Thanks for shopping. I've been with BGE simply because it's clear that after June their prices will drop dramatically, with PJM capacity prices dropping and newer, less expensive, purchases are added to the mix.

I've been hoping for a long time now that someone would offer a variable rate with a fixed adder, or guaranteed margin. On the commercial side, this adder is usually less than 5%, but on the residential side you only have these variable rip-off products like Veridian charging 50% (or 3 cents adders) and the like.

If they did offer this type of fixed adder product, most homeowners would have paid in the low 7's for the last 2 years, on average.

Too bad they don't and the current variable products are sky high.

Jay,

A few basic questions about Castlebridge.

1. BTU is the broker for Castlebridge (CEG--curious initials).
2. Is Castlebridge actually making derivative purchases or banking on buying on the spot market.
3. Does Castlebridge standardize transmission/capacity? If not, it would suggest that they are not well-capitalized and if rates go down the book will be worth less as collateral on PJM.
4. Is EnerNoc behind this project? Again, dubious finances and questionable business practices unless its the old, and honest, South River.

WGES' 8.9 cents price per kWh for electricity supply is the lowest price offered by any energy company supplying electricity to BGE residential customers. It is at least 10% less than BGE's price for electricity supply, which is currently 10.029 cents per kWh and will be 9.960 next summer.

To get WGES' 8.9 cents per kWh price offer, you need WGES' discount code. Here it is. Go to www.wges.com . Where it asks "New to WGES? Enter your promo code here:" enter code: EAHOME-EA1016 . This code will bring up WGES' lowest price offer.

If you enroll with WGES, BGE will continue to deliver your electricity, respond to emergencies, read the meter, and do the billing. None of that changes. There is no service interruption. Nothing is disconnected or disconnected.

If you are on BGE's budget billing plan, you can continue paying that way. If you move, you can terminate your WGES supply agreement without penalty.

WGES' 8.9 cents price per kWh for electricity supply is the lowest price offered by any energy company supplying electricity to BGE residential customers. It is at least 10% less than BGE's price for electricity supply, which is currently 10.029 cents per kWh and will be 9.960 next summer.

To get WGES' 8.9 cents per kWh price offer, you need WGES' discount code. Here it is. Go to www.wges.com . Where it asks "New to WGES? Enter your promo code here:" enter code: EAHOME-EA1016 . This code will bring up WGES' lowest price offer.

If you enroll with WGES, BGE will continue to deliver your electricity, respond to emergencies, read the meter, and do the billing. None of that changes. There is no service interruption. Nothing is disconnected or disconnected.

If you are on BGE's budget billing plan, you can continue paying that way. If you move, you can terminate your WGES supply agreement without penalty.

MJS, while the price for WGES looks nice, why would I want to lock myself into any type of price that has an early termination fee? That's just crazy. A lot of companies on the market are offering cheap power without early termination fees. If we both use 800kwh a month and I pay $0.005 more power I end up paying $48 a year. Now if I find someone cheaper it doesn't make since to have to pay $150 to terminate (such as with Constellation Energy or WGES). Also, locking in rates is betting that prices will continue to go up even though over the last two years they have dropped. Anyone that offers $0.10 per kwh or less is a good deal as long as there is no termination fee. I was with Dominion power for a while but now with Viridian, both without termination fees. I'll continue to change companies and might even go back to BGE if the rates are right. Now, time to shop for the best natural gas prices! After all, they are at all time lows!

Last March, my wife and I contracted with Dominion Retail for electricity supply at the rate of 10.37 cents per kWh, the contract to terminate on our December 2010 billing date unless renewed. Accordingly, early in December, I looked into retail offers and ended up signing with WGES through Clean Currents at a rate of 9.30 cents/kWh. To my surprise, however, I find that WGES has a lengthy qualifying process including a credit check, and as a result our new contract will not take effect until our mid-January meter reading. In the meantime, Dominion Retail continues to supply our electricity at the rate of the old contract, even though they were willing to renew at the rate of 9.40 cents/kWh, nearly one cent lower than the old contract.

Our contract with Dominion Retail contains a provision regarding Service Renewal which reads as follows:

If you are receiving service from Dominion Retail pursuant to a fixed price for a stated term as specified in an applicable Offer Letter, then, at least forty-five (45) days prior to the expiration of such stated term, Dominion Retail may provide you with written notification of a proposed renewal fixed price and term. You may elect to renew or cancel at that time without penalty. Alternatively, if we do not adjust the fixed price upon expiration of the Initial Term, then the price to be charged thereafter will be a market-based variable price that may be adjusted each month based on prevailing market conditions applicable to the delivery and sale of electricity in the BGE service territory. This monthly variable pricing plan will continue in force on a month-to-month basis until either party cancels the Agreement.

It sounds as though Dominion Retail was under no obligation to provide timely notice, or any notice, that our contract was due to expire. I strongly suspect that the company deliberately refrained from doing so in order to be able to continue to supply electricity to us at a rate higher than the prevailing market rate at the time the contract expired.

Arising from these circumstances, we have two grievances.

* The minor one is that the company has put it itself in a position to continue as our supplier during the peak December-January period. During that period a year ago, we used 2704 kWh of electricity, and I have no expectation of using less this year. On that basis, we will be paying Dominion Retail nearly $30 more for electricity than we might have paid if we had received timely notice of our contract's expiry and taken prompt action to secure a supply at the prevailing market rate.
* The major one, of course, is that, had I not remembered that our contract expired in December, there would have been nothing to prevent Dominion Retail from continuing to supply us at the old rate, or any rate, indefinitely.

Surely this is against the spirit and intent of the deregulation policy instituted 10 or so years ago. Given the likelihood that consumers will forget that their contract is due for renewal, it seems to me only reasonable that suppliers should be obliged to give timely notice of pending expiry. If they fail to do so, they should be obliged to continue supply at the rate of the lowest available offer until such time as they do give notice.

Jay, Thanks for the tip. Castlebridge is now listing $.0895 for 12 and 24 months, no early termination fee.

Jay, We have been researching a new electric provider for a while now. Thanks to your input we will be signing with Castlebridge. I'm sure you researched your phone and internet provider with the same intensity. Could I ask who you use and why???