Restructured in many states has made it possible for persons to choose which electricity supplier they obtain their power from.  There are a number of reasons why people choose to do this.  Price is obviously one of the most important factors in many people’s minds.  However, there are other things people should think about before they make a switch.  The reliability of an electricity company is also important.   

The level of reliability can be determined by getting a copy of the company’s codes of practice.  Every electricity provider is required to publish a copy of these codes in order to obtain a license to market electricity.  These codes spell out the policies and services that each energy company abides by.   While these codes are not legally binding, they do give you guidelines by which the gauge the level of support you can expect to get from a particular electricity provider. 

There are five areas of policy these codes address.  They are not legally binding, but if an electricity supplier fails to keep its word in any of these five points, there are grounds for a legitimate complaint.   

1.     The first thing to look at is an electricity company’s procedure for handling complaints.  Even the best companies get complaints.  It’s not the complaints that make or break their reputation, but rather, how empathetically they respond and take action on them.  Do they take complaints over the phone?  Does management follow up on complaints?  If so, can you count on getting information down the line if your complaint was professionally addressed? 

2.     You also need to know how a particular electricity supplier handles bill payments.  You may not plan on ever being late on a bill, but it happens.  What if you need to make special payment installments or ask for an extension?  You need to know in advance if you can even ask for such things; otherwise, you can find yourself getting stuck with a bill you cannot pay on time. 

3.     It should also be clearly stated what site access procedures the company has for its website.  Most companies, once you are a customer, give you a username and login.  You need to find out what kind of information this username and login gives you.  Can your bill be paid online?  Can you arrange for repairs?  Can you contact customer service? 

4.     If you find a company that offers free energy efficiency advice, take note of this.  They do not make any money giving you advice on how to save it.  If they go out of their way to help you save money, this shows the company has the best interest of its customers at heart.   

5.     Codes also should state what special services the electricity supplier offers to chronically sick persons, elderly persons, and disabled persons.  You may not need these special services, but common sense tells you that any company that neglects the sick, the elderly, or the disabled really ought to be avoided. 

No doubt you will find positive and negative reviews about a lot of electricity providers you investigate.  You cannot believe everything you read at face value, especially if the review is the person writing the review appears angry without specific explanation.  Sometimes people do not do their homework and blame the company for what goes wrong.  Such complaints will not help you form an accurate assessment. 

Instead, pay attention only to reviews that give you information that pertains to compliance with the codes above and only pay attention to specifics on how well a given electricity supplier has followed them in the past.