If you had a dollar for…
every dollar energy companies say they’ll save you by switching… you’d have, like, a ton of dollars…
The team here at Alphabuyer spends alot of time watching and analyzing the multitude of insurance commercials by companies claiming to save you hundreds of dollars per year by switching insurance.
We recently came across this one from esurance and we’re big fans of it. We think the underlying message exemplifies a lot of what Alphabuyer has to say and is here to do:
“How are you actually saving me money?”
Born online, raised by technology and majors in efficiency.
Saving you hassle, time, paperwork, hair taring out, and yes, especially dollars!
Recently, we’ve been talking about how we help people switch and save. In the PECO region of Pennsylvania, we’ve helped people save over $180 a year. Check it out!
Alphabuyer Helps PECO Electricity Customers Put $15 per month ($180 per year) Back In Their Pockets
“How much did I save by switching to an alternative electric supplier?”
December 15, 2011
Philadelphia, PA – Alphabuyer today launched a new savings tool to its members in the PECO electric region. Consumers who’ve used Alphabuyer’s group buying service to switch to an alternative electric supplier can now see how much they’ve saved. Alphabuyer members can view monthly, as well as cumulative savings, as calculated by using their actual electricity usage, PECO’s price to compare and Alphabuyer’s brokered rate.
Example screenshot of Alphabuyer member screen showing savings
“At a time of year when consumers are accustomed to think ‘spend, spend, spend’, we’re excited to provide insight into how much they have actually saved by switching to an alternative electric supplier,” said Alphabuyer CEO Kevin Johnson.
Throughout 2011, Alphabuyer’s deals in the PECO region have averaged 15% savings, and are on track to save members an average of $15 per month or over $180 per year.
In November, Alphabuyer presented at a Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission hearing about electric choice. There, Alphabuyer presented the results of its consumer survey regarding electricity shopping with other presenters including Terry Madonna, Zogby and Tarrance Group. The results of the surveys were strikingly similar.
“We are all on the same page,” Madonna said of the surveys.
Continuing, Madonna discussed the results of his poll that examined consumer awareness of electricity shopping and their attitudes toward savings. Madonna’s polling firm found that 88 percent of respondents were aware of the option to choose a power supplier, and 78 percent would consider changing if they could save 10 percent off their bills.
“Most consumers know they can switch, but haven’t. We want consumers to know it’s safe to switch and there are savings to be attained. We make the switching process simple — we act as a trusted advisor and shop for the best deals. We give the consumer the tools needed to make informed budgeting decisions,” said Alphabuyer CEO Kevin Johnson.
Alphabuyer plans to roll out additional Spend Analytics features to other regions and utility areas very soon.
This month, Alphabuyer has great deals for electricity and natural gas in many regions of Pennsylvania and New Jersey including PECO, UGI, Duquense Light, PSE&G and JCP&L utility regions.
About Alphabuyer
Located in Philadelphia, Alphabuyer is a group buying company that advocates for consumers by negotiating the best possible rates, options and terms for non-discretionary monthly spending. Alphabuyer currently offers savings on electricity and natural gas bills and plans to expand its product offerings to include heating oil, mobile phone and Internet/cable/TV. Since its launch in January, Alphabuyer has helped thousands of customers switch energy suppliers to save money on their monthly bills. For more information visit www.alphabuyer.com.
For more information on Alphabuyer and offers in your area, visit www.Alphabuyer.com.
Harrisburg’s ABC27 TV Shows You How to Save with Alphabuyer
Alphabuyer was recently featured in an evening news special on Harrisburg’s ABC27. In the video, Kevin Johnson -CEO and cofounder of Alphabuyer- was interviewed about Alphabuyer’s expansion from electricity to natural gas, heating oil, and propane. Also included in the special was a testimony by Alphabuyer Ken Rigby, who has saved money by switching with Alphabuyer.
