From the PriceWatch™ Service Desk
It happens every year when the temperatures start to drop; more people start to turn on their furnaces and gas prices rise due to the increased use. Realgy has a solution to the price increases: PriceWatchTM
PriceWatch™ is a Realgy exclusive service that monitors the natural gas market to pin-point the most advantageous time for our natural gas customers to lock in a rate for the winter heating months.
This year the PriceWatchTM analysts here at Realgy have determined that customers will show a significant savings by locking in a natural gas rate for the winter months, November to March. Realgy has already started sending out emails and calling customers to let them know that it’s time to fix their gas rates using PriceWatchTM.
Already we have had many customers lock in their rates; this, along with Natural Gas storage, will ensure that the winter bills will not be as high as they normally would have been if a customer merely relied on with their local utility company.
If you have any further questions please feel free to contact a Realgy Energy Services Customer Service Representative by phone (877)-300-6747, by email support@realgy.com, by fax (860)-23 -3884, or by mail 675 Oakwood Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06110.
In Response to Chicago can’t beat ComEd price. So raise it?
Written by Michael Vrtis President of Realgy Energy Services in response to Chicago can’t beat ComEd price. So raise it?
Realgy DOES NOT support changing how the Illinois Power Agency buys power, so that our prices can be more competitive.
We already are:
- Realgy has been below ComEd monthly pricing since January 2012, Twenty-one straight months in a row!
- Our average commercial customer has saved $3,741.41
- Our average residential customer has saved $90.02
We compete in serving our customers, not just with lower priced energy but smarter buying strategies.
This price question is a result of municipal aggregation, where cities like Chicago want to be able to raise money by adding a surcharge onto the electric rate customers pay, and still show savings compared to the utility!
Municipalities select an energy marketer as their preferred vendor and require they add a surcharge to their cost which they pay to the city. The surcharge provides no value to the customer or the energy marketer.
Perhaps instead of looking to raise everyone’s price of power they should just get out of the aggregation business or look to actually add value for their surcharge.
Check out Crain’s article: “Chicago can’t beat ComEd price. So raise it?”
How to keep your food safe during a power outage
Food in the refrigerator will be safe for up to 4 hours without power. Any longer than that and perishables such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and any leftovers should be discarded. Along with the perishables, toss anything that has been above 40 degrees for over 2 hours, according to federal food safety guidelines.
Freezers will stay cold for up to 48 hours if it is full and 24 hours if half full (just another reason to get that extra ice cream!) As long as the temperature does not go above 40 degrees for more than two hours food should be useable; even partially thawed food can be refrozen.
The key things to keep in mind:
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer closed – each time you open the door precious cold air is lost.
- NEVER taste food to tell if it is still good – it is safer to just toss it.
- Discard anything that has come in contact with raw meat or its juices.
- 40 degrees is the magic number – if it is 40 degrees discard it.
Sources:
FoodSafety.gov, Refrigerated Food and Power Outages: When to Save and When to Throw Out
FoodSafety.gov, Frozen Food and Power Outages: When to Save and When to Throw Out
CDC, What You Need to Know When the Power Goes Out Unexpectedly
In response to “ComEd rates are set to surge”
Written by Michael Vrtis, President of Realgy Energy Services in response to the Crain’s article “ComEd rates are set to surge”
The headline is clear, the timing is a year away…so what to do?
Short-term power planning normally means a 10 year span because power infrastructure (such as pipelines, power plants, distribution lines, etc) have useful lives of 25 years.
So, while the talk about a year-to-year rate hike is not unique, it is certainly unnecessary.
This is the result of Illinois legislators giving ComEd approval for expenditures (which result in rate or cost increases) that the regulators (think of them as the technical advisors) can’t review, modify, or reject. The result is political involvement and rate shock.
Perhaps the 23% rate increase will provide benefit; that is usually how the regulators hold the utility accountable. However, when the politicians approved this increase, guess who will, in turn, hold the utility accountable? That’s right, not a soul.
What to do? Sign up with Realgy Energy Services. Realgy has delivered costs below ComEd for over 5 years. We will continue to provide a fixed price that will reduce this unnecessary rate shock.
Check out Realgy Energy Services ComEd rates for May 2013 and see how much you could be saving www.realgyenergyservices.com Or Call one of our Energy Brokers today 877-300-6747.
Read the whole Crain’s article: “ComEd rates are set to surge”
The City of Northville has accepted a bid from Realgy Energy Services to supply natural gas
PRESS RELEASE 17 MAY 2013 | By: Realgy, LLC
Realgy Energy Services has won a bid to supply the City of Northville with natural gas through the Michigan utility Consumers Energy.
On Monday May 6th the City Council of Northville approved a bid placed by Realgy Energy Services to supply natural gas to the city. Realgy Energy Services out bid two other competing companies for the right to supply the city with natural gas.
The City of Northville started exploring the possibility of finding a lower cost alternative gas supplier in April. The City Council sent a request for proposals to seven alternative gas suppliers, all licensed with the Michigan Public Service Commission and also certified to operate in the Consumers Energy territory.
Out of the seven alternative gas suppliers, the top three were Options Utility Consulting, Xoom Energy, and Realgy Energy Services. By contracting with Realgy Energy Services, the City of Northville will save approximately 19% or $7,592.70 per year, based on their usage from last year and an average cost of $4.03/MCF. Realgy Energy Services will provide natural gas to the City of Northville, city employees and city employee family members for the term of the contract.
