The deregulation blues....

[poltr1]

In the past year, I've been getting mailings from electric energy providers -- DP&L Energy, First Energy, IGS Energy -- about electricity deregulation in Ohio, and how they can save me money. Last week, I had someone form DP&L Energy call me about switching. And today, I had a representative from IGS Energy show up at my door.


Don't people know that this is not the way I do business? If I want something, I'll go ahead and pursue it. I won't let myself be slammed, pressured or suckered into buying something I don't want or am not ready to buy. If you're selling something, I'm not going to buy from you on the spot. I just want to be left alone. Is that so much to ask? Nothing personal; this is how I operate. The old saying goes, "A fool and his money are soon parted." And I refuse to be anyone's fool.

For me, saving money is not the be-all and end-all. I'm willing to pay a little more for quality and service. So I have some questions:
- Who are the players, besides the ones I already mentioned?
- How does my current electricity provider (Dayton Power & Light) fit in the bigger picture of power generation, distribution, and transmission?
- Who owns the physical wiring going into my condo? If I switch, will that change?
- What are the current rates (per kilowatt-hour)?
- How long will those rates be valid?
- How much are the rates going to go up after the initial period?
- What are the sources of generation? How much of that is green energy?
- Will I continue to get one bill?
- Will I continue to call Dayton Power & Light if my service is interrupted?

In the meantime, I'll do the research, and when I'm ready, I'll go to that provider and sign up. But not before then.