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These pricing plans are available to PGE large nonresidential customers on rate Schedules 38, 83, 89, 91 and 92.
Quarterly Open Enrollment for Balance of 2009 — August 17-19, 2009
This enrollment period is strictly for leaving Cost of Service for an alternative pricing plan for the balance of 2009. During this window, you have two options:
Alternative Pricing Plan, and
Alternative Pricing Plan with Shopping Credit, if available.
If you do not want to change pricing plans, you do not need to fill out the quarterly open enrollment form. For additional information, view our Q & A.
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Annual Cost of Service
This is PGE’s annual fixed price plan. If you are on “Annual Cost of Service”, and you do not fill out the Quarterly Open Enrollment form, you will remain on Annual Cost of Service, and cannot switch to Direct Access service or Daily or Monthly pricing until the next Open Enrollment period (Feb., May, Aug., and Nov.).
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Alternate pricing plans
The following alternatives to the Annual Cost of Service price and Direct Access service are available to customers willing to accept pricing risk. You must have selected “An alternative pricing plan” during an Open Enrollment period to reserve the right to begin Direct Access service.
Daily pricing option
Prices vary daily based on the Dow Jones Mid-Columbia (Mid-C) Daily Price Index. During each Monthly enrollment period, you can choose to remain on Daily pricing, or switch to Monthly pricing or Direct Access Service. Daily pricing information is available for a fee at dowjonesnews.com and in other financial publications. Energy prices for Daily pricing are time-differentiated between on- and off-peak usage.
- If you are on Daily pricing and want to remain on an alternative pricing plan, you do not have to complete the Open Enrollment form during the Open Enrollment periods.
- If you are on Daily pricing in 2009 and you choose to return to PGE’s Annual Cost of Service price for 2010, you need to complete the 2010 Open Enrollment form this November. The Annual Cost of Service price is effective Jan. 1, 2010.
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Monthly pricing option
Prices are reset monthly. During each monthly enrollment period, you can choose to remain on Monthly pricing, or switch to Daily pricing or Direct Access service after the month is over. Energy prices for Monthly pricing are time-differentiated between on- and off-peak usage.
- If you are on Monthly pricing and want to remain on an alternative pricing plan, you do not have to complete the Open Enrollment form during the Open Enrollment periods.
- If you are on Monthly pricing in 2009 and you choose to return to PGE’s Annual Cost of Service price for 2010, you need to complete the 2010 Open Enrollment form this November. The Annual Cost of Service price is effective Jan. 1, 2010.
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Alternate pricing plan with shopping credit
The shopping credit may be available to customers who elect to receive service from an ESS and who have less than 1-megawatt average (MWa) load per site. The shopping credit is limited to 10 percent of qualifying load, and no single customer can receive more than 2.5 percent of the qualifying customer load.
You can conditionally leave PGE’s annual Cost of Service rate in order to select ESS service with the understanding that you will stay with Cost of Service if PGE determines that the shopping credit is not available. If you know that receiving the credit is a deciding factor in your choice to leave PGE’s Annual Cost of Service price for ESS service, and you only want to leave Cost of Service if you receive the credit, you must select this option. This option will keep you on Cost of Service if you do not receive the shopping credit.
See “Shopping Credit” and Direct Access for more important information.
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Direct Access service
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“Shopping Credit” |
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This credit — 0.3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for 2009 — may be an important factor for certain customers in deciding whether or not to choose an ESS; however, the availability of the shopping credit is limited.
If you know that receiving the credit is a deciding factor in your choice to leave PGE’s Annual Cost of Service price for ESS service, and you only want to leave Cost of Service if you receive the credit, you must have selected “Alternative Pricing Plan With Shopping Credit” during the Open Enrollment periods. This option will keep you on Cost of Service if you do not receive the shopping credit.
