We all pay for energy every month, but have you really taken a look at the charges on your electricity bill? Do you know if there are fees beyond the price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for electricity use?

It’s a guarantee that the usage charge isn’t the only fee being factored into your energy bill. If you want to reduce your monthly costs it helps to know more about the fees on your energy bill and what they cover.

Fees You Will See on Energy Bills

The total you pay for your monthly electricity use isn’t just based on how many kWhs you use. There are a number of charges that go into the total amount. Plus, you may even have electricity charges on more than one bill. 

Fees May Be on One or Two Energy Bills

First, there’s a point to clarify. You may receive one or two energy bills with different energy fees depending on your market. In some markets, electricity suppliers like Provider Power send a bill separate from the utility. In other markets, all of the fees are combined on a single energy bill. 

Regardless of how many energy bills you receive, you’re likely to see the fees below that we’ve explained for you!

Supply – This is where you’ll see your kWh rate and the charge for your electricity use. The wholesale energy supply cost is a big component of the kWh rate. However, the supply fee could also be a flat rate that you pay for a certain amount of electricity every month. 

Delivery – The delivery fee is a little tricky because it’s a blanket term that could include a lot of different things. The supply fee may even be lumped into the delivery charge along with customer service and billing service charges.  

Transmission – Transmission refers to the electric grid infrastructure that’s needed for delivering electricity to homes and businesses. The transmission fee is what customers pay to help cover the cost of building and maintaining the electric grid. However, this charge may be included in the delivery fee. 

Minimum Utility Charge – The utility is allowed to charge a minimum fee regardless of the amount of energy that’s used. 

Taxes – We pay taxes on almost everything, including energy. The tax on an energy bill is known as value-add tax (VAT) or goods and service tax (GST). There may be additional taxes, depending on your location. For example, often there is a state surcharge tax. Taxes are both fixed and variable since they are a set percentage of the cost for using energy. 

Penalty Fees – These are fees for things like late payments, rejected payments, etc. 

For more information on what fees to expect, check out our post on how to read your Provider Power energy bill. 

At Provider Power we’re ready to help you with all your energy needs, and that includes figuring out the associated costs. You can give our customer care reps a call or send us an email for more information.
If you’re ready to sign up for service or switch energy suppliers, use your zip code to find energy plans in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts are states where energy is deregulated. That means consumers get to choose their energy supplier. It’s a serious advantage that allows consumers to shop around to find the energy plan that best fits their needs, budget and lifestyle.

But finding that plan can be a challenge. Many people opt to simply stick with what they have rather than spend hours hunting down different plans and comparing all the points. It’s particularly difficult when you don’t even know what options could be possible or what all you should be comparing.

We’d like to suggest another solution that’s almost as easy and will help ensure you get an energy plan that’s right for you. That solution is to give your customer care team a call when it’s time to renew. 

Why You Should Talk With Customer Service Before Renewing Your Energy Plan

Let’s imagine that your energy plan is coming to an end in a month. You have a few options. You could stay with the current plan if possible, renew with a different plan from the same supplier or switch to a new plan from a new provider. 

The only thing is you’re not sure what the best option would be, and you’re not quite sure where to start in order to figure it out. In a time when it seems like almost anything can be done online, there are some key benefits to taking things offline and calling your energy supplier. 

You’ll Save Time Securing a Plan

The top reason to contact the customer service department when it’s time to renew your energy plan is because it’s a time-saver. Instead of hunting down information yourself, you can spend a few minutes and a customer service rep can give you all the info you need.

You can start by explaining what you’re looking for in an energy plan. The customer service team member can then explain the key points of your current plan, let you know if you qualify to renew the plan, fill you in on new options that may better suit your needs and answer any questions that you have. 

It’s the absolute quickest way to figure out what your provider has to offer and if the plan you have now is still the best option. 

You Can Line Up a Long-Term Plan So There’s No Worrying Over the Winter

Something to discuss with a customer service rep is the term length of the plan. The last thing New England energy consumers want is to have to switch plans in the middle of winter. It isn’t the time when you want your energy supply to be in question, and it can be costly to start a plan given that energy rates increase when the weather turns cold. 

How long you can lock in a fixed rate plan is just as important as the rate itself given that energy prices tend to increase over time. For consumers in the northeast, it’s highly advisable to secure energy for the long haul by opting for a plan that will get you through the winter months and into the spring. Talking with a customer service rep you’ll be able to weigh the various factors and determine the term length that will be the most advantageous. You may be surprised to find there are more options than you realized. It can range from month-to-month plans all the way out to 24-month plans.  

It Helps Your Supplier Provide Better Services

At Provider Power we encourage customers to reach out all the time, including when it’s time to renew. You’ll not only get personalized assistance with locating plans and deals, you’ll also help us improve the services we provide. 

Simply discussing your needs and what you’re looking for in a plan helps us determine what to offer customers. It gives us insight into how we can do a better job of meeting your needs and the needs of other people in the area. 

If you’re thinking about switching energy providers for some reason it can give your current supplier the opportunity to keep your business by offering you a better deal or fixing an issue that you’ve had with the service. 

In short, if we’re not living up to your expectations we want to know so we can make it right. Any good energy supplier is going to do what they can to meet their customer’s needs, but it’s up to the customer to let those needs be known. And there’s a chance that whatever the issue is it could be a hangup for other customers, so speaking up can help out others as well. 

Are you an existing Provider Power customer? Then we want to hear from you! Our team wants to know how you feel about your current energy plan, what you need as an energy consumer, issues you have figuring out your options and any concerns you have about energy use. And if you’re trying to choose an energy supplier our customer care team is happy to explain what sets Provider Power apart. 

Our goal is for every customer to feel secure and satisfied with their energy plan so it’s one less thing they have to worry about. We’re an energy supplier that’s here for you!