circumstances could potentially reoccur as early as this summer. It is also possible that the increasingly rapid shift in the electric generation market to gas-fired generation has produced increased uncertainty in electric wholesale markets. We simply do not have the experience with large-scale gas generation to predict with substantial certainty the implications in this rapidly changing market. While the movement to and greater reliance on natural gas certainly has its benefits (e.g., an abundant source of fuel coming from Pennsylvania) the impacts of this shift on wholesale and retail markets are not yet fully apparent or understood. Large fluctuations in wholesale and retail electricity prices again magnified and illuminated the sheer length of time it takes a customer to switch suppliers. A customer’s ability to escape from a high-price product with a supplier is often frustrated by the switching timeframes currently in place, as a customer is often exposed to at least one more entire billing cycle beyond the billing cycle in which the customer requested to switch suppliers. This lag when switching is unacceptable. We routinely advise consumers impacted by high electric prices to a lower-cost However, “select supplier.” for this to be an effective, meaningful course of action, switching must be easier and faster. We can no longer tolerate a scenario in which a customer is held captive for another entire billing cycle. This situation not only imposes unacceptable financial burdens on consumers, but also chills current consumer confidence in the competitive retail electric market and discourages potential shoppers from entering the market. While the potential cost-savings benefits to consumers from accelerating the switching timeframes are readily apparent, we believe there are other benefits as well. For example, speeding up switching will help minimize impacts due to slamming and protect consumers when it does occur. With the current switching timeframes, a customer has to remain captive to the supplier that slammed them for an entire billing period, sometimes longer. This is unacceptable. If a customer can quickly escape a
circumstances could potentially reoccur as early as this summer. It is also possible that the increasingly rapid shift in the electric generation market to gas-fired generation has produced increased uncertainty in electric wholesale markets. We simply do not have the experience with large-scale gas generation to predict with substantial certainty the implications in this rapidly changing market. While the movement to and greater reliance on natural gas certainly has its benefits (e.g., an abundant source of fuel coming from Pennsylvania) the impacts of this shift on wholesale and retail markets are not yet fully apparent or understood. Large fluctuations in wholesale and retail electricity prices again magnified and illuminated the sheer length of time it takes a customer to switch suppliers. A customer’s ability to escape from a high-price product with a supplier is often frustrated by the switching timeframes currently in place, as a customer is often exposed to at least one more entire billing cycle beyond the billing cycle in which the customer requested to switch suppliers. This lag when switching is unacceptable. We routinely advise consumers impacted by high electric prices to “select a lower-cost supplier.” However, for this to be an effective, meaningful course of action, switching must be easier and faster. We can no longer tolerate a scenario in which a customer is held captive for another entire billing cycle. This situation not only imposes unacceptable financial burdens on consumers, but also chills current consumer confidence in the competitive retail electric market and discourages potential shoppers from entering the market. While the potential cost-savings benefits to consumers from accelerating the switching timeframes are readily apparent, we believe there are other benefits as well. For example, speeding up switching will help minimize impacts due to slamming and protect consumers when it does occur. With the current switching timeframes, a customer has to remain captive to the supplier that slammed them for an entire billing period, sometimes longer. This is unacceptable. If a customer can quickly escape a