Realgy Energy Services is comprised of a group of people who worked for many years with large utilities, energy service companies, and energy marketers. Within these organizations, they saw the limitations of the systems and software and decided they could provide a more efficient service. First formed in 1999, Realgy Energy Services today is a retail energy marketer and wholesale energy provider in three deregulated states, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois with plans to expand. Realgy has had a perfect record (certified A+) with the Better Business Bureau; http://ct.bbb.org since 2003 and has been recognized as an Inc 500 | 5000 company in 2011 and 2012. http://www.inc.com/inc5000/profile/realgy
Contacts:
Realgy, LLC
Michael Vrtis
675 Oakwood Avenue
West Hartford, CT
860-233-2270
www.realgyenergyservices.com
ServiceMatch™
For all our natural gas and electric customers not currently on a fixed price, Realgy offers ServiceMatchTM as follows:
ServiceMatchTMBuyer has the right to present all written offers to RES that provide pricing and terms for service under the Program. RES will match the proposed terms and pricing from all qualified electric or natural gas service providers. If RES cannot offer better terms or pricing or match the same terms and pricing, RES will transfer Buyer to the new electric or natural gas supplier upon Buyer’s written request at the end of the Term. ServiceMatchTM is not valid when Buyer has a Fixed Price.
Please be aware that ServiceMatchTM is not a new service.
Realgy offers this and other services including but not limited to PriceWatchTM and natural gas storage, to all our eligible customers.
If you have any questions regarding ServiceMatchTM, fixed prices, or the end of your current Term, contact a Realgy Energy Services customer service representative at 860-300-6747.
The Realgy Energy Saver
Realgy Energy Services has a server room that generates plenty of heat from the hardware housed there. Accordingly, we have to use air conditioners to prevent damage to the hardware. This past winter, Mathew Sudowski, Director of Sales, came up with a way for Realgy Energy Services to recover the heat lost by the air conditioner exhaust from the Realgy server room. This heat recovery helped to increase the efficiency of the furnace. Because the furnace draws in air from the two upper levels as well as the basement where the server room and air conditioner are located, this plan worked perfectly.
Mathew Sudowski, Director of Sales
With the help of a local HVAC company, Realgy was able to retrofit the air conditioner exhaust, and reduce the workload of the Realgy office furnace. This retrofit also helped to save the company money over the winter season.
View of the AC exhaust retrofit
To find out how a natural gas furnace works check out this article “How a Natural Gas Furnace Works”
In Response to “Local Communities on a Continent of Cheap Natural Gas”
Written by Michael Vrtis, President of Realgy Energy Services in response to the Forbes article “Local Communities on a Continent of Cheap Natural Gas”
So what does having an abundant source of fuel (in our case, natural gas) within our own country mean?
In a word, business! The article points out some of the industries that could directly benefit from having large natural gas reserves. These industries will take notice and manufacturer planning will develop. But the impact is well beyond just a few industries.
Consider the following benefits;
- In the competitive business world, a $0.10 edge is huge. However consider a $2.00 edge. That is the equivalent advantage that local natural gas production provides.
- Local natural gas prices are not tied to the price of oil. That is, oil prices can vary without ANY impact on local natural gas costs/prices.
- Natural gas had been previously piped thousands of miles (albeit efficiently, as pipe line operations are very efficient) but that cost would then cease.
- Planning for long-term commitments; the natural gas field has a 100-year production life with current technology (let alone what will be developed).
- Its emissions are much cleaner than oil.
Responsible development of our natural resources is imperative. The benefit will have a more reaching effect.
Check out the Forbes article: “Local Communities on a Continent of Cheap Natural Gas”
Business Energy Saving Tips
Check out this great infographic from The Hub, which highlights easy ways for businesses to reduce energy bills. Print it out and share with everyone in the office; the more people aware of the energy savings possibilities, the more effective it will be.
Simple changes can significantly reduce business electricity costs.
If you are looking for an even larger reduction in your commercial electricity costs, consider enrolling with Realgy Energy Services as your electricity provider. Our customers have realized cost reductions up to 9.6% as compared to the local utility. Find us online www.realgyenergyservices.com or call 877-300-6747 to speak with an account representative today.
Source:
Utility Exchange Online, Business Energy Saving Tips – An infographic
PriceWatch™ and Natural Gas Storage Season
It is that time of the year when Realgy Energy Services starts to send out our PriceWatch™ emails; look for it in your email anytime from October to November. Supplies of natural gas in storage begin to be applied to your monthly natural gas usage starting November 1st.
PriceWatch™ monitors the natural gas market to pin-point the most advantageous time for our natural gas customers to lock in a rate for the winter heating months.
Realgy will only send out a PriceWatch™ email if we can lock our customers in at a rate that will save them money. If you would like more information on PriceWatch™, please visit our blog post What is PriceWatch™?
Natural Gas Storage is the service of purchasing a percentage of your annual gas usage during the summer months and storing it. This stored gas is then delivered to you during the winter months. That is why we call it “winter gas at summer prices.”
Realgy offers this storage program whenever we can. If your utility allows Realgy to offer a storage program, it will be listed in our Service Plan table on our website realgyenergyservices.com.
For more information on the Natural Gas Storage program please visit our blog posts: Natural Gas Storage Season is Here and So What Exactly is Natural Gas Storage
If you have any further questions please feel free to contact a Realgy Energy Services Customer Service Representative by phone (877)-300-6747, by email support@realgy.com, by fax (860)-233 -3884, or by mail 675 Oakwood Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06110.