Alphabuyer in the Philadelphia Inquirer
Great news! The word is getting out that Alphabuyer can save people hundreds of dollars on their monthly bills, and news agencies are taking notice. Recently, the Philadelphia Inquirer sent staff writer Andrew Maykuth to learn what Alphabuyer is all about, and what he found was exciting.
In an article published on October 25th, Mr. Maykuth shared the history of Alphabuyer and how the company is applying its money-saving vision to monthly bills of all shapes and sizes. Click here to read the full article, or go to Alphabuyer.com to start saving today.
Alphabuyer Blog “Voice of the Customer” Series
By Alina Marone
Alphabuyer, and contributing blogger
As the variety of retail choices seem to exponentially grow, in PECO’s retail energy realm choices will be contracting and others completely disappearing.
If you frequent the Alphabuyer Blog, you all ready know that standard light bulb production is scheduled to cease, forcing lamp-using consumers to familiarize themselves with the two main choices of the future, CFL and LED. Today, it is my goal to warn PECO RH customers that starting in January 2012, your winter PECO bill may evoke a wince. Blizzard or not, your bill may leave you feeling “snowed.” PECO is discontinuing the RH discount as we know it. Are you an RH customer? It pays to know.
Quick translation of RH – your household heat is run on ELECTRIC. That’s a heavy dependency on electric, but PECO has buffered that burden by providing this niche of consumers with a significant discount. But, as PECO has frequently reminded all of its consumers, PECO is getting out of the energy generating business and as part of that desired transition (and in part to get you to NOTICE a change and MOTIVATE a supplier switch) rates are increasing and discounts discontinuing.
In my opinion, PECO is doing a very good job at communicating the changes sparked by our Commonwealth’s energy deregulation. PECO consumers, though apparently aware of deregulation and the advent of consumer choice, are not budging from thi Read more…
Dear Geico. Guinea pig training unnecessary in PA and NJ!
Dear Geico,
For those of us in deregulated energy states, there is an easier way to save on electricity. It’s called Alphabuyer!
Did you know – 20% of the world is without electricity
As of now, 20% of the world is without electricity. Over 1 billion people can’t access lights, fans, refrigerators, or computers. In the name of equal opportunity, the UN pledged to bring that number down to zero by 2030.
Ban Ki-Moon, the U.N. secretary-general said, “Such actions could help to revitalize the global economy (and) combat climate change.” On top of universal electrical access, the UN also looks to double renewable energy production by 2030. The International Energy Agency has increased their yearly budget five fold to 48 billion dollars in hopes of achieving these goals.
Every thousand-mile journey begins with one step, and by announcing goals and allotting funds, the UN is taking their first step towards equality in energy.
Based on Bjoern H. Amland’s article in Forbes – UN chief calls for universal access to electricity. http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/10/10/general-eu-norway-energy-conference_8726187.html)
Why Alphabuyer Exists
A report issued on Monday revealed that real household income has fallen by more than 10% since the beginning of 2008. TEN PERCENT!?!?
That seemed like a staggering figure to me, so I decided to investigate a little deeper. I learned that in the preceding eight years (2000-2008), real household income had no growth. Put another way, the average family’s purchasing power is 10% less than it was more than a decade ago!
Then I thought about what else has happened to family wealth since 2008 – home prices down 22% and the S&P 500 Index down 13% – and it’s no wonder the U.S. Congress has a record level approval rating (12%) and tens of thousands of people are protesting daily throughout most major cities.
This made me reflect on conversations we had around the office last summer about why we we’re starting Alphabuyer.
Just as the recent explosion of social networks has accelerated movements like Occupy Wall Street against the government’s ineffective handling of our economy, Alphabuyer was formed to harness the people of social networks and group commerce to negotiate better rates for everyday bill items.
Our current +10% savings on electricity and natural gas is just the beginning. We’re working hard to bring on more suppliers and we’ll be launching several new products over the coming months. Our goal is to lower the cost of your family’s total non-discretionary household expenditures by 10%, which will offset this recent decline in real household income.
