Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I reduce my electric bill?
- What is the Standard Offer?
- How do I know if I am in a contract with a CEP?
- How do I switch to the Standard Offer?
- How do I switch to a CEP?
- My current CEP contract is expiring. How do I know if their new contract price is the best rate for me?
- I just discovered that I'm on a new contract with a CEP and didn't agree to a new contract. How did this happen?
- Did Maine deregulate its electric industry?
- What are stranded costs?
- What is green power?
How do I reduce my electric bill?
1. Understand Your Usage
Devices that run a motor, create heat, or create cooling often use a lot of electricity – space heaters and dehumidifiers are common culprits on big bills. Both CMP and Versant have tools on their websites for customers to better monitor and understand their usage.
Not as comfortable on the web? Give Customer Service a call and ask for help understanding your usage. Find your utility contact info here.
2. Be Efficient
Try to tweak your usage where you can. Efficiency Maine has a great Energy Efficiency Tips Booklet available online – or they’re happy to mail you a copy if you call 1-866-376-2463.
Efficiency Maine also has some great rebate programs to help you evaluate your home’s efficiency as well as rebates for insulation, heat pumps, and energy efficient washing machines and air purifiers.
Note: Even a simple change like turning off power strips or unplugging appliances when not in use can make a huge difference in your usage.
3. Choose the Right Delivery Rate
CMP and Versant both have time-of-use rates and rates designed for heat pump and electric technology users. Call them or visit their websites to learn more.
4. Choose the Best Supply Rate
Make sure you know your options and choose the supplier that works best for you. Options are at Maine.gov/SupplyRates.
Important: If you give a CEP a call and sign up, contact that supplier before the contract ending date to either sign a new contract or request to be put on the Standard Offer when your contract ends, or you may be automatically extended and charged a higher or variable rate.
Note: Financial support is available if you’re having trouble paying your bill. Check out our Low-Income Resources page to learn more.
The Standard Offer is what you get for supply if you do not select one of the licensed Competitive Electricity Providers (CEPs) to supply your electricity. The Standard Offer and other supplier rates are available at Maine.gov/SupplyRates. The Standard Offer is available to anyone, and the price for this service is set by the PUC based on periodic “auctions.” Suppliers compete and bid for the right to provide standard offer supply service to Maine customers.
How do I know if I am in a contract with a CEP?
- Central Maine Power customers - The last page of your electricity bill, the “Electricity Supply Account Detail” page, lists your electricity supplier and the price per kilowatt hour.
- Versant Power customers - The second page of the electricity bill has a Supplier Information box which lists the supplier and price per kilowatt hour.
How do I switch to the Standard Offer?
First, determine whether there is an early termination fee if you cancel with your current supplier. You can look at your contract or contact your supplier directly to determine this.
Option 1: Contact your utility and request a swap. They will be able to make the change for you on your next meter reading date, or you can request an expedited switch. There may be a fee if you request the expedited option.
Option 2: Contact your CEP and ask when your current contract expires and if there is a termination fee for breaking your contract early.
If there is a termination fee and you have several months left on the contract, ask if the CEP can offer you a lower rate on your current contract.
If you still want to switch, tell your CEP that you want to break your contract and switch back to the Standard Offer. This change will happen on your next meter reading date, so you may experience 1-2 billing cycles before the change occurs.
How do I switch to a CEP?
Investigate the options and reach out to the one that works best for you via phone or through the company website. The Office of the Public Advocate website is updated with new supply prices each month. Rates and contact information are available here.
Important: If you decide to work with a CEP, contact that supplier before your contract ending date to either sign a new contract or request to be put on the Standard Offer when your contract ends, or you may be automatically extended and charged a higher or variable rate.
My current CEP contract is expiring. How do I know if their new contract price is the best rate for me?
The Office of the Public Advocate website is updated with new supply prices each month. Rates are available here.
Compare the new rate offered by the CEP with that of other CEPs and with the standard offer rate. The “What’s My Charge” tool on that page lets you estimate your monthly and annual supply bills based on your average monthly electricity usage, the Standard Offer rate, and the CEP rate.
I just discovered that I’m on a new contract with a CEP and didn’t agree to a new contract. How did this happen?
Under Maine Public Utilities Commission rule, CEPs are required to send you two notices between 30-60 days before a contract ends. They also need to keep proof of this notice in their files.
If you don’t remember seeing these notices, contact your CEP and ask them how they sent this information to you, either email or regular mail. It is your responsibility to update the CEP if your contact information changes.
Ask the CEP for proof of the notice. If they cannot provide it, contact the Consumer Assistance Division at the Public Utilities Commission (800) 452-4699.
Did Maine deregulate its electric industry?
Not really; rather it restructured it. In 2000, the Restructuring Act (35-A MRSA, ch. 32) took Maine's electric utilities out of the generation business and required them to sell their various generation assets. CMP and the other transmission and distribution utilities remain fully regulated by the Maine PUC. The generation or supply portion is subject to competition, and one could say it has been "deregulated.”
What are stranded costs?
Prior to March 1, 2000, Maine's electric utilities were responsible for generating as well as delivering power. In some cases, long term contracts for the purchase of energy were signed by utilities or facilities were built by utilities that are now too expensive to compete in the competitive generation market. Because these costs were approved by the PUC at the time and may be recovered by the utility, they are now "stranded" by the move to a competitive industry. The PUC regularly conducts reviews of these costs to ensure that they are legitimate and that the utilities are making bona fide attempts to reduce them.
Since Restructuring in 2000, in order to promote renewable energy, the PUC has directed Maine’s T&D utilities to enter into several long-term contracts to purchase energy generated from certain Maine renewable energy projects. The utilities simply resell the energy into the New England wholesale market and any difference between the purchase price and the resale price is reflected in stranded cost rates.
What is green power?
What is green power? Green power is a term with no formal definition. It refers generally to power that is generated using renewable resources. Wind, solar and hydropower clearly fit into this definition. Power created by burning "biomass" - wood chips and other forest industry by-products - is also commonly described as green. Many feel that more and more green power should be used not only so that the air is cleaner, but also because it would tend to reduce the region's reliance on fossil fuels and stabilize wholesale prices.