I’d like to share some information with you about possible energy cost reductions that may be had with just a few phone calls.

As you may have heard, the supply charge for the Standard Offer is significantly increasing on January 1.  For Versant Power it is going up from $0.06196 per kw hour to $0.1168 per kw hour.  For Central Maine Power, it is going from $0.064494 to $0.118161 per kw hour.  This information can be found at https://www.maine.gov/mpuc/regulated-utilities/electricity.

Electricity is delivered by either Versant Power or Central Maine Power.  Electricity is supplied by either the Standard Offer or by one of the many privately owned companies in Maine that you may choose from.  Both of these sections of your bill offer potential savings that I’d like to share with you.

Electricity Delivery:

If you are on Versant Power for your electricity and use a heat pump, it is worth calling them to learn about their lower energy delivery rate for heat pumps.  Once you use 700 kw hours of energy for the month, you will get approximately $.04 / kw hour reduction in your delivery rate.  This rate reduction program runs from Oct.1 through April 30 of each year and you don’t have to reapply.  Once you notify them of your heat pump, the reduced rate is yours.  https://www.versantpower.com/energy-solutions/heat-pumps/  Share this with everyone you know who has a heat pump and is on Versant Power!  There is no such program for consumers of Central Maine Power.

Electricity Supply:

To see if you can save money on the supply portion of your electricity bill, you will need to go to https://www.maine.gov/mpuc/regulated-utilities/electricity/maine-retail-electricity-suppliers for a list of retail electricity suppliers in Maine.  I have called both Versant Power and Central Maine Power, and have been told by both companies that there is no comprehensive list of retail suppliers that have their supply rates published.  You will need to call individual companies to get their rates, and they are based on usage; so if you choose to do this, it will save you some time to if you have your electric bill handy so you can reference your current and past usage.

Oil, Propane, Kerosene potential savings:

Another phone call to make is to give Dead River a call.  I’ve included a flyer at the end of this post.  They might be able to save you some money on your oil, propane, and/ or kerosene and if you switch to them for propane, they will waive the cost of the tank setup.  You are also encouraged to share this with your family and friends!

Of course, don’t stop at Dead River.  Explore other fuel companies and see what they offer for pricing.  It may be too late this season to “lock in” pricing, but be sure to ask them when their programs open up for next year’s heating season.