Now, if we could only get government to become part of the solution versus being part of the problem, maybe we could truly start expanding the purchasing power of the family budget!
The Often Missed Bill Saving Tip
You’ve seen the headlines. You’ve seen the ads. You’ve read the articles. All that talk about how to reduce your energy bills.
Well, what you may not realize is that, whether they’re written by a reputable news source or a basement blogger, all of these articles follow the same basic pattern. Usually, the articles have an enticing title that sounds something like “10 simple energy saving tips” or “5 ways to conserve energy”. But when you read through the articles, all they really tell you about are some basic precautions you can take, or high-tech products on the market that could save you money.
But what if there was a secret not mentioned on these sites? What if, instead of home improvement projects or new routines, there was a way to save hundreds of dollars without the hassle?
Well if you live in a deregulated state like Pennsylvania or New Jersey, there is a secret nobody’s telling you about. The secret is that you can save hundreds of dollars on your yearly energy bill by switching your energy provider!
Think about it. No window replacements, no new meters or light bulbs, just a new provider. State energy deregulation means that customers can choose where they get their energy from. And the best part is, your local utility still provides service and maintenance. The only things that change are where the energy comes from and how much you pay on your bill.
Sounds good doesn’t it? If you are interested in how deregulation works, or in shopping around for a new provider, check out sites like papowerswitch.com or www.oca.state.pa.us. Or, you can skip the research and get the best deals, information, and resources at Alphabuyer.com. Alphabuyer works to help consumers by offering deals with the best available rates on the market, while also providing insight and tools to help people make their decisions. In short, Alphabuyer is a free service that does all of the work and research for you. In less than 5 minutes, you can switch your provider through Alphabuyer and start saving money right away.
Now that the secret’s out, switch providers and start saving money today!
Reminder: Alphabuyer is free!
As a reminder, our service is 100% free!
We came across this slide in a video from yet another new daily site. (not to be named)
Alphabuyer Insider for September 2011
September’s Alphabuyer Insider is jammed packed with news this month. We were so busy in August we didn’t have the time to reflect on what we did and missed publishing an August edition. Never fear tho. Lots to report, including the new Alphabuyer logo signage in the office!
Heating Oil Coming Soon
Our biggest announcement this month is our expansion into heating oil. We’ve received many requests from our electricity customers to help them secure the best deals humanly possible — and that just what we plan to do. Residents in southeastern PA that use heating oil to heat their homes can visit our SE PA Heating Oil page and sign up to be notified when we have a deal. Our plan is to have a deal up and running in October.
Expansion into New Jersey Natural Gas deals
In early September we launched our first natural gas deal to New Jersey residents in the PSE&G Gas region. With this deal, Alphabuyers receive a cash back reward at the end of the initial agreement, based on the number of people who sign up.
To be completely transparent — this was a new thing for us. Due to the price of natural gas, we brokered our first variable rate deal. This means the price will change month-to-month based on market conditions. In partnering with New Energy Services for this deal, we feel confident they’ll beat the utility’s rate, as they have a good track record in other regions.
UX Features and Optimizations
As we’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, the core customer experience we provide to the market is extremely important to us. It is at the forefront of every decision we make as a business. We are proud of what we built and constantly want to make it better.
In early August we launched an A/B testing utility. A/B testing helps us measure the impact of a new page design, a creative element, a marketing promotion or label on a call-to-action. The biggest impact it’s had was on the design of the new offer details page. Thru A/B testing, we had analytic proof that the page worked better compared to the previous page. Without going into the gory detail, we found that this page design performed better for us compared to a previous page.
Also during this time we launched a new homepage, navigation and content repository. The objective of the designs were to simplify zip code entry, better highlight the How Alphabuyer Works video and to simplify the energy deregulation content we have on the site. We’ve been pretty happy with how it turned out.
