John Deere Slowdown
FINDING SAVINGS IN QUAD CITIES AMIDST SLOW ECONOMY
Over the past several months John Deere has been forced to layoff hundreds of employees, including the most recent round of 910 from their Illinois, and Iowa facilities. This comes on the heels of relatively abundant hiring over the past few years. Although experts close to the situation feel that this news does not necessarily indicate that the company is falling behind, the Quad Cities economy is feeling the pinch.
Economic cycles bring highs and lows. During the low points, as we’re experiencing now, the affects can reach a variety of business types. The results have a ripple effect, causing loss of business to local banks, healthcare establishments, local suppliers, etc.
When the economy turns, businesses look for ways to save. For those located on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities, electric choice provides the opportunity for businesses to choose an alternative energy supplier for their electricity. This means that they are no longer locked into the rate charged by the utility. Electric choice allows direct purchasing of electricity without additional costs from MidAmerican, Ill. The result is savings for businesses.
Realgy Energy Services provides electricity savings to businesses across the Quad Cities in the MidAmerican, Illinois service area – savings of 6% for our average customer. As a result, well-known businesses, and many municipalities including, East Moline, Rock Island, Andover, Hampton, Rapids City, and Milan, among others, have chosen or are getting approval for Realgy to become their electricity provider. Electricity services are not yet available in this market for residential clients.
When it comes to offering savings for businesses, Realgy is an innovator of plans that lead to costs savings. We have programs in place that assess, in detail, the electricity usage of the marketplace. We’ve been analyzing the MidAtlantic market for over a year. We apply these learning’s to the particular usage needs of our business clients. The result is a plan designed to help businesses take advantage of the most cost effective fee structure available.
As businesses in the Quad Cities, and beyond, continue to deal with the affects of a slower economy, it can be nice to know that there are options available to help improve the bottom line. Electricity, for a large or small business, can be a significant cost factor. When these costs can be reduced businesses start to see the affect.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual savings. Additional information; www.realgyenergyservices.com
Chicago’s “worst electric deals”
What makes the list for being the “worst electric deals” in Chicago? Of course, it’s price!
Price is the easiest item to compare and it’s very important. However, behind the low price can hide many costs!
Consider what we see every day:
- Teaser price: the “quoted” price is low…sounds like a deal. However, its only for 2-6 months. After that, the rate moves to a “market based” price. This is code for we charge you what we want.
- A fixed price (that isn’t): usually for 12-24 months. However, the fixed rate doesn’t include transmission or other “cost of service” or it’s for an amount of electricity that is below what you normally use. The “extra” electric is charge at….you guessed it “market price”.
- Renewal during peak season: a renewal that occurs in the summer during the highest price months is a trap to keep you. Using this tactic, you have little incentive to shop as you will miss their fixed price for the summer (when you use the most electricity).
What the difference between these energy marketers and Realgy? Consider first off that:
Realgy is listed A+ (highest with Better Business Bureau) and we have served Illinois (Michigan and Indiana) for nearly 15 years. We have 1,000’s of customer who chose us and stay with us: a 92% retention rate.
Our difference: we plan to save you money. In each utility (COMED, Ameren, MidAmerican), we know the utilities cost and we have a plan that can save you money.
We don’t offer a teaser rate, we plan your renewal during the off-peak months and we offer seasonal fixed prices.
Illinois Customer Choice works: please ask us to show you how.
Additional information about how we plan to save you money on electric choice in Illinois is at: http://realgyenergyservices.com/#Illinois
A link to the Worst Electric Deals is below;
http://abc7chicago.com/news/citizens-utility-board-lists-chicagos-worst-electric-deals/492005/
COMED and Ameren Raise Rates
Ameren and COMED have raised their delivery service costs. The following increases will take effect in January 2015:
Ameren up 17.4%
COMED up 11%
MidAmerican announced last month an increase of nearly 11%.
Realgy Energy is a wholesale energy provider that allows you to purchase your energy without the utility markup. The result; we save our customers money.
Additional information on our service is available at;
For COMED: http://realgyenergyservices.com/service-plans-53/
For Ameren: http://realgyenergyservices.com/service-plans-57/
For MidAmerican: http://realgyenergyservices.com/service-plans-58/
We serve residential and commercial customers.
The following is a link to the news announcement
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/12/12/3537665/ameren-comed-get-ok-to-raise-rates.html
Tell Ameren to open up their natural gas service to Customer Choice
So Ameren wants you to believe that you are paying a “low” “stable” price for your natural gas. Well, if you compare their cost to the entire United States, they may have a point.
However, if you compare to your neighbor or local supplier you are paying more. That is; if your neighbor or business is with Realgy Energy Services.
Ameren is trying to retain its regulated monopoly position in natural gas by putting out these press releases saying; “we are AVERAGE!”.
So compare what happened in Illinois when electricity was opened to customer choice: the State of Illinois has saved $37 billion with Energy Choice; that’s compared to what you would have paid by staying with the utility (like Ameren, COMED, Peoples, etc).
Specifically Realgy Energy Services customers over the last 36 months have saved over 14.7% compared to Ameren; that is over $889.00.
Let them know you want the same choice for natural gas as you have for electricity. ICC contact info: Torsten Clausen, Director tclausen@icc.illinois.gov
So as Ameren promotes being average in the USA, you can look to be better and tell Ameren to open up their natural gas service to Customer Choice.
