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CUBFacts
"Customer Select"—Making the Right Choice
Nicor Gas' 62¢ per therm variable rate in March 2010.
To get the true price of each offer below:
Customer Select Charge: 2.07¢ per therm. Transportation Service Credit: 2.11¢ per therm. 1.) Add the "Customer Select Charge." 2.) Subtract the "Transportation Service Credit." Then compare that price to Nicor Gas' current per therm variable rate. This is a snapshot of plans being offered. The rates and details of these offers can change often, even daily. Beware that plans may change drastically after the initial term. Call the companies to verify the rates, to get them in writing, and to find out what happens to the plan after the initial term. The rates only reflect the price of natural gas. Nicor Gas will continue to bill you for the cost of delivering gas to your home. Prices as of March 17, 2010. 1-877-282-6248 www.ambitenergy.com Offer(s) 1) 61.38¢ per therm variable rate. 2) 55¢ per therm "winter freeze" fixed-rate through April 30, 2010. Cancellation fee — No 1-866-806-3411 www.cornbeltenergy.com Offer(s) 1) 68¢ per therm (estimated). This is the “Winter Protection Plan,” a variable-rate program that estimates your gas usage for the coming year and buys it all before Nov. 1. Your price is adjusted according to market prices if you use more or less gas than was bought for you. 2) 53.61¢ per therm (estimated). This is the “Market-Based Plan,” a variable-rate program that buys about 30 percent of your estimated gas needs in the summer and the rest of the supply monthly at market prices. Cancellation fee — Yes. (It has a 10-day opt-out period after you receive your first bill.) Note — The rates for both plans are based on the average cost of gas in inventory, plus all balancing, storage, and program fees, taxes and a 5.25¢ per therm markup. 1-800-260-7297 retail.dom.com Offer(s) 1) 63.1¢ per therm variable rate 2) 69.9¢ per therm fixed rate through June 2011. Cancellation fee — No 1-800-280-4474 www.igsenergy.com Offer(s) 69¢ per therm fixed rate through June 2010. Cancellation fee — No 1-888-698-1730 www.integrysenergy.com Offer(s) 1) 58.1¢ per therm monthly variable rate (It’s a monthly market index price plus 8 cents per therm.) 2) 67.5¢ per therm 1-year fixed rate Cancellation fee — Yes. (Only for fixed rates. It has a 10-day opt-out period after you receive your first bill.) 1-800-785-4373 www.mxenergy.com Offer(s) 76.9¢ per therm variable rate. Cancellation fee — Yes (Only for fixed rates. It has a 10-day opt-out period after you receive your first bill.) Monthly Fee — $0 for variable rate plan, $2.49 for fixed-rate offers 1-877-808-1022 www.nordicenergy-us.com Offer(s) 55.1¢ per therm variable rate. (It’s a monthly market index price plus about 5-6 cents per therm.) Cancellation fee — Yes (It has a 10-day opt-out period after you receive your first bill.) Monthly Fee — $1.50 1-866-369-0911 www.nicoradvancedenergy.com Is Nicor Advanced Energy the same as Nicor Gas? No. Nicor Gas is the traditional regulated utility. Nicor Advanced Energy has an almost identical name and logo, but it is an unregulated gas supplier. It is a sister company of the utility, but that doesn’t guarantee its prices and services are better than any other company in “Customer Select.” Offer(s) 1) Lock 12: CUB has yet to find any customers who have saved money under Lock 12, which charges a set monthly bill for a year based on a formula known only by the company. Because the offer partly depends upon usage history, the cost varies by customer. For those who sign(ed) up after April 10, 2009, there is a $50 fee if you cancel after 10 days of receiving your first bill. Customers who sign up during the summer months can cancel at any time without penalty. If you signed a contract before April 10, 2009, you will be penalized $20 for each month left in your contract after an initial 30-day opt-out period. See CUB’s fact sheet, Nicor’s “Fixed Bill” and “Lock 12” Plans. 2) PriceGuard: 80¢ per therm 1-year fixed rate. It’s not exactly clear how the fixed price is determined. It is based on “several factors such as the current price of natural gas and other program costs.” For those who sign(ed) up after April 10, 2009, there is a $50 fee if you cancel after 10 days of receiving your first bill. If you signed a contract before then, you will be penalized $20 for each month left in your contract after an initial 30-day opt-out period. 3) Flex: This variable plan changes daily, based on a market index price called the Gas Daily Daily (GDD). The company takes your total monthly usage and estimates how much you used each day based on a “typical” profile of residences in your area and actual weather. The daily usage is multiplied by the GDD (PLUS a “set cost per therm”), for each day of the billing period to come up with a total billing amount. There is no cancellation fee. See CUB’s fact sheet, Nicor Advanced Energy’s “Flex Plan.” 4) TruBalance: A 50-50 combination of a variable price per therm and a fixed price per therm. Half of your usage is based on a variable price that moves up and down with the market price weekly. The other half of the usage is based on a fixed rate determined on the day you sign up for the program and remains unchanged for a year. For those who sign(ed) up after April 10, 2009, there is a $50 fee if you cancel after 10 days of receiving your first bill. If you signed a contract before then, you will be penalized $20 for each month left in your contract after an initial 30-day opt-out period. Note — Given the structure of most of these plans, it’s impossible to make an “apples-to-apples” comparison with the rate offered by Nicor Gas, the utility. Nicor Advanced Energy acknowledges you “may or may not save money” compared to the regulated Nicor Gas rates. 1-800-827-0067 www.santannaenergyservices.com Offer(s) 58.1¢ per therm monthly variable rate (It’s a monthly market index price PLUS 8¢ per therm. That changes to 11.9¢ per therm after 12 months.) 64.9¢ per therm 1-year fixed rate. Cancellation fee — No Monthly fee — $3.99 1-877-228-9427 www.sparkenergy.com Offer(s) 59.9¢ per therm monthly variable (Two-year term, two-month discounted rate of 41.4¢ per therm) 73.4¢ per therm 1-year fixed rate. Cancellation fee — $25 (It has a 10-day opt-out period after you receive your first bill.) Monthly fee — $4.95 1-866-587-8674 www.energysavings.com Offer(s) 66¢ per therm 1-year fixed rate. 85¢ per therm 3-year fixed rate. 86¢ per therm 5-year fixed rate. Cancellation fee — Yes (It has a 10-day opt-out period after you receive your first bill.) |