Refer A Friend Program Launch
In mid-September we launched our Refer A Friend program. We wanted to provide even more value to the true Alphabuyers that use our platform. While we’ve seen a significant amount of deal sharing, we know the added incentive will only reinforce the true nature of the group buying model. The program works like this:
- Existing customers share deals using a special link we give them.
- Friends click on the link and some sign up.
- As the friend’s enrollment is processed, the referrer gets $20. That’s $20 bucks for each friend they refer — with no limits.
The Refer A Friend program also pushed us to create a page that lists all open offers and to provide those offers in a queryable RSS interface
Details about the program can be found on the Refer A Friend page.
Better Business Bureau Accreditation
Press, Media and Blog coverage
- Just the other day, we were mentioned in a Spain-based technology blog. Pretty cool. The article was titled “El camino hacia los Deals 2.0″, or The Road to Deals 2.0.
- Stephanie Anderson’s Confessions of a Stay At Home Mom also published a nice write up about us.
Educated Group Savings
In America today, the annual energy bill to run our primary and secondary schools totals almost $8 billion. This is a growing problem that is magnified by the poor economy, tight school budgets, and the increased presence of energy- dependent technology in the class room. But, while some schools are still trying to cut costs by laying off teachers or cutting after school programs, others have begun to save money by reducing energy consumption.
One program that is helping over 500 school districts reduce their energy bill is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Program. In this program, schools reduce their energy bills by replacing inefficient appliances and by implementing creative strategies to manage lighting and room temperature. Schools that have attained the EPA’s Energy star label use an average of 30% less energy than other schools.
Efforts to reduce energy consumption in school districts save money and benefit communities by allowing schools to retain teachers and after school programs. However, communities can save even more money on their energy bills by encouraging individuals to switch their energy providers through Alphabuyer. In fact, Alphabuyer now has a referral program that gives current customers $20 for each referred friend that successfully enrolls with Alphabuyer. Creating an account at Alphabuyer is free, and your savings increase as Alphabuyer’s group deals gain more enrollments. Check out the deals in your area and the refer-a-friend program at Alphabuyer.com.
Introducing the New Alphabuyer “Refer A Friend” Program
We are pleased to announce our brand new Refer A Friend program. Now, when customers refer their friends, we’ll send them a check for $20. That’s $20 for every new friend who signs up!
We’re bringing this to you as a way to say “thank you” to our customers. So many customers have been spreading the word about Alphabuyer, and until now, they’ve been doing it simply for the love of helping friends and family save money. That’s great stuff. We think that kind of effort deserves some recognition.
So how does Refer A Friend work? It’s really simple. Alphabuyer customers can log into their accounts where they’ll see a special link to the Alphabuyer website. Customers can send the links to their friends using Faceook, Twitter, or regular old email. When friends sign up using that link, the customer gets $20 from Alphabuyer! Nothing to it, right?
Want to know more? Get all the details here:
http://www.alphabuyer.com/knowledgebase/refer-a-friend/
Go Alphabuyers!
Heat Wave Causes Electricity Bills to Peak
Last month, several consecutive days had temperatures over 100 degrees across the nation, which caused homeowners to crank up their air conditioners during the hottest parts of the day. The consequences of using the most electricity last month will be reflected in the costly bill that will be received in the next couple of weeks. In addition to paying the price literally, residents may have experienced a temporary power outage due to the inability of the supplier to generate enough electricity to meet the current demand. The reason for this problem is because of the fact that electricity cannot be stored for later usage. Therefore, electric companies must generate all the electricity needed during its peak hours almost instantaneously. As a result, finding ways to cut back on electricity usage during these hot days not only saves money for the individual household, but benefits all the residents living in the grid by loosening the strain on the demand.
There are many easy ways to save energy while still staying cool:
- Close window blinds when sunlight penetrates the house, because the heat from the sun will make the air conditioner work harder to maintain a certain temperature.
- Make sure nothing is blocking vents or ducts around the house, so the air can circulate more effectively.
