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: switch electric companies, electricity providers , energy provider, energy prices, energy assessment