The most reliable electricity companies prioritize people over profits. They offer fair and transparent pricing, clear contracts with no hidden fees, and excellent customer service.
NextEra Energy is the largest of the electricity utility companies by market value. They invest in shaping the future with renewable energy, smart infrastructure, and more.
Reliability
The electricity that powers our homes, businesses, and gadgets comes from power plants. It then moves through a complex system, often called the grid, of electricity substations and transformers connecting thousands of power plants to hundreds of millions of electricity customers nationwide. An issue with the energy flow can cause a wide range of problems, from minor annoyance to total disruption of computer-based operations.
Reliability is the probability that a device will perform its intended function over a given period and under specified conditions. Regarding energy, reliability means being able to depend on consistent and stable electrical service to our homes, offices, and devices in the face of physical and cyber events that can disrupt energy production or delivery.
One of the ways we measure reliability is by using ratio data, which is based on comparisons to some reference value. For example, a therapist might use ratio data when evaluating a patient by comparing their responses to another patient’s. If the results of the two patients are close, it can be a good indicator that the therapist is measuring reliably.
Customer Service
It’s no secret that customers have high expectations regarding customer service. The truth is that companies that don’t meet those expectations will be left behind by their competitors. This is especially true in the energy industry, where competition is fierce, and customers have plenty of options.
Consumers have reported that the most extensive customer service bugbears cut across sectors, including employees needing more capability to be of immediate help, ‘disinterested’ staff, and poor complaint handling. With this in mind, electric utilities must improve their customer service offerings.
For deregulated utilities, customer service is a top driver of churn. Customers’ second reason for churning is “Need Better Customer Service.”
Pricing
Since New York is a deregulated energy market, many electricity companies in Houston have popped up to meet consumer demand for competitive power plans. With varying rates, contract lengths, introductory rates, bill credits, minimum usage levels, and cancellation fees, sorting through the options can be overwhelming.
The best way to determine which plan is right for you is to input your home’s kWh usage history into an online marketplace, such as ComparePower. This will display competing plans from different providers in a user-friendly format that makes comparing power options simple and fast.
Keep in mind, however, that while you should always look at the Price to Compare number on your utility bill (the amount per kilowatt-hour charged by your provider), there are other factors to consider, such as the ENERGYSTAR® rating of an electric company’s customer service department and its ability to offer rebates for energy-efficient appliances. Also, remember that you’ll want to ensure your ESCO doesn’t have an early termination fee if you decide to switch out of their plan before your contract ends.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is an essential—yet undervalued—tool for reducing pollution and waste. It’s a great way to combat climate change by limiting our fossil fuel demand, which contributes to rising sea levels and global warming. Energy efficiency also helps determine the need for expensive new electricity generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure.
Moreover, in addition to lowering utility bills and cutting emissions, efficiency improves people’s quality of life. Efficient lighting, appliances, and insulation reduce costs and make homes more comfortable. And the health benefits of lowering nationwide energy use by 15 percent for one year are staggering: preventing respiratory illnesses, heart attacks, and lung cancer from burning coal and oil; and improving indoor air quality in homes and businesses.
Energy efficiency also lowers business costs by reducing the need to buy, operate, and maintain energy-intensive equipment. And in manufacturing, efficiency measures can reduce energy costs by as much as 30 percent and increase productivity. Energy efficiency is a cost-effective solution to meet America’s energy needs while fighting climate change, cleaning the air, helping families meet their budgets, and empowering small businesses to thrive.
Sustainability
Sustainability is an integral part of any business, as it allows a company to operate without damaging the environment or causing harmful effects on the world. Increasingly, consumers and investors are looking for sustainable options from businesses that are ethical and environmentally friendly.
In the energy industry, sustainability includes using renewable energy sources and implementing efficiency measures to reduce energy usage. This type of sustainable energy doesn’t harm the environment, contribute to climate change, or cost much money.
Read Also: Six Tips To Make Your Home Improvement Project Stress Free
Many energy companies are now exploring ways to make their products more sustainable. Some of these include making their supply chains more sustainable, designing sustainable products and services, and creating next-practice platforms.
One of the most essential things any energy business can do is examine its sustainability plans and how they’re being implemented. This will help them to determine the level of sustainability they’re currently achieving and how they can improve their performance in the future. Moreover, this can help them identify any areas they’re lacking and how to make these improvements.
