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Great Canadian Trade Fair 2015 at Millenium Place

· · Leave a Comment Consumer Info, Electricity

Park Power will be at booth #214 of The Great Canadian Trade Fair & Sale, which takes place April 10,11,12 at Millenium Place in Sherwood Park, AB, spreading the good word about shopping local and saving money on your power bill.  As an independent local business, the Trade Fair provides a great opportunity to connect with local residents and inform them that they have choices for their utility services and that Park Power is The Better Choice.

A big thanks goes out to Roman Hermens, and Dennis Michael, for their help with design and printing of our new banner designed to both inform from a distance as well as engage consumers to find out more about Park Power.

Park Power is a Better Choice for your energy needs.
Park Power is a Better Choice for your energy needs

We will be offering a Super Cheap Trade Show Special Rates for residential and commercial electricity service for those that sign up for with Park Power.  Plus those customers will be entered to win this wonderfully orange Electra Townie Bike supplied by Mud, Sweat, & Gears

 

Win this bike by signing up for Park Power during the month of April 2015
Win this bike by signing up for Park Power during the month of April 2015

For those of you who aren’t able to come and see us in person you can follow our Trade Show antics on social media via Twitter and Instagram. Use the hashtag #localpower to find or interact with us.

In preparation for the Trade Fair, Park Power has made its first foray into radio advertising so if you don’t believe that we are as awesome as we say we are perhaps you will believe this guy.

Cheap Edmonton Electricity Rates Available Now

· · 2 Comments Consumer Info, Electricity, Interesting

Right now if you are paying your power bill to EPCOR, Enmax, Direct Energy, or Just Energy you are missing out on cheap electricity rates available in the Edmonton Region and paying 40% more than you could be if you were a Park Power customer on the Floating Rate.

Pool Prices-1

Wholesale power pool prices are at a 15 year low and consumers in Alberta can benefit from these market conditions by switching to a Floating Rate plan.  Park Power’s Floating Rate is currently just over 4.5 ¢/kWh while the rates being paid by customers of the big corporate utilities are 7.79 ¢/kWh and above.

Here is what the could look like for someone on a older fixed rate plan from Enmax paying 8.0 ¢/kWh.

Avg usage of 1000 kWh/month

Enmax energy usage charges $80.00/month

Park Power energy usage charges $45.00/month

That is a difference of $35 in just one month.

While it is true that the Floating Rate is indexed directly to the market price for power and it can have some volatility to it, right now it is super cheap and is forecasted to remain low for the near term.  So why not take advantage of the current market conditions and save yourself some money.

When market conditions change and and the price of power begins to creep back up again, then you can switch over to one of Park Power’s Fixed Rate Plans and you will still be saving money since we always have lower rates than the big players.

It just makes sense to pay your power bill to a local independent retailer like Park Power who is able to offer lower rates, superior Alberta based customer service, and a much simpler, friendlier experience.

Time to get on the #LocalPower bandwagon Sign Up Today

 

 

 

 

EPCOR Electricity Rates 40% higher than Park Power

· · Leave a Comment Consumer Info, Electricity, Interesting, Uncategorized

EPCOR electricity rates have been 40% higher than Park Power’s and many consumers are losing out on savings that a deregulated utilities market has provided.

Over the last couple of years and particular over the last 6 months, wholesale electricity prices have fallen dramatically.  Currently prices are at a 15 year low and as we enter 2015 the trend continues, today, the average Alberta Power Pool price is running at $32 per MW which equates to just over 4 ¢/kWh retail price.

Pool Prices-1

60% of Alberta electricity consumers are not taking advantage of the benefit of the deregulated market as they remain on the government regulated Default Rate.

Even though some consumers paid as low as 3.7 cents per kWh last year, many of their next door neighbors, stuck on the government regulated Default Rate from EPCOR, paid more than 50% more for electricity.

If a consumer wants to cut save money on their monthly expenses, they should consider moving away from EPCOR, ENMAX, and Direct Energy and switching retailers to Park Power.

Over the last six months, consumers that moved away from the Regulated Default Rate and onto Park Power’s Floating Rate, have saved 40% on the cost of energy they consumed.  The consumers who like stability in their costs chose long term guaranteed fixed rates, which are still lower than the historical EPCOR Default average.

 

Month Alberta PowerPrices Average RRO/Default Rate Floating Rate Saving Money
($ / MW) (Cents / kWh) (Cents / kWh) (% Savings)
August 2014 $45 8.3 6.2 25%
September 2014 $24 8.4 3.7 56%
October 2014 $27 8.6 4.0 53%
November 2014 $38 6.7 5.3 21%
December 2014 $27 7.3 4.0 45%
January 2014 $35 7.3 4.9 33%
6 Month Avg. $32 7.8 4.7 40%

Consider the following: between August and October of 2014, the cost of energy declined (from $45 per MW to below $30) which is a 33% drop in cost of energy.  Note that EPCOR’s Default Rate price did not decrease. During the same period, the Floating Rate retail prices dropped from 6.2 cents to under 4 cents per kWh.

