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!

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.

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 25^th, 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.

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 this lifetime supplier despite both quarterly increase after quarterly increase AND a dismal economic climate forcing other consumer sacrifices and changes.  PECO customers are relatively complacent.

Older appliances and heating systems run inefficiently compared to what’s available in the market today.  Even if they have worked reliably for more years than you imagined when you installed them, the cost of running them is what may force you to pull the plug sooner than the demise of its motor.  My recommendation is while the windows in our houses are open receiving fresh temperate air, if you are a RH rate PECO customer, now  is a good time to start thinking about how you will cope with the end of this affordable rate.  One way to cope may be a complete replacement of your obsolete heating system.   This may seem like an extreme change, but an upgrade that will return more value for your dollar than just over paying to run your current system.

PECO’s rate varieties will collapse into a Single Rate system, in January 2012 it will be at or above 12 cents/kWh.  The cost of the Single Rate will continue to rise on quarterly basis.  My understanding from reading PECO’s website is that the RH discount will decrease by half in January and will be completely phased out by December 2012.  To help you start thinking about what alternative home heating system fuels cost play with PECO’s Smart Ideas calculator found here: https://www.pecosmartideas.com/toolsandcalculators/heatingcomparison.html  This may be the first time you see just what other fuel costs are, and steer your research and shopping toward a particular system.

PECO RH rate consumers, what can I say, I just don’t want to see you “get snowed.”  Changes are coming to the way you heat your home, but there’s time to prepare.  Pennsylvania’s deregulated energy market may have you pulling the plug out on your current heating system, but it doesn’t have to have you pulling out your hair too.  There are good, better choices out there.  Good luck!

For those of us in deregulated energy states, there is an easier way to save on electricity. It’s called Alphabuyer!

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)

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!

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!

We came across this slide in a video from yet another new daily site. (not to be named)