Changing Electric Suppliers
Will everyone have the opportunity to choose electric suppliers?
In May 2002, all electric customers of Illinois investor-owned utilities will have the opportunity to choose electric
suppliers. Electric co-ops and municipal systems may elect to enter the competitive marketplace to offer their customers choice, but they are
not required to participate.
What does choice mean?
Customer choice means the ability to choose the company who will
supply your electricity. ComEd will still be the company who delivers the electricity
provided by the electric supplier you choose.
What options exist for purchasing power?
Remain with the current utility as a bundled customer
(generation, transmission, and distribution) or elect to become a delivery services
customer (delivery services refers to the facilities including poles, transformers and
wires which carry and distribute the electricity provided by your electric supplier). As a
delivery services customer you may purchase the generation portion of your electricity
from an Alternative Retail Electric Supplier (ARES) or from another electric utility.
Why would I want to choose?
You may choose the company that supplies your electric generation
based on your own needs and preferences. Those may include how or where the electricity is
produced (e.g. environmentally friendly energy), the lowest price, or the best combination of
prices, services and incentives.
What exactly am I choosing?
There are two main components of your electric service: supply
(generation) and delivery (transmission and distribution). Currently ComEd provides you
both components of your electric service and issues one bill each month for the total.
With customer choice, you will be able to choose who provides the supply portion of your
electric service, with ComEd continuing to provide the delivery portion.
Do I have to make a change?
No. You may choose to change suppliers or do nothing and
remain with your current electric utility. Regardless of which company you choose to
generate electricity, your current electric company remains responsible for delivering
your electricity and providing reliable delivery service.
What happens if I don’t choose another supplier?
Customers who remain with ComEd as their electric supplier after
residential customer choice begins will see no change to their monthly bill. All ComEd
residential customers have received a 20% reduction in rates since 1998. These lowered
rates are locked in until 2005.
What questions should I ask a supplier before making a choice?
You should ask the questions that are important to you. If, for
example, you are concerned about the source of your electricity, you should ask how it is
produced. If you are interested in billing options, you should get a clear explanation of
the options available to you.
What remains the same?
Your current electric utility company remains responsible for
delivering electricity. The current electric utility company must provide reliable
delivery service even if you choose a new supplier.
What will the process be in order for me to switch electricity
suppliers?
If you choose another Retail Electric Supplier, that supplier will be responsible for completing the necessary
procedures needed to initiate the switch. You must provide the supplier with a written Letter of Agency specifically authorizing the
new supplier. Then, the process will start with the supplier submitting a Direct Access Service Request (DASR) on behalf of the customer
to the delivery services utility.
Does ComEd wish to lose customers?
ComEd is committed to the safe and reliable delivery of electricity
to our customers. Regardless of which electric supplier a customer chooses, the customer remains a
ComEd delivery services customer (delivery services refers to the facilities including
poles, transformers and wires which carry and distribute the electricity provided by your
electric supplier). ComEd is working hard to improve the reliability of our electric
system and the quality of our customer service.
Does ComEd support customer choice?
ComEd supports customer choice, and is working to help create an
efficient, competitive and reliable marketplace, as intended by the Illinois General
Assembly through the state’s 1997 Restructuring Act.
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General Information about Retail Electric Suppliers
Who may supply power?
Retail Electric Suppliers which includes Illinois
utilities selling outside their service areas and Alternative Retail Electric Suppliers
who are certified by the Illinois Commerce Commission are the entities permitted to sell power to retail customers.
Where can I go to get information on suppliers of
electricity?
An updated list of certified suppliers is available on the Illinois
Commerce Commission web site at (http://www.icc.state.il.us),
the ComEd PowerPath web site at (http://www.comedpowerpath.com) or by calling ComEd at
1-800-EDISON1 (1-800-334-7661).
Who can be an electricity provider in Illinois? Are there any
criteria that must be met? Are there standards?
In order for an electricity provider other than a current Illinois
utility to become a certified ARES in Illinois, it must first apply to and be certified by
the ICC. The ICC will continue to be involved in the process of monitoring the activities
of all suppliers in the state.
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Safety and
Reliability
Can
the energy problems in California occur here?
There are vast differences between the California electric
power market and that of Illinois. A number of states – including Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, and Pennsylvania – have passed legislation restructuring their utility
industries and have experienced no problems like California.
Will choosing a new supplier change the reliability of my
electric service?
