Full disclosure

I've been getting the electric supply to my home from an energy service company for at least six years.

At the first shopping opportunity, I opted for NYSEG Solutions in a variable-rate plan. In subsequent shopping periods, I switched to ConEd Solutions in a fixed-rate plan. There were months with Con Ed plan when bottom line cost for electricity sunk below 8 cents per Kwh. Reason: NYSEG was giving me a transition credit in excess of 3 cents per Kwh.

Then I switched to NOCO Electric in a fixed-rate plan. I paid for that decision. Not much, but enough. It was a better year to be on a variable rate.

My house now gets its electric supply from the Energy Cooperative of New York in a variable-rate program.

Here are the comparisons for January:

NYSEG fixed for January: 12.55/kwh
NYSEG variable for January: 11.57/Kwh
Energy Cooperative of New York: 11.32 cents/Kwh

Additionally, those who obtain their supply from a company other than NYSEG avoid a 0.22 cent merchant-function charge, an assessment for the cost of obtaining the supply.

Bottom line, a typical customer who selected the NYSEG variable plan over the fixed-rate plan would have saved $5.82 in January. A customer who used the Energy Cooperative variable rate would have saved $8.60 for the month.