Shopping for electricity in New Jersey

Fixed, variable and introductory rates

A fixed-rate plan charges the same price per kWh for the whole contract. A variable-rate plan can change price every month, and in New Jersey there is no cap on how far it can rise and no guarantee that it will beat the utility.

Some variable plans open with a low introductory price for a month or two. The price after that is set by the supplier and is often not published in advance. Read the contract summary for what happens when the introductory period ends before you sign up.

The Price to Compare

Every New Jersey utility publishes a Price to Compare: what you pay per kWh for electricity supply if you don't choose a supplier. A supplier only saves you money if its price is below it.

The Price to Compare changes with the seasons. Summer runs June through September and usually costs a different amount than the other eight months, so we compare plans against a year-long average rather than whichever season it happens to be.

JCP&L charges more for summer usage above 600 kWh a month, and ACE above 750 kWh. Our comparison uses the first block, which covers most homes.

Sales tax is already included

New Jersey requires suppliers to quote prices including the 6.625% Sales and Use Tax, and the utilities' Price to Compare includes it too. Every rate on this site is shown the same way, so the numbers compare directly.

Monthly fees

A few plans add a fixed monthly service fee on top of the per-kWh price. We fold that fee into the rate we rank by, spread over 650 kWh a month (the Board of Public Utilities' standard comparison usage), and show the fee next to the rate.

Your town may already have chosen for you

New Jersey towns and counties can run a Government Energy Aggregation program: the town signs a supply contract and enrolls every resident who hasn't already picked a supplier, unless they opt out. Tens of thousands of households are on one without having chosen a supplier themselves.

If your bill lists a supplier you don't remember choosing, check with your town. You can usually leave an aggregation program without a fee.

Read the contract summary

Suppliers serving homes must give you a one-page contract summary before you enroll. It states the price, whether it is fixed or variable, how long the contract runs, any early termination fee, and what happens when the contract ends. If a salesperson won't show you one, don't sign.

Complaints

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities licenses suppliers and takes complaints about them at 1-800-624-0241 or through its online complaint form. You can also switch back to your utility's default service at any time; your supplier's early termination fee, if any, still applies.