Read the full Ameren Media Release, “Ameren Illinois Customers will see natural gas prices lower than national average for a second year“
Chicago homeowners could get ZAPPED
Electric prices need not be confusing. The primary reason we have regulated utilities is for efficiency, no duplicate wires or pipes. Offering electric choice does not change this. Electric prices have always been controlled by rather confusing processes called tariffs (akin to IRS taxes) because it was, and is a regulated monopoly. THE REGULATORS are in charge of the process; utilities must prove they spent money according to the tariff so they can get it repaid. Customer choice does not change this relationship between regulators and the utility; it just adds a new player—the retail energy supplier.
Having energy choice need not confuse customers. The regulators need to continue balancing customer choice against their desire to have a regulated market without innovation or price volatility.
Realgy believes in open competition and easily understood explanations of energy offers. Realgy offers energy prices that show a savings compared to the utility, offers fixed pricing during seasons, and offers to beat or match any competitor’s offer.
Check out our current prices that will show you our price as compared to the utility for every market we serve.
Read the whole Chicago Business article, “Emanuel’s power pact could zap Chicago homeowners”.
“Bait And Switch” Leads to Prison Sentence
Manufacturing companies once practiced this technique of promising one product while delivering something cheaper. In this day and age, this kind of activity is a crime in any business.
This may act as a wake-up call, a “coming of age” issue for the energy industry. Previously there were few energy suppliers and most trusted their own employees to be transparent and honest. The proliferation of energy suppliers combined with the use of third parties to sell has the unfortunate effect of increasing the chances of such dishonesty and greed.
I am glad to see that it was dealt with in a severe manner because unscrupulous practices will continue if not caught and prosecuted.
Energy supply services are unique amongst most other businesses in that regulatory protection as well as consumer protection helps guard against abuses.
Read the full Retail Energy article, “SHOCK: Broker Agent’s Electricity Rate ‘Bait And Switch’ Leads to Prison Sentence”
Michigan Cost Recovery is approved
Michigan Cost Recovery is approved; June billing is approved up to $5.8092 /Mcf
In a contested case, Consumers Energy Company (Consumers) has been approved to recover the costs associated with this winter’s extreme cold including the effect of the polar vortex.
Starting in June 2014, Consumers, will be allowed to recover their winter costs, which exceed $185,000,000.
The cost recovery was contested because Michigan utilities are, under normal conditions, required to submit their costs only once a year each December to cover their costs for the coming year. However, the winter costs accelerated sharply in January, February, and March 2014. Instead of sitting on these costs and paying interest, Consumers requested the Michigan Public Utility Commission (MPSC) to approve the recovery of these costs due to the extraordinary amount that would have to be carried for 12 months. Consumers, like all Michigan utilities, borrows money and repays it, thereby paying interest until the loan is repaid.
With this decision settled, it is expected that the other Michigan utilities will submit their winter costs and begin recovering them rather than waiting until next year and thereby increasing the cost to be recovered.
The Commission decision in whole is below;
COMPETITION WORKS; to the tune of $37 Billion
The State of Illinois is celebrating, not the ending of winter but the savings from energy deregulation.
Illinois consumers, including residential, commercial and industrials, saved a total of $37,000,000,000 as a result of opening electrical supply to competition.
Realgy Energy Service has been an alternative energy supplier in Ameren and COMED and our customer know the benefits of buying directly from Realgy.
I like the last line; “Competition works.” I guess if it didn’t we would all work for the Government, right comrade!
Read the whole Compete Coalition article, “With $37B in consumer Savings, Illinois Results Deemed ‘Triumph of Market-Based Public policy’”
Realgy’s Winter Settlement Guarantee
In order to demonstrate how committed Realgy is to providing savings; even during a Winter Vortex we are offering Realgy’s Winter Settlement Guarantee.
During this winter’s months starting January 2014, Realgy’s costs were above utility as it reconciled its settlement charges during each month of service. The utilities don’t reconcile their costs monthly. They accrue these costs and then seek to recover them.
So, the utility prices are increasing just as Realgy’s price is decreasing. Historically Realgy’s ManagedPriceTM service offers a lower price compared to the utility’s rate; this was distorted during the winter when Realgy passed through our settlement costs and the utilities did not. Now that the utilities will collect these costs, Realgy will again show significant savings compared to the utility rate.
This Guarantee puts into action Realgy’s tagline:
Invested in ServiceTM
The following is an explanation of how our Winter Settlement Guarantee will work; Winter Settlement Guarantee Terms Conditions
Save Water, Save Energy
Water heaters are not something you ordinarily think about much. Count me as one who does not dwell on such things, but there is a company that does take them seriously and it’s starting to build a product that appears superior to what is currently available.
I am excited when engineering, hard work, and combine as effectively as they have on this product called MODEL1
MODEL1 by Heatworks
Water heaters use a lot of energy and a lot of cool water is wasted before hot water arrives where you use it. This product looks to solve those two problems, without creating new ones!
To be transparent, I will say that Realgy is not an investor and has no interest in this product other than as a customer.
We plan to install one in our building as soon as we receive it. I promise to keep you updated on its performance.
Additional press is at Nikkei Asian Review “And the most promising green technologies of 2014 are…”