Electricity suppliers—such as Direct Energy, NRG, and Green Mountain Energy—and your local utility company work together to deliver energy to your home, but they serve different roles.
- Electricity Supplier: A supplier is a retail or competitive energy company that sells electricity and/or natural gas plans in choice areas. If you live in a competitive market, you can shop among various suppliers to choose the rate, contract length, and plan features that best meet your needs. Some suppliers also offer perks like rewards programs or renewable energy options.
- Local Utility Company: Your utility is responsible for physically delivering electricity or gas to your home. This includes maintaining the power lines or gas pipelines, reading and servicing your meter, and handling any outages or emergencies. The utility does not go away when you choose a different supplier—it continues to maintain the infrastructure and provide customer service related to delivery.
In some areas, your utility may also offer its own energy plans and compete with other suppliers in the market. However, choosing a supplier does not affect the reliability of your service.