Shopping vs staying

Shopping vs staying

As part of our ongoing You Ask, We Answer campaign, we’re answering questions we frequently receive from customers. Here’s one that has to do with shopping for energy.

If I choose not to shop for an energy supplier, can I stay with PPL?

Yes, you may remain with us if you do not choose to shop for an energy supplier. We will buy energy on your behalf and provide it to you – without profit or markup – at a price called the price to compare.

You can see the current price to compare on our website or on your monthly bill. It is adjusted twice a year, on June 1 and Dec. 1, to reflect changes in the cost of buying energy.

Also, if you cancel a contract with a competitive supplier and do not select a new one, you will automatically return to PPL Electric Utilities.

We sometimes hear from longtime customers who say they don’t want to “hurt PPL” by shopping with another energy supplier. While we appreciate their loyalty, it doesn’t hurt us if customers shop. In fact, we encourage you to visit the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s energy shopping website at PAPowerSwitch.com to see what other offers are available.

To see prior You Ask, We Answer posts, click here.

The door-to-door dilemma

The door-to-door dilemma

As part of our ongoing You Ask, We Answer campaign, we’re answering questions we frequently receive from customers. Here’s one we hear quite a bit:

Someone came to my door saying they could save me money on my electric bill. They wanted to talk to me about my energy use. Were they legitimate? What should I do in that situation?

Many competitive energy suppliers are licensed to operate in our service territory. We’re aware that some of them try to solicit business by going door to door.

Here’s the advice we give our customers on how to deal with door-to-door energy solicitors:

– Be aware that PPL Electric Utilities does not send employees to solicit door to door. If the solicitor claims to represent PPL or come from PPL, it’s a scam.
(We may occasionally send an employee or contractor to your door to talk with you about work taking place on or near your property. They won’t try to sell you anything.)

– If you choose to discuss your energy use with the solicitor, cover the part of the bill with your PPL Electric Utilities account number. For security, account numbers should not be posted in public places or shared with others.

– We recommend that our customers visit the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s website at PAPowerSwitch.com before signing any energy contract with a competitive supplier. You may be able to get a better offer than the one being made by the door-to-door solicitor.

Before signing any contract with a competitive energy supplier, be sure you’re familiar with all terms. Is the rate fixed or variable? Is there a cancellation fee? How long does the contract last? All of these factors can affect whether the deal is right for you.

To see prior You Ask, We Answer posts, click here.

Smart shopping

Smart shopping

As part of our ongoing You Ask, We Answer campaign, we’re answering questions we frequently receive from customers. Here’s a guide on how to shop for energy supply.

I’ve heard that shopping for energy can save me money but I don’t know where to start. How do I shop? And what am I buying?

Here’s how it works:

Most of your monthly bill is made up of two costs – the cost of the energy you use, and the cost of operating and maintaining the delivery grid that brings it to you.

You can choose the company that supplies the energy you use. Or, you can let PPL Electric Utilities buy energy for you. No matter which option you choose, we’ll deliver your energy over our delivery grid, and we’ll continue to provide safe, reliable service.

Many competitive suppliers serve our area, and some offer lower prices for energy supply than we do. You can save money by switching to another supplier that offers a lower price. Almost half of our customers have switched.

We pass on the cost of supplying energy, without any markup or profit, to the customers who choose to buy it from us. So it doesn’t hurt us financially if you choose to sign up with another supplier. In fact, we encourage you to look for better offers. Many of our own employees shop.

You can see all available offers at www.PAPowerSwitch.com, a website operated by the state Public Utility Commission. You’ll also see our current price for energy – called the price to compare – which you can use to evaluate other offers.

If you decide to shop, we urge you to look at all terms of the deal. Is the rate fixed or variable? Is there a cancellation fee? What is the length of the supply contract? All of these things can affect whether a deal is right for you.

To see prior You Ask, We Answer posts, click here.