Every month, thousands of households switch away from their
current electricity (no pun intended) company to another one. And yes,
the reason is quite obvious--it's all about the savings. But another
reason is something most consumers would probably not expect from their
power company--clever marketing.
Before even looking at the marketing campaign, the consumer should be aware that they can save around 8%-10% per month if they choose another provider that's lower than their current one. In some areas, the other power companies might not be able to give you substantial savings so they go to the marketing war chest.
Some will give you a one-time discount of say $150 if you switch both electricity and gas, or $80 for electricity only. There are those who'll also throw in a loyalty card which you can use when you shop or dine out and receive discounts from the participating merchants.
The end result is that you are able to lower your monthly bill when you take the time to shop around. And isn't the objective of every smart consumer to find some savings in their monthly budget?
When you visit a power provider's website, they'll usually have an online utility where you can calculate how much savings you can receive based on your average usage. It'll be handy if you could have your current month's bill with you as you look around.
The moment you decide to leave your old provider, the thought of all that paperwork just to switch may turn you off (again, no pun intended). But the good news is the new power company will do all that for you. Just fill out the online forms and click "submit." All it takes will be about 5-10 minutes of your time.
Signing up to a new energy company has never been made so easy (just ask your parents or grandparents). All the information you provide will be handled securely when they notify your previous power company for you. Then it takes about another 2-4 weeks for the switch to be completed.
As for the consumer, state laws against fraud protect them from being misled by these marketing campaigns. The electricity companies are smart enough to know all that and they wouldn't risk their reputation to advertise something they can't deliver.
So is it worth it? If you've decided today to stop paying more for power than you have to, then a power switch is what you need to do now. Electricity has now become like a commodity that you can shop around for before buying it off the shelf. And the consumers are all better off because of it.
Deregulation
has brought about competition in the area of home electricity supply.
This is true for many countries around the world including the United
States. In may parts of the world, the electricity companies are still
state-owned companies delivering overpriced, poor services.
In the
US, because economic and political factors could change as soon as they
cross state borders, no one power provider can say they are the
cheapest nationwide. And because they are handicapped this way, the
providers have to think of a catchy marketing campaign to win over new
customers.Before even looking at the marketing campaign, the consumer should be aware that they can save around 8%-10% per month if they choose another provider that's lower than their current one. In some areas, the other power companies might not be able to give you substantial savings so they go to the marketing war chest.
Some will give you a one-time discount of say $150 if you switch both electricity and gas, or $80 for electricity only. There are those who'll also throw in a loyalty card which you can use when you shop or dine out and receive discounts from the participating merchants.
The end result is that you are able to lower your monthly bill when you take the time to shop around. And isn't the objective of every smart consumer to find some savings in their monthly budget?
When you visit a power provider's website, they'll usually have an online utility where you can calculate how much savings you can receive based on your average usage. It'll be handy if you could have your current month's bill with you as you look around.
The moment you decide to leave your old provider, the thought of all that paperwork just to switch may turn you off (again, no pun intended). But the good news is the new power company will do all that for you. Just fill out the online forms and click "submit." All it takes will be about 5-10 minutes of your time.
Signing up to a new energy company has never been made so easy (just ask your parents or grandparents). All the information you provide will be handled securely when they notify your previous power company for you. Then it takes about another 2-4 weeks for the switch to be completed.
As for the consumer, state laws against fraud protect them from being misled by these marketing campaigns. The electricity companies are smart enough to know all that and they wouldn't risk their reputation to advertise something they can't deliver.
So is it worth it? If you've decided today to stop paying more for power than you have to, then a power switch is what you need to do now. Electricity has now become like a commodity that you can shop around for before buying it off the shelf. And the consumers are all better off because of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment