NYSEG Utility Company
Contents
- 1 NYSEG Utility Company
- 2 NYSEG Power Outage
- 3 New York Energy Choice
- 4 NYSEG Standard Service Rate
- 5 NYSEG Renewable Energy
- 6 Renewable Energy Plans
- 7 Selecting an Electric Supplier
- 8 When Will I be Switched to the New Energy Plan?
- 9 Are There Additional Fees?
- 10 Is There an Early Cancellation Fee?
- 11 What Happens at the End of my Plan?
- 12 New York Utilities
- 13 Clean Energy
- 14 Electricity Rates
NYSEG is a utility company responsible for maintaining and managing power lines that serve over 900,000 electricity customers in upstate New York. The utility company is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, which owns eight electricity, natural gas, or combination utilities in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The combined utilities serve over 3 million customers and have gained a reputation for safe and reliable service. Thanks to NY energy deregulation, NYSEG customers have the option to choose an alternate electric supplier for the supply services and save money on the electric bill.
NYSEG Power Outage
If you live within the NYSEG utility service area and experience a power outage, then you will need to contact the utility company. NYSEG is responsible for fixing all power outages within its service area. Thanks to advancements in technology, potential power outages can usually be detected and diverted before they can occur.
- NYSEG Customer Contact Number: 1-800-572-1131
New York Energy Choice
New York has joined a growing number of states in deregulating the electricity market. The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) passed the Competitive Opportunities Case in 1996. This opened the door to outside energy suppliers to begin offering New Yorkers a choice for supply services on the electric bill. The increase in energy suppliers entering the electricity market has helped push down energy prices in the state. Energy choice gives more power to the customer when it comes to choosing an energy plan that fits their needs.
NYSEG Standard Service Rate
NYSEG is required by the New York State Public Service Commission to provide customers that decide not to shop around for another electric supplier a standard service rate for supply services. The standard service rate is often referred to as the price to compare. This is not a fixed rate and is subject to change throughout the year. Customers that wish to shop for an alternate electric supplier can use the price to compare to determine their savings. If an electric supplier is offering a supply rate that is lower than the price to compare, then the customer will be saving money by switching energy suppliers.
NYSEG Renewable Energy
NYSEG is providing customers an opportunity to help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere by participating in the New Wind Program. Customers can get involved by buying a block of 200 kilowatt-hours of wind-generated electricity every month for a year. According to NYSEG, this will lower carbon dioxide levels to the equivalent of not driving just over 2,000 miles.
Renewable Energy Plans
If you decide to shop around for a competitive electric supplier, then you can choose an energy plan that is 100% renewable. Renewable energy generates power from sources that are considered environmentally friendly. Examples of renewable energy sources include solar, wind, hydropower, and biofuels. When you sign up for one of these plans, the energy supplier will guarantee that 100% of the power the customer is estimated to consume will be directly or indirectly generated from renewable energy sources and uploaded to the power grid.
A common way for energy suppliers to meet this requirement is through the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs). A renewable energy certificate is equal to 1,000 kilowatt-hours of power generated from renewable energy sources. Energy suppliers that fall short in meeting any requirements can purchase RECs on the open market to fill any shortcomings.
Selecting an Electric Supplier
With so many energy suppliers providing energy services in New York, how do you know which one is right for you? The answer to this question falls on the individual customer. The energy supplier that is right for you may not be the same one that your neighbor selects. The first step in selecting an energy supplier is determining your risk tolerance. Electric suppliers may advertise a low supply rate which may not be fixed and subject to the volatility of the energy market. The most common energy plans are fixed-rate plans which will not change during the term.
100% renewable energy plans are also popular among customers. However, you can expect to pay a premium going with a green energy plan. Generating power from renewable energy sources is not as cost-effective as conventional methods such as oil and coal. This added expense is passed onto the customer in the form of a higher supply rate.
Below are a few questions to keep in mind while shopping for a new energy plan.
When Will I be Switched to the New Energy Plan?
Upon enrolling in a new energy plan, the customer will be switched over on the next available meter read. A meter read is typically every 30 days. The enrollment process can take a few days. If you just missed your meter read, then expect to be switched over on the following meter read. A customer can expect two or three months to go by before the electric bill reflects the new energy plan.
Are There Additional Fees?
If you believe a supply rate is so low that it’s too good to be true, then you are probably correct. Energy rates can carry additional fees such as a monthly meter charge. Some plans may require the customer to use a specific usage amount or be hit with additional charges. The terms and conditions will list all additional charges associated with the rate.
Is There an Early Cancellation Fee?
Most energy plans will carry an early cancellation fee that will be applied if the customer switches to a new energy supplier before the terms expire. Early cancellation fees can cost up to $300 or more! The terms and conditions will list the amount of any early cancellation fee.
What Happens at the End of my Plan?
If no action is taken upon the expiration of the plan, then most energy suppliers will switch the customer to a monthly variable rate. Once this happens, don’t be surprised to have the electric bill double or triple in a single billing period. We recommend shopping for a new energy plan a month before the term expires.