We will let you know if you’ve qualified for the credit by the end of the next business day after your enrollment. Your shopping credit is, in effect, “reserved” on a first come, first served basis, conditional on PGE’s accepting a Direct Access Service Request (DASR) from your ESS based on the following schedule:
February 15 window: effective April 1
May 15 window: effective July 1
August 15 window: effective Oct. 1
November 15 window: effective Jan. 1
(If the 15th falls on a weekend or a holiday, then the enrollment window will begin on the next business day.)
If a DASR is not received and accepted by PGE by the dates noted above, you lose your place in the shopping credit reservation “line.” If the entire credit “pool” has not been allocated by the time your ESS does file a DASR, you may receive the credit at that time.
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As a nonresidential customer of Portland General Electric, you may choose to purchase power from an alternative Electricity Service Supplier, or ESS*. As ESSs become certified and approved to do business in Oregon, they may contact you, offering their services. Before you choose an energy company, you’ll want to compare offers in order to choose the one that’s best for you.
Currently, the following ESSs are registered to do business with PGE.
- Constellation NewEnergy — 888-825-0700
- EPCOR — 866-230-2211
- Sempra Energy Solutions — 877-2SE-MPRA
- The Royal Bank of Scotland plc — 877-273-6772
How to compare PGE’s rates to those of an ESS
We realize this is a complicated process, and want to ensure you are comparing “apples to apples” when looking at rates. Keep in mind that no matter who you choose to supply the source of your energy, it will still be delivered over PGE’s system of power lines, power poles and substations. We’ll still be here for you, delivering your electricity safely and reliably, just like we always have. Transmission and distribution fees, the public purpose charge and other standard OPUC-regulated fees will still apply. You should ask any ESS to disclose what their equivalent charges will be compared to PGE’s prices.
Download our Bill Estimator tool to compare PGE’s current Annual Cost of Service price to those quoted by an ESS.
Choosing an Electricity Service Supplier
Before choosing an ESS, you should become informed about the length of the enrollment period, the benefits and risks that may result from specific options, overall energy cost and environmental objectives, and levels of acceptable risk.
There are a number of questions you should consider before selecting an ESS, including:
- What is the total price per kilowatt-hour (kWh)?
- Are there any other fees or charges? What is the total price?
- What will my total bill be?
- Do you offer on- and off-peak pricing, or do your prices change from day to evening?
- Are you offering any special programs? Do they change my kWh price?
- Do I need to sign up for a specific length of time?
- Can my price change, and how will I be notified?
- When am I allowed to switch to another ESS?
- Will I incur any penalties or fees for switching to another company?
- Do you offer energy from renewable resources, such as wind, solar or geothermal energy?
You can authorize PGE to provide 12 months of historical usage data to any ESS that requests it by filling out and returning the Direct Access Historical Usage Release Form, available in PDF format. If you have sent this form to PGE once, you do not need to do so again.
Note: You will need the Adobe® Acrobat® Reader to view and print PDF files. Visit the Adobe Web site for downloading instructions.
How to sign up
Customers who are currently on Annual Cost of Service pricing must have notified PGE during a open enrollment period if they want to switch to an alternative pricing plan, thus enabling them to choose a Direct Access option at a later date.
If you elect alternate pricing plan, then your registered ESS must file a Direct Access Service Request (DASR) with PGE on your behalf to officially enroll you as the ESS’s customer. The effective date of your supplier change will be at least 13 business days after we receive this DASR. If interval metering is required, then it can take up to 30 days.
As long as you left Annual Cost of Service pricing during an Open Enrollment period fulfill your existing Daily or Monthly contract with PGE, and your DASR has been processed, you may begin service with an ESS once necessary metering is installed.
Returning to PGE
If you elect ESS-supplied service, you may return to PGE’s Daily or Monthly pricing options subject to the terms of your ESS agreement and PGE rate schedule requirements. You will not be able to return to PGE’s Annual Cost of Service until 2010 by enrolling during the Nov. 2009 window.
*PGE cannot guarantee the accuracy of ESS claims and their ability to serve load now or in the future.
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