- Wait until the evening or early morning to use large heat-generating appliances such as washers and dryers.
- Turn off lights and electrical devices when they are not being used, such as TVs and computers.
- Cool off away from the house by going to the local pool or a public air conditioned building such as the library or movie theater.
Another great way to save money on your electric bill during the hot summer months is by switching suppliers through Alphabuyer. At no cost, Alphabuyer aggregates households to negotiate the best-in-market prices for electricity rates in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. To see current deals in your area, visit www.alphabuyer.com.
Forced to Save Electricity?
In the next few years, consumers will not have a choice in choosing the type of light bulbs they can buy for their home or business.
Congress passed a law in 2007 to stop the production of the old-fashioned incandescent bulbs gradually until 2014, starting this January. Instead, stores will become fully stocked with LED and CFL bulbs, forcing consumers to spend more than they are used to on more energy efficient technology.
Although this investment will help save money on electricity bills in the long run, some residents still voiced their concern about the government controlling the consumer market and their freedom of choice.
From the start of 2012, manufacturing companies will no longer be able to make 100-watt incandescent bulbs. During the following two years, the rest of incandescent bulbs on the market will be gradually switched out.
It is predicted that right before the switch starts to take place, shoppers will attempt to stock up on the cheap light bulbs before they disappear from the shelves. For heavily used lights, however, LED bulbs are much more efficient because they can last for up to 25 years. CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) bulbs also use more than four times less energy than incandescent bulbs and contain almost 75% less mercury than its counterpart, although the strength of emitted light is identical. Even with a retail price three times more than incandescent bulbs, CFL bulbs can last ten times longer before replacement is necessary. In short, it is worth initially spending the few extra dollars to save electricity and multiple extra trips to the hardware store.
Another great way to save hundreds on your electricity bill every year is by switching suppliers through Alphabuyer. The difference? You don’t have to invest any money to start your savings. Simply visit www.alphabuyer.com to see current best-in-market electricity rates in your area and enroll for free today.
Shopping around for an alternative electricity or natural gas supplier? This Alphabuyer Buyer Beware tip helps you better understand what happens at the end of a contract with an alternative supplier.
Know what happens at the end of your contract
Always ask the provider what will happen when your contract expires. Get a clear definition from them that includes timelines and the communication process.
We’ve all been thru this before — we sign up for a service at an “introductory rate” or via a “special promotion”. Initially the terms and rates are good, then at some point the rate flips back to the “regular” price. Conveniently, the supplier/vendor doesn’t notify you of this change — you simply get a bill with more on it.
Most electricity plans
Electricity and natural gas plans with alternative suppliers come in different flavors — Alphabuyer looks at these details in 3 categories; rates, terms and conditions.
Rate - The rate is how much you are paying for the service. For electricity it is $/kWh/month. For natural gas it’s $/ccf/month.
Term - Term refers to both how long the contract, or agreement, between you and the supplier lasts. Terms could be month-to-month, or 24 months, and anything in between.
Conditions – Conditions are details of the contract that you agree to when you sign up with the supplier. Conditions are things like service fees or cancellation policy/fees in the event you leave the agreement before it ends.
What Suppliers want to happen
Suppliers want you to stay with them after the initial agreement — that just makes good business sense. On the other hand, most suppliers do not automatically sign you up again for another fixed rate plan. After the initial contract period ends, most suppliers will put you on a variable plan, whether you like it or not. What this means is that the supplier can then charge you a different rate each billing period based on “estimated” future electricity prices. And you can bet these rates will be much higher than the fixed price because they are “estimated.”
By choosing to broker your electricity with Alphabuyer, we are here to remind you of the end of your contract period and help you get on a new plan. In addition, there will be hundreds of other Alphabuyers going thru the same process as you. Through the power of the group, Alphabuyer can help you not only get on a great fixed rate plan, but we can help get you the best possible rate and conditions.
