Utility Rate Shopping: What Actually Differs Between Providers

In most of the country, you can't choose your utility. But a surprising number of areas let you choose your electricity supplier — a genuinely different thing.

Utility vs supplier: a distinction that actually matters

In most of the U.S., a single regulated utility handles both delivering electricity (poles, wires, meters) and supplying it (generation). In deregulated markets — parts of Texas, the Northeast, and a few other states — customers can choose a competitive supplier for the generation portion while the incumbent utility still handles delivery. This is the one place genuine "shopping" applies.

Rate structure varies more than the headline number

Two utilities with similar average rates can differ substantially in structure — flat rate, tiered, time-of-use, or some combination. We've built rate calculators for a dozen major utilities including PG&E, Con Edison, ComEd, and others — each with notes on that utility's actual rate structure, not just an average number.

What you actually control

Outside deregulated markets, you can't choose your utility — but you often can choose your rate plan (flat vs time-of-use vs tiered) within what your utility offers, and you can always control usage timing and total consumption. That's where the time-of-use savings calculator and general electricity cost calculator become genuinely actionable rather than just informational.

Solar changes the calculation regardless of utility

Once you're generating your own power, the utility's rate structure matters more, not less — net metering terms, export rates, and time-of-use alignment with your production hours all interact with your specific utility's rules. See your state's net metering policy for the piece that applies specifically to solar customers.

Frequently asked questions