Do you have a choice in your utility providers?
By schilds
@schilds (410)
United States
February 23, 2008 9:48am CST
Here we have one phone company, one power company, one natural gas company. The only thing we have in the way of options is heat - you can go with the one natural gas company (in town), or one of the propane companies (if you have room on your city lot for a tank, and want to convert your appliances), or the one heating oil provider (but again you need a storage tank, and new heater). I was thinking this morning how nice it would be to have a little competition. The customer service of these companies stinks - especially the power and gas - since they are neccessities, they know your stuck with them. Since I have never lived anywhere else I was curious what those who have options thought about having them. Do you get better customer service? Better rates?
2 people like this
6 responses
@enchantedleppard (1541)
• United States
23 Feb 08
We don't have choices where I live either. We have a furnace that gets fuel oil delivered once a year. We have managed to remodel our house and we heat with wood burning stoves, with the remodel there not as many drafts any more, thank goodness. We manage to use mostly wood to heat and don't have to pay a heating bill every month. I know we are lucky because so many people are getting hit with the energy bills. We live out in the country so we have a well, don't have to pay city water.. for our power company there are 2 companies on our street but we didnt have a choice on which one to go with.
@djmarion (4898)
• Philippines
23 Feb 08
in our country many company competes with one another, offering same products at varying prices. like in my place for example i can choose what phone company to subscribe into, there are 3 mobile phone companies here in the Philippines and a lot of telephone companies to choose from.
the only thing i can't choose is the electric company since there is only one electric company in our place, well i can opt to live in other town or city anyway if i want to change my electric provider.
1 person likes this
@mdmansoor1987 (386)
• India
24 Feb 08
yaa of course with better choice in Utility u will get them from a gud provider and he will provide a gud service
@pat1959in (59)
• United States
24 Feb 08
We have one phone company,eletric company, water and sewage,Also garbage pickup is only one company. We do heat by oil and my stove is gas. We do have a couple of companies when it comes to these.The bottom part of our house is built into the hill side plue we have a wood stove in the family room. So our tank of oil usually last a year.I ahve two tanks of gas on the back porch for the stove and they also last a long time.As far as the companies that we have no choice of. I think we are lucky because 10 miles down the road they ahve a different one that is a lot higher.
@mcgill1 (49)
•
24 Feb 08
Here in the UK we are being ripped off, and we let it happen because we British are a docile race.
All our utilities were privatised during the 1980's and as such prices are creeping up, there are loads of companies but they are all expensive for the ordinary Joe.
I take it you are in America ?
If you are, do not be fooled by privatisation as people here in the UK are fooled all the time.
Privatisation is simply a means to take a Utility and use it to make profits for the boys at the top, having shareholders is merely a carrot to get votes.
BE WARNED.
@ctotty (1)
•
26 Jul 08
Hi...I wanted to respond and let you know very soon you will have a choice in electric service. Read up on "deregulation". There are states now such as Texas who let the customer pick from a range of electric providers! I have worked in the electric industry for two decades and I understand your frustration. I live in middle Tennessee and we are still governed by the area we live in as to who provides our electric service. The electric providers who do not provide quality customer service and competitive rates will never last once "deregulation" hits their area. In the meantime, hang in there...it is only a matter of time until you do have a choice!
