No matter what your business, utilities are essential. You need electricity to power lights and personal niceties, such as a coffee pot and radio. Then, you will need to have your water hooked up to make a great cup of coffee to start your day. You may need natural gas for heating and cooking, and telephones are always a key addition to any business.

Talk with other business owners to see which electric utility companies they recommend. Compare all of the best electricity rates. There are many providers of utilities all over the country. Use these ideas to find the utilities service providers in your area that give you the best of everything.

1. Prepare a checklist and note what each utility company has to offer you. Put every utility service provider on it so that you can easily compare rates.

2. Find the best electric utility companies that fit your needs. Find out the price of kilowatt-hours and check for hidden fees that drive the price up.

3. Check to see what water utility companies are in your area. Chances are there is only one water utility service provider.

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

Discover what the utilities business offers to you

Check out all of the business utility suppliers to see if they offer anything extra. How about federal incentives to do the right thing? These abound and are available almost everywhere. The best offers will have lowered rates, but many companies are coming around to the idea of offering rebates and other incentives for doing your part. Prompt payment will get you equal billing on your monthly bill to save in the peak use season, while the purchase of energy savings products will get you a rebate directly from companies you use already.

I recommend: Find out what special deals you can get from Energy Star. They have a great assortment of rebates and special deals all over the country. In addition, try taking advantage of some federal incentives put into place just to help out the consumer.

Think outside the box to find providers of utilities

If you are in an area where you can join a coop, there are utility warehouse discount clubs available for business accounts. For example, Energy Cooperative Association of Pennsylvania advertises renewable energy and gives tips and advice on how to help you find the right business utilities. Sometimes you can find a good, all-around utility company. These companies make their living providing the best deal on utilities services to businesses. While this is an out of the ordinary idea, club members do report a benefit.

I recommend: The Energy Cooperative Association of Pennsylvania helps your business benefit from renewable energy. Go to Wisconsin Focus on Energy to see which of their member utility companies can save you money.

Compare rates of electricity and be green while you do it

Save money and choose green at the same time. Many businesses have turned to the Internet in order to see what the best rate available is. Choose an electric company that will make your rivals green with envy. If you don't have one close to your home, take steps to make changes. As with any service, let them know what you think and give them a chance to change things you do not like.

I recommend: Nexus Energy Software's ENERGYguide can save you money on your monthly bill and help you to do your part in saving the environment. Constellation NewEnergy, Inc. offers an energy management tool that helps you keep track of your energy usage.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Watch your pennies and search for good service with utility delivery. The Public Utilities Commission of every state is there to bring you value as you select your utilities providers. They oversee their state's utilities and ensure reliable and adequate utility services.