ACE’s rollover rate lowest among Choice Gas suppliers
Community-owned ACE, the Public Alliance for Community Energy, had the lowest rollover rate among suppliers participating in the Nebraska Choice Gas program’s selection period, which ran from April 16-29.
The program allows residents and commercial customers on the SourceGas distribution system to select their natural gas supplier during the selection period each April. This year’s fixed published natural gas rates were about four percent lower than 2009. The past two years, fixed rates were around 40 percent lower than in 2008.
The lower rates can be attributed mainly to the slower economy, which led to less demand and more supply in storage.
ACE’s rollover fixed rate for the 2010-11 gas year (June 1 through May 30, 2011) is .742 cents per therm in the central region and .675 in the western region. The two rates are the lowest of the four suppliers that participated in the selection period, according to rates released by the Nebraska Public Service Commission.
Rollover rates from each supplier are applied to customers who did not make a selection during the two-week selection period. Customers receive a rollover rate from the supplier they had the previous year. Each supplier’s rates are set after the end of the selection period.
“We feel good about the fact ACE’s rollover rates were again the lowest among suppliers,” said Beth Ackland, ACE retail gas services coordinator. “We try extremely hard to take care of our customers, both those actively making a selection and those that rely on ACE to provide a fair rollover rate.”
Formed in 1998, ACE participates in the Choice Gas program with the primary purpose of providing competition so that all customers have an opportunity for the lowest rate possible. Overall, ACE signed up more than 24,000 accounts and retained more than a 30 percent market share.
The selection period was the culmination of a grassroots marketing effort by ACE member communities to promote the not-for-profit, community-owned natural gas supplier.