Consider customer choice electric utilities plans if your business is located in the limited regions of the United States that allow energy provider competition. Individual states decide to allow or reject utility deregulation and restructuring, which can determine the price of electricity in retail, competitive markets. Electric customers are allowed to choose electric generation suppliers and competition can lead to savings on your business utility bills. In many cases, your present electric company continues to provide transmission and distribution portions of your electric service.

Utility deregulation looks probable across the United States. Look for the customer choice electric power option that benefits your company and suits your needs when the option becomes available to you. Some companies prefer to seek a provider of renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, biomass and hydro. When considering how your business can benefit from customer choice utilities, think about the following suggestions.

1. Choose a customer electricity program that is cost effective.

2. Reduce your company's carbon footprint with "green power."

3. Become a customer choice electric power business owner or representative.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn the financial benefits of comparing utility customer energy programs.

Ask the prospective supplier to evaluate your electric usage patterns to determine a plan that is in line with your energy budget. Choose a product based on your cost projections and the risk factor. Purchase power in a specific number of kilowatt-hour blocks.

I recommend: Check out Good Energy to compare rates of electric utilities for your business. They can provide an assessment of your electricity needs and find savings opportunities with ways to buy energy. Energy Guide will find an electric supplier and check rates in your area.

Make a green electric utility customer choice

Replace your energy system totally or even in a small amount to transition to a renewable energy source. Numerous states offer green pricing, which can give consumers an option to help support additional electrical production from renewable resources.

I recommend: Contact a Constellation New Energy representative about supplying your business with "green power" from renewable energy sources. Customer choice can encourage the expansion of green pricing programs. Check out the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) ranking of leading utility green power programs.

Manage a customer electricity program business

Take advantage of the business opportunities becoming available across the nation as more states deregulate and offer customer choice utilities. Business opportunities exist in the generation of electricity and managing customer choice electric power options.

I recommend: Watch the Ignite video if you are interested in a business opportunity that has opened because of the deregulation of electric energy. Ignite is powered by Stream Energy. Most regulations for customer choice electric power plans and suppliers come from individual states, but American Electric Power explains the federal regulations.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Beware of 'slamming,' which is the switching of electric suppliers without customer consent, and watch out for fraud, deceptive practices and unfair discrimination when you inquire about customer electricity programs. Businesses can't legally disclose your information without your consent except for bill collection and credit rating purposes.