No, ComEd was instrumental in ensuring that the legislation
protects the integrity of the electrical system. One way the system is protected is
through the phased-in transition to full competition, which began October 1, 1999 and ends
with choice for all residential customers in 2002. During this transition period, ComEd
and other Illinois utilities will work with regulators and other officials to ensure that
consumers can expect continued reliable service. Through the entire transition to the new
environment, the quality of the delivery of electric services will be the same regardless
of whether it is supplied by ComEd or another supplier.
If one company generates my electricity and another provides the
rest of my electric service, whom will I call about power outages or repairs?
As a delivery services customer, you will still call ComEd about
power outages and repairs (delivery services refers to the facilities including poles,
transformers and wires which carry and distribute the electricity provided by your
electric supplier). If you have questions about the supply portion or other issues related
to generation, you will call your new supplier.
If I change suppliers, will my current electric utility treat me
differently?
The electric utility company cannot discriminate based on who
supplies your generation. It must deliver electricity to eligible customers regardless of
their electricity suppliers. The ICC must review and approve any charges, terms, and
conditions for delivery services.
How will I know that a new supplier is reliable?
Only electricity suppliers that are certified as an alternative retail electric
supplier or that are currently regulated by the ICC as public utilities can do business in
Illinois as a Retail Electric Supplier.
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Environmentally
Friendly Energy
How can I purchase environmentally friendly
energy?
Electricity is generated from a variety of sources, including
renewable resources such as hydro, solar, and wind that produce
environmentally-friendly energy. If you are interested in purchasing environmentally
friendly energy for your home or business, contact an electric service supplier and ask
what percentage of their energy mix is generated by renewable resources.
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Cost and
Billing
Will I save money?
That depends. You’ll need to compare prices for changing
suppliers.
How much will I save if I choose a new electricity supplier?
The amount you save will depend on how much you currently pay for
electricity, how much you use, and the price offered by your chosen electric supplier.
If I switch power providers, who will send me the bill?
It is possible for the customer to receive separate bills from the
utility for delivery services and from the Retail Electric Supplier for electricity. Or
you could receive a single bill for both from the Retail Electric Supplier. The decision
whether or not to provide a single bill is up to the supplier.
How will I be billed?
If
you choose another supplier you can expect changes in how you are
billed. The charges on an electric bill could include:
- Generation charge
for producing
electricity.
Delivery service charge for distribution
service provided by the electric utility company to keep the
transmission and distribution systems functioning so customers can
receive electric service.
Transition charge for costs incurred by
the local utility prior to restructuring may be charged through
the transition period (through December 2006).
Customer charge, which is a basic service
charge to partially cover the costs of the standard service
connection and billing.
Meter service charge, which recovers the
costs of meter reading and other standard metering services such
as installing, removing, exchanging, maintaining, and testing of
metering equipment.
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General
Information About Electricity
What activities are involved in receiving
electricity?
The activities involved in receiving electricity are three-fold; the electricity must be generated
(production of electricity), transmitted (sending high voltage power to
distribution points), and then distributed (delivering electricity) to your location.
How can I be sure that the electricity I'm buying is from my
designated supplier?
Electricity is electricity, regardless of how it's generated or who
generates it. When you flip a switch, the wires delivering the electricity to you have no
idea where the electricity originates, as the nation's electrical transmission and
distribution system, in effect, "mixes" electricity. You will be billed based on
your usage, just as you are now. Your supplier receives the metered reading of your usage.
Because your electricity usage can be measured, you are still supporting the supplier of
your choice.
What safeguards have been built into the new system to protect
customers?
Electric suppliers must obtain written authorization from customers
before switching their service from another supplier. Marketing materials that disclose
the prices, terms, and conditions of the products or services offered or sold to the
customer must be accurate.
An Alternative Retail Electric Supplier must be certified by the
ICC. The ICC also oversees utilities within the state. Lists of suppliers are available
from the utility and ICC. If an electric supplier or local utility fails to provide
promised service, the law permits you to file a complaint with the ICC (800) 524-0795
and/or the Illinois Attorney General (312) 814-3000 in Northern Illinois or (217) 782-1090
in Central and Southern Illinois. The ICC will monitor the marketplace and publish on its
web site the names of companies that fail to provide service in accordance with the terms
of their contracts.
Account and meter numbers allow access to customer usage and
billing data and can be used to make changes to your electric service. ComEd treats these
numbers as confidential information and recommends all customers to do the same.
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