Customer Views on Retail Choice

Customer Papers
Customer Testimonials
Case Studies


Customer Papers

“Hearing from Electricity Customers”
Why Customers Like to Choose Their Electricity Supplier
June 2006

“California Retail Choice Success Stories”
Federated Department Stores and the California Retailers Association underscore the savings and services available from retail choice opportunities in California
June 27, 2005

“Competition: Powering the New Jersey Economy”
Lenox China and the NJ Large Energy Users Coalition explain the benefits of retail electric competition in New Jersey.
June 27, 2005

“Choices, Flexibility, and Partnership: A Menu for Savings in Texas”
The benefits of retail choice in the Texas market are explained by large customers within the Texas Medical Center buying power in aggregate.
June 27, 2005


Customer Testimonials

“Customer choice and a rich array of service options can be achieved by allowing and encouraging retail competition. Retail competition promotes innovation, efficiency, choice, and higher satisfaction, all while reducing costs.”
- Bay Area Economic Forum on Reinstituting Customer Choice in California

“We’re a large user of electricity with very sophisticated energy needs. Retail competition has paid off for us, because it gave us the opportunity to shop the market for a supplier who could understand our unique challenges and then structure a procurement strategy that's tailor-made for us.”
- J.L. Lewis, TXI, Strategic Energy Customer in Dallas, TX

“Sugarloaf USA in Maine is one of the largest ski resorts in New England. With NewEnergy, Sugarloaf USA found a partner that could customize an energy plan that keeps the ski lifts going up while the electricity bills go down. Now Sugarloaf USA is an educated energy consumer, making its own decisions on how and when to buy electricity. That keeps its costs down and its slopes packed, which strengthens the local economy.”
- John Diller, Chief Operating Officer, Sugarloaf USA

“The School Pool initiative allowed Ohio public school districts to use their collective purchasing power when electricity customer choice started in January 2001. Virtually every school district that switched away from the utility to a competitive electricity supplier in Ohio selected Strategic Energy, and first year savings at the Ceiling Price exceeded $2 Million. School districts also received an additional 24% average savings above the annual baseline level via energy management activities.”
- Ohio School Pool

The FleetCenter uses a significant amount of power-with demand often unpredictable due to major events and teams’ fluctuating schedules. Our contract brings us great peace of mind and helps manage costs via customized energy solutions for us and ultimately leads to significant savings."
- John Wentzell, FleetCenter GM

“Today I am pleased to announce that the Department of Energy will purchase electricity generated from renewable resources to power roughly 17% of our electricity needs at DOE Headquarters, including our Germantown facilities. Our new contract calls for an annual purchase of 6 million kilowatt hours, roughly the amount of electricity needed to power 600 homes each year.“
- Former DOE Secretary Abraham

 

Case Studies

Kinko’s

In April 2003, Dallas-based copy center and business service giant, Kinko’s announced that 57 Kinko’s locations in Texas switched to green power in an agreement with a leading competitive retail supplier of electricity Kinko’s already purchases green power at more than 210 branches in 13 states for an estimated 13.7 million kilowatt hours per year. “Caring for our communities and the environment is one of Kinko’s core values,” stated Glenn Shiroff, operations director for Kinko’s. He added that this latest purchase, “helps us fulfill that promise by increasing our green power purchases throughout the great state of Texas. We also expect to see a measurable drop in our annual energy bills, which great news for any business!” With more than 70 percent of its stores in Texas buying renewable energy, Kinko’s now purchases green power at more branches in Texas than in any other state.


RM Crowe Company

RM Crowe, a Dallas based real estate investment company, became a Strategic Energy customer in early 2002. The company realized immediate savings, coupled with long-term budget certainty, through a fixed price from Strategic Energy. Total annual savings off the Price to Beat were nearly $1,300,000. Furthermore, Strategic Energy helped shave an additional $150,000 off their bill through its real-time energy management expertise. “Choosing a competitive supplier to manage our electricity needs has proven to be a wise investment,” said President and CFO Barbara Erhart.


Boston University

Bill Costa, Director of Energy Administration and Operations at Boston University states: “It has been a pleasure working with NewEnergy’s professional staff who have provided technical support to the University. In fact when we first began, NewEnergy’s professional team worked with Boston University to develop an electronic transfer process for receiving and paying invoices for over 700 accounts monthly, a process that is economically beneficial to both NewEnergy and Boston University. ”


Major Prime Plastics, Chicago, IL

Major Prime has large energy requirements associated with their packaging process and because of this, deregulation was an ideal opportunity for them to save money on energy and improve their energy strategy. Major Prime believes that the deregulated market and, specifically, deregulated suppliers can offer businesses like theirs with a higher level of savings and efficiency. This allows them to focus on their business and continue their high level of achievement and success.


The Art Institute of Chicago

The Institute began searching for a new supplier in late summer 1999 and signed with NewEnergy in October of that year. An Institute spokesperson cites the potential for competitive pricing as the key to the Institute’s decision to participate in the open marketplace. However, he also noted that the personal relationships he has with many members of the NewEnergy team have resulted in straighter answers on energy questions and quicker results on requested information or materials. “I appreciate the attention we get from the people at NewEnergy. We traditionally haven’t enjoyed such service from our other utility suppliers” he adds.


Texas Electric Choice Brings Renewable Energy Options

Mary Thomas became part of history when she signed up for a new electric provider as part of the Electric Choice pilot program in Texas last summer. For the first time in over a hundred years, Texans have the ability to choose from several different electric providers. Ms. Thomas started the decision making process by researching her options through websites, phone calls and events. In the end, she decided to go with Green Mountain Energy Company and signed up for their 100% pollution free electricity.

“I chose Green Mountain Energy because the electricity they offer is coming from clean, nonpolluting wind farms. After exploring the options I knew this is the right way to go.”

Even though Green Mountain Energy’s electricity costs a few dollars more a month than typical system power, customers like Ms. Thomas are making the switch to clean electricity and the Company is reporting record breaking sales in Texas.

“We’re going to pay now or we’re going to pay later,” Ms. Thomas declared. “We need to realize that our electricity choices do have an environmental impact.”

Customers in Texas began getting switched to new providers last summer as the pilot program kicked off. The full market opened to competition on January 1, 2002 and as of April over 240,000 customers have signed up for a competitive retailer. Other companies in the market are bringing new benefits to customers as well. Lower prices, the promise of improved customer care, and new products are just a few of the new options.

“I think customer choice is a great thing for Texans,” said Ms. Thomas. “The days of the monopoly utility are over…customer choice is here to stay.”

In addition to being a Green Mountain Energy customer Ms. Thomas sits on the Denton County Environmental Task Force, which was designed to address clean air issues. She is an active member of several wildlife and environmental groups.