Another State Launches New Retail Shopping Price Comparison Site, PUC Officials Cautions Shopping May Not Be Right For All Customers

The New Hampshire PUC has launched an electric choice rate board and comparison site for residential and small commercial customers at http://www.puc.nh.gov/ceps/shop.aspx

The site lists the default service rate for each utility, and for supplier offers indicates whether the product is fixed or variable, the term length, whether an introductory price applies, whether there is a monthly charge, whether there is an early termination fee, the product's end date, and the percent of renewable energy

The site lists suppliers in alphabetical order, and, at this time, products are not sortable.

In announcing the site, Amanda Noonan, Director of the New Hampshire PUC's Consumer Affairs Division, cautioned customers that, "It’s important for customers to look at an offer carefully to make sure they understand the terms of the offer such as whether the price is fixed or variable and the duration of the offer."

Noonan noted that purchasing energy through a competitive electric supplier may not be the right choice for all customers. "For example, the discount provided under the Electric Assistance Program, a bill assistance program for low income households, will not apply to the electricity purchased from a competitive supplier. Before choosing a competitive supplier, customers who participate in the Electric Assistance Program should look carefully at their bill to determine what the savings will be and whether those savings will make up for the loss of the discount on the energy portion of the bill," Noonan said