10 Things to Consider When Choosing an Electricity Provider During Peak Season

Everyone knows the highest prices and possibly lowest quality of service provided by an electric company comes during peak seasons. A peak season can be winter in areas that reach frigid temperatures, or the apex of summer in hotter climates. Some areas may even have both as a peak season with the only “normal” period being during spring and fall. Here are some things to consider when looking into an electricity provider during these peak seasons.

1. Billing Options – Ask an electricity provider what their billing options are before establishing service. During this time of year, when the power costs so much more, your bill can be sky high. See if they offer the option of a balanced billing plan, where your monthly cost is the same for each cycle. Having options with billing may make the choice a little easier..
2. How Long is the Current Price Offered? – If the current price is higher than you were hoping for, you may be in luck. The price might go down in a month or so, and you'll only have to shoulder the current burden for a little while. Or, conversely, the price could be fixed for only a few months since you are new to the company, then they may go up exponentially. Be sure to know what you’ll be paying up front so there aren’t any surprises later..
3. How Do They Handle Peak Usage? – See if they have a plan for what to do in the case of peak usage. There are peak seasons and there are peak hours that are allotted daily. During these peak times, if the power grid gets jammed from too many users, it’s good to know how the company will handle the situation, or if you’ll be left with low power or no power at any time.
4. Are There Penalties for Usage During Peak Times? – Be sure to know if the company punishes those who use more electricity than others. If you happen to be using your power during peak times, will you be charged more? Knowing the answer to that question will either open your eyes to excessive fees that will be tacked on to your next bill, or help you wise up about wasteful practices to avoid being hit with a massive power bill..
5. Do They Pay Back for Energy Added to the Power Grid? – If you’re looking into alternative energy in the future, such as solar or wind energy, ask the provider if they have paybacks for energy that you add to the power grid. In most instances, you will be given a check for providing this service. Having power added to their grid from another source is an easy way for them to deal with peak seasons. They will want to show their gratitude.
6. How Do They Level the Load? – The loads used by energy users such as yourself become uneven during peak usage. Ask the provider how they handle these situations. Do they have backup power from other plants to glean from, or do they run below their normal output in order to save up for this imbalance? Whichever way they do handle the situation may affect you as a consumer.
7. Reliability for Your Area – Ask about the reliability of electricity availability in your area. Some neighborhoods end up sitting the dark more often than others due to power outages. See if this is the case for your area, and keep the answer in mind when choosing a provider.
8. Brownout Danger – What are the chances of a brownout? Ask the provider how many brownouts have occurred in your area in the past year or two. If the number is high, or if there were any at all, you might want to reconsider. You don’t want to end up cooking your food via campfire in the backyard in the middle of winter.
9. Average Downtime – For those instances of losing power, because they happen at some point no matter which company you go with, how long is the average period of service suspension? This is something they should be able to tell you upfront, or look up data and average it out for you. If on average the downtime is only a few minutes, this might be less harmful overall than an average down time of three hours. Granted, if it’s down for only a few minutes, but this happens frequently throughout the week, this could become more frustrating than it's worth.
10. Discounts for Energy-Efficient Appliances – It never hurts to ask about discounts for using energy-efficient appliances, as they could come in handy. Electricity providers are always looking for ways to encourage consumers to use less power, so you may be rewarded for wanting to use less energy.

Choosing an electricity provider doesn’t have to be a difficult task. Aside from asking the company itself these questions, ask around amongst your neighbors, too. See if your neighbors enjoy the service they’ve received so far, or if they’d change providers if given the right opportunity.

Resources:
http://voices.yahoo.com/peak-energy-demand-its-impact-life-7702774.html?...
http://www.state.nj.us/bpu/commercial/shopping.html#nbr4