Global warming, greenhouse gases and energy consumption ? these terms can be considered incongruent, but there are affordable, competitive electric suppliers to help you make your electric choice a clean one.
By May 31, consumers must either choose a new electric supplier or be defaulted to Baltimore Gas and Electric.
“We strongly encourage consumers to shop around and price out other electric suppliers,” said Rob Gould, director of corporate communications for BGE. “If consumers choose not to go with another provider, BGE becomes their backup, default company.”
Here are two suppliers that offer renewable and environmentally friendly energy solutions.
One option is Washington Gas Energy Services, a subsidiary of Washington Gas. With more than 100,000 customers in Maryland, Washington Gas is making a steady gain into the marketplace through a variety of products for environmentally conscious consumers.
“Customers can choose powersupplies that include renewable, wind-generated electricity,” President Harry Warren said. “For those who want a clean power supply, we offer 50 percent and 100 percent wind-power offers. WGES includes 5 percent wind-generated electricity in all of its standard residential offers, and this is in addition to any renewable energy content required by [Maryland] law.”
WGES serves more residential electricity customers in Maryland than all other suppliers combined. The company penetrates all of BGE?s market, and consumers may choose one-, two- and three-year contracts with fixed price rates that can help them better manage their bills. The company also supplies natural gas.
WGES is offering BGE residential customers 10 percent off BGE?s new summer residential electric generation rates, which go into effect in July, and 3 percent off the new non-summer rates. Generation charges are the largest component of residential bills and will account for nearly three-quarters of total costs when rate caps expire June 1.
Another provider of clean renewable energy in the BGE service zone is Pepco Energy Services Inc., also known as Conectiv Energy Services. Pepco is one of the area?s larger suppliers of green energy. The company provides its green energy from a variety of sources, including wind, sunlight, water, reclaimed landfill gases and from the burning of waste materials.
The company delivers more than 50,000 gigawatt hours to more than 1.8 million residential and commercial users in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, the District of Columbia and Virginia, making it one of the largest delivery companies in the mid-Atlantic region. Residential customers can get 100 percent of their energy from wind generation or from other renewable energy sources.
Rate Comparisons
Washington Gas Energy Services
1-888-884-9437
www.wges.com
Offers one-, two- and three-year contracts.
Two- and three-year fixed rates with 5 percent renewable energy $0.1130/kWh
» One- and two-year fixed rates with 50 percent renewable energy $0.1240/kWh
» One- and two-year fixed rates with 100 percent renewable energy $0.1370/kWh
Pepco Energy Services
1-800-213-7719
www.pepcoenergy.com
» Offers nine-month fixed rate contracts for green electricity $0.1309/kWh
» Nine-month contracts for wind generated energy $0.1379/kWh
Baltimore Gas and Electric
» The new rate beginning June 1 for one-year is $0.10713/kWh for non-time of use
» $0.10517 for time of use
Terms to know
» Suppliers are the companies that provide you with electricity and are licensed by the Public Service Commission to sell electricity to customers within the state of Maryland. They include standard offer service, brokers, aggregators and marketers.
» Aggregators are entities that negotiate the purchase of energy in bulk for a group of consumers and try to negotiate lower prices.
» Power plants produce electricity from a variety of sources including coal, oil, nuclear, the sun and wind.
» Transmission is high-voltage power transmitted over wires and poles.
» Substations are where high-voltage electricity is “stepped down” for distribution.
» Standard Offer Service is the default supplier for a service area.
» Clean energy is energy that produces lower emissions.
» Renewable energy is energy generated by wind, sun or biomass and is considered to be the best for the environment.
» Green energy can come from several sources and is deemed less hazardous to the environment than energy from fossil fuels.
