To get the true price of each offer below:
1. Add the "Balancing Charge."
2. Compare that price to Peoples or North Shore Gas' current per therm variable rate.
3. Please note that all Choices for You customers get a per-month reduction in the delivery charges they pay Peoples Gas (less than $2 per month) or North Shore Gas (less than $1 per month) to pipe the heating fuel from the alternative supplier to their home.
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. Peoples Gas or North Shore Gas will continue to bill you for the cost of delivering gas to your home.
Prices as of January 18, 2012.
1-888-698-1730
www.integrysenergy.com
Offer(s)
1. 41.1¢ per therm monthly variable rate
2. 2.5¢ per therm below utility rate
(This 1-year plan is 2.5¢ below the utility rate, May through Oct. Then it's a 44¢ per therm fixed rate Nov. through April.)
3. 2.5¢ per therm below utility rate
(This 2-year plan is 2.5¢ below the utility rate, May through Oct. Then it's a 48¢ per therm fixed rate Nov. through April.)
4. 43.5¢ per therm 1-year fixed rate
5. 47.5¢ per therm 2-year fixed rate
6. 50.5¢ per therm 3-year fixed rate
Cancellation fee — Yes. (Only for fixed rates. It has a 10-day opt-out period after you receive your first bill.)
1-866-369-0911
www.nicoradvancedenergy.com
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. There is a $50 fee if you cancel after 10 days of receiving your first bill. See CUB's fact sheet, Nicor's "Lock 12" Plans.
2. PriceGuard: 57¢ 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." There is a $50 fee if you cancel after 10 days of receiving your first bill.
3. Flex: Unlike most variable plans, which change on a monthly basis, this one 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.
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. There is a $50 fee if you cancel after 10 days of receiving your first bill.
Note — Given the structure of most of these these plans, it's impossible to make an "apples-to-apples" comparison with the rate offered by Peoples Gas and North
Shore Gas, the utilities. Nicor Advanced Energy acknowledges you "may or may not save money" compared to the regulated Peoples/North Shore rates.
1-877-808-1022
www.nordicenergyus.com
Offer(s) — 38.1¢ per therm variable rate. (It's a monthly market index price plus about
5-6 cents per therm.)
Cancellation fee — Yes (Only for the fixed rates. It has a 10-day opt-out period after you receive your first bill.)
Monthly fee — $1.50
1-800-827-0067
www.santannaenergyservices.com
Offer(s)
1. 41.1¢ 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.)
2. 57¢ per therm 12-month fixed rate.
Cancellation fee — No
Monthly fee — $3.99
1-866-587-8674
www.energysavings.com
Offer(s)
1. 81¢ per therm 3-year fixed rate.
2. 79¢ per therm 5-year fixed rate.
3. Utility's variable rate, capped at 79¢ per therm for five years.
Note: — Monthly Fee for this plan is $19.95 (Just Energy says the fee is for the "Gas Price cap" and 5 metric tons of carbon offsets annually.)
4. Variable rate that is .1¢ less than the utility's variable rate for one year. ($25 monthly fee added if "JustGreen" or "Cap" options are selected.)
5. 68.9¢ per therm 1-year fixed rate. (3-month introductory rate of 59.9¢ a therm)
6. 75.9¢ per therm 3-year fixed rate. (3-month introductory rate of 59.9¢ a therm)
Note: — Plans 4, 5, and 6 are only sold through "Momentis Representatives."
Cancellation fee for all plans, with some exceptions for No. 4 — Yes (It has a 10-day opt-out period after you receive your first bill.)