What is Electric Choice?
Depending on the area you live in, you may have the ability to choose which company supplies your electricity. These companies are called suppliers.
The Illinois Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997 restructured the state’s electric service industry to allow for competition among
suppliers.
How does the electric system work?
There are three steps to getting electricity: generation (production of electricity supply), transmission (movement of that electricity from the
generation facility to the local distribution system), and distribution (the delivery of purchased power to your business or home.) In the past, one
company provided all parts of your electric service (generation, transmission and distribution). With electric choice, the electric supply may now be
provided by different companies. The transmission and distribution function will continue to be provided by your electric utility.
What do I choose?
You choose who provides the supply portion of your electric service. The supply may be sold by your electric utility or a supplier. The Illinois
Commerce Commission (ICC) will continue to oversee electric service and competition in Illinois.
What remains the same?
Your current electric utility company remains responsible for the transmission and delivery of electricity. The quality, reliability and maintenance
of your electric service will not change if you choose a supplier. You continue to contact your electric utility for any service problems such as
outages and meter readings.
Making Choices
Why would I want to choose?
Electric choice gives customers the right to choose who provides the supply portion of the electric service. The supplier may be your electric utility or another supplier. You may choose the company that provides your electric supply based on your needs and preferences.
Do I have to make a change?
No. You may choose to remain with your electric utility for supply service.
Will I save money?
That depends. You will need to contact suppliers providing service in your area for pricing information and then compare prices, charges and other agreement terms of the offers.
Is it o.k. to give out my account and meter number to a potential supplier?
Once you have chosen a new supplier, they will need your account number and meter number in order to enroll you for their service.
Billing
How will I be billed?
If you choose to purchase electricity from a supplier, expect changes in your bill. You may receive one bill from the supplier for all services or separate bills from the electric supplier and the electric utility.
The charges on the electric bill could include:
- Generation charge - for producing electricity supply.
- Transmission charge - for transporting electricity from the generation source to the local utility.
- 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.
- Customer charge - which is basic service charge to partially cover the costs of billing, meter reading, equipment and service line maintenance.
Customer Protections
Unauthorized Switch of Suppliers or Slamming - The law prohibits switching customers without the customer’s authorization. To protect yourself from an unauthorized change of supplier, only provide your personal information such as name, address, phone number and utility account number over the phone or in person when you are ready to switch to a supplier.
Terms of Service - Before beginning to provide service, a supplier must provide a terms of service statement detailing charges, length of the contract, process for notification of changes in the terms of service and a toll-free customer service number.
Access to Billing Data - Customers or authorized agents are entitled to obtain their billing and usage data from the current electric utility upon request but may be required to pay a reasonable fee.
Customer Service Call Center - All electric utilities and suppliers are required to provide a customer service call center where customers can receive assistance and information.
Dispute Resolution - If an electric supplier or electric utility fails to provide promised service, the law permits you to file a complaint with the ICC at here, by phone at 800-524-0795 and /or with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office (800) 386-5438 (Northern Illinois), (800) 243-0618 (Central Illinois), and (800) 243-0607 (Southern Illinois).
Glossary
- Affiliate - A company that is controlled by another or has the same owner as another company.
- Aggregator - An entity that brings customers together to buy electricity in bulk in order to increase customers’ buying power. Aggregators facilitate the sale of power but usually are not sellers.
- Delivery Services -Those services provided by the electric utility, including standard metering and billing that are necessary for the delivery of power to customers.
- Distribution - The use of wires by the local utility to deliver electricity to a home or business. These services include standard metering.
- Electric Utility - An entity that provides electric power generation and delivery services within a local service area and also may sell generation services to customers in other utility service territories.
- Generation - The act of using fuels, such as fossil, nuclear or renewable energy to make electricity.
- Kilowatt or kW - The standard unit of measure of electricity consumed.
- Supplier - Any person, corporation, generator, broker, marketer, aggregator or other entity certified by the ICC that sells electricity to customers
- Transmission - The delivery of electricity from a generating facility to local utility facilities, typically over high-voltage power lines.