Alphabuyer Blog “Voice of the Customer” Series
By Alina Marone
Alphabuyer, and contributing blogger
July 30, 2011
You’re driving a well traversed highway. Your fuel tank is on EMPTY. At a four-way intersection, there are four gas stations at each quadrant. Regular unleaded gasoline is sold at each and all four have it albeit at different prices, spanning a range of eight cents. For the sake of this scenario, let’s imagine that any one of the four stations is AS EASY to pull into AS the other three. Four choices, each equally easily accessible, you are purchasing one commodity gasoline, nothing else. If you’re anything like me, I pull into the station selling regular unleaded for the least amount of money. Getting what I need, as efficiently as possible is important to me, it has value to me.
Now purchasing 13.5 units at a time of this “pennies different” commodity isn’t going to save oodles of cash, but I’m also not flicking nickles out the car window as I drive. My choice may seem as logical to folks as choosing the most costly would seem illogical to the same. Read more…
Alphabuyer Insider for July 27, 2011
Wow. What a month. Late June and early July were major milestones for Alphabuyer and for group buying/social commerce in general. It was and continues to be an exciting month for us.
Our Trademark
The Alphabuyer logo and trademark are now officially under our ownership. You can find some detail about it at Trademarkia.com. The creation of our logo and definition of our brand was something we spent a lot of time on. We feel the time was well work it. Our logo leaves a very strong mark with people — we’ve gotten some great comments about it over the last few months. Maybe sometime we’ll share the other logos we were considering.
Recent News & Media Mentions
- On June 21, Technically Philly published an article about Alphabuyer. The article highlighted our video, talked about our growth and investment plans. Alphabuyer co-founder John Raisch was interviewed for the article.
- On June 19, the Williamsport Sun-Gazette featured an article about Alphabuyer. The reporter compared Alphabuyer to daily deal businesses like GroupOn and Living Social. John Raisch was interviewed the article and said this regarding energy switching
“People hesitate to switch. The switch rate is still relatively low,” Raisch said. “What Alphabuyer is trying to do is show them it’s okay to switch your provider. It’s regulated by the state. You should be out there looking around [for the best price]. We love to see people gang up and save on their energy bills.”
- On July 7, Philadelphia Inquirer’s Andrew Maykuth wrote an article about PECO’s upcoming rate increase — Peco to raise electricity supply charge. Alphabuyer’s existing offer at that time was noted as the best in market. Thanks for the interview and the mention Andy!
“Once there’s an opportunity to save one-fifth of the energy bill, we think that will be a real catalyst for customers to start shopping,” said Kevin Johnson, the chief executive of Alphabuyer.com, an online group-buying company whose current fixed-rate offering is 20 percent below Peco’s Oct. 1 price.
Expansion in to New Jersey
Now Serving Small Business
In addition to launching into New Jersey, we are bringing new group buying services to both PECO and PPL markets. On July 25, we launched small business offers in PPL saving customers up to 35% and PECO customers up to 17%.
To learn more about our small business offer, visit the Alphabuyer Newsroom page, or check out the screenshots below.
PPL Small Business offer
PECO Small Business offer
Alphabuyer now serving small businesses in PECO and PPL electric regions of Pennsylvania
Today, we launched new electricity deals serving most small business owners in eastern Pennsylvania. Small business owners in PECO and PPL regions can save MORE on their monthly bills through the power of group buying.
Customers who switch electric providers can attain best in market rates, terms and conditions by using Alphabuyer.com.
PECO Electricity Deal Details
- Savings of up to 17% vs PECO General Service rate class price to compare of 10.32 cents per kWh
- Deal limited to 35 businesses within the PECO electricity region
- Fixed price electricity for 12 months
- No cancellation fees
- No switching fees
- Savings of up to 34% vs PPL price to compare of 13.03 cents per kWh
- Deal limited to 25 businesses within the PPL electricity region
- Fixed price electricity for 12 months
- No cancellation fees
- No switching fees