The same problem and trend repeated itself a couple of months later. Between November and December, the wholesale cost of energy dropped by 28% but the Government Regulated Default Rate went up.

Learn More about the advantages of getting off of the goverment regulated Default Rate or RRO from this interview on Alberta Prime Time

AB PriMe tiMe

While consumers who chose an independent retailer like Park Power are saving money, many are paying more for electricity than necessary to the large corporate utilities who are in turn outsourcing work and facing legal action.  ENMAX is in court fighting a $375 million dispute; Direct Energy shipped customer care and billing jobs to India; ENMAX moved dozens of IT jobs to India; Atco sold its IT division to a firm in India; TransAlta is in court facing electricity market manipulation.

In the news:

  • ENMAX appealed assessments totalling $375 Million. The issue is now in the courts. – More
  • Direct Energy outsources residential customer care and from Alberta to India. –  More
  • ENMAX is outsourcing dozens of jobs related to its billing and customer care operations to India – More
  • ATCO’s I-Tek IT services division sold to for $195 million and outsourced  IT services offshore – More
  • TransAlta faces hearing on electricity market manipulation – More

 

If you are still on the Utility Regulated Default Rate; ask yourself: why continue to pay more for your electricity to companies that have exported customer care, billing and IT services off-shore.  Choose #LocalPower with Park Power and take advantage of lower rates, simple billing and payment, and friendlier Alberta based customer service.

Shop Local and Save Money with Park Power

Lower Electricity Rates Are Available in Alberta From Park Power

· · Leave a Comment Consumer Info, Electricity, Interesting

Lower electricity rates are available in Alberta from Park Power.  As of January 1, 2015 we are now offering service across the province.  We are excited to be able to provide our lower rates on electricity and superior customer service across this wonderful province of Alberta.

As an energy retailer, Park Power must register to offer service in the different wires territories across the province.  The distribution of electricity is still regulated and only a few companies are given territorial rights by the province to act as Wires Service Providers.  These are the companies that actually own the distribution systems and deliver electricity to residential and commercial consumers.

Previously, we were serving customers in the wires territories of EPCOR, servicing the City of Edmonton and Fortis Alberta, servicing central and southern Alberta.  As our business grows we want to be able to provide our awesome services to more Albertans.

Now Park Power is also servicing customers in the territories of

ATCO Electric, who provides distribution service for Eastern and Northern Alberta

Enmax Power who provides distribution service for Calgary, Red Deer, Cardston, Fort Macleod, Crowsnest Pass, and Ponoka

Also the City of Lethbridge Utility Services

Our market focus will still be offering #LocalPower to residents and businesses in the Edmonton Region and we will also still be supporting positive local community charities and initiatives.  The fact of the matter is that the services we provide can be of value to great people all across the province who are dissatisfied with the big corporate utilities. If someone in Slave Lake or Ponoka would like to pay less for their electricity and enjoy the ease of paperless billing and automated payments then they should be able to.

Join the movement, Sign Up Today!

A Deregulated Electricity Market Is Rewarding Consumers

· · Leave a Comment Consumer Info, Electricity

In Alberta our electricity rates are proving that a deregulated electricity market is rewarding consumers that have chosen to get off the RRO (Regulated Rate Option) offered by the big utilities and Sign Up with an independent Energy Retailer like Park Power.

2014 prices will end up being the 3rd lowest prices paid for power since the birth of deregulation in 2001.  The Wholesale price of power for competitive retailers like Park Power has dropped 36% since last year from $80.18/MW to $50.02/MW.

Wholesales Power Prices in Alberta 2002-2014
Wholesales Power Prices in Alberta 2002-2014

How do low wholesale prices reward consumers?   Park Power customers on the Floating Rate right now with Park Power are paying 4-5¢/per kWh compared to the RRO during December that is in the 7.3¢/kWh  range.  That is close to a 30% difference in the rate paid for electricity.  Park Power has proven again, that we can outperform the big utilities and offer consumers lower energy prices.

While Park Power is passing the savings onto its consumers the big utilities are trying to cut costs by outsourcing to foreign countries.  Direct Energy has contracted their customer service with HCL in India.  ENMAX outsourced IT jobs to Tata Consulting Services in India and Atco iTek services are being provided by Wipro of India.   Will the strategy work?  Time will tell, but what it does mean if you think about it:  the utilities margins will most likely increase – jobs will be lost and consumers stuck on the RRO will most likely continue to pay more when compared to the lower prices being offered by Park Power.

Deregulation is working for consumers.  It could work for more consumers as well if they chose to get off of the government regulated RRO and sign up with an independent competitive retailer like Park Power.  When a consumer does this nothing changes to their electricity service and supply, what changes is the price they pay for it.  Why not take advantage of a retailer offering lower rates, with no exit fees and superior, Alberta based customer service.

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