FAQs

Yes, so long as you live in an area with competitive electricity markets, including CT, DE, IL, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, and Washington DC. Within those territories, some areas are served by utilities that do not allow competitive energy rates, so enter your zip code with Arbor today or visit our eligibility FAQ page to see if we are available in your utility area.

Arbor secures electricity supply rates - personalized to you - through our trusted supply partners. These rates help you save money, and aren’t available within the traditional energy supply marketplace. 

These rates may differ from what you see as available on a power switch site, but all rates that Arbor secures will be fixed, commitment free, fee-free, and safe from unexpected price hikes.

Here are just a few benefits of switching to a new rate through Arbor:

1. Stable Costs: Your new fixed rate brings less uncertainty, making financial planning a breeze.
2. No commitments: As always, you're welcome to drop the rate at any time and Arbor will cover any early termination fees (ETFs) incurred. If you keep your Arbor account open, Arbor will continue to look for another lower rate.
3. Renewals: Upon the expiration of your current contract, Arbor will operate in your best interest to secure a rate lower than your utility's default supply rate. If no better rate is available, Arbor will work to move you back to your utility's default supply rate.

Once your utility account is linked, we compare your current supply rate against personalized plans from our trusted partners. The criteria we use to define a better rate depends on your chosen Autopilot Preference:

• Short-Term Savings: A better rate is any plan that secures immediate savings by dropping below your current supply price.
• Long-Term Stability: A better rate is one that secures price protection for 12–36 months. This rate might start slightly higher than your current one but is designed to shield you from future price spikes.

Default Setting: If you do not actively select a preference, your account will default to Short-Term Savings.

We are typically able to find a better supply rate for our customers within a couple days to weeks after signup, depending on your current rate, Autopilot preference, and market conditions. Once we secure the rate, we’ll automatically submit the switch to ensure you don't miss the opportunity.

Please note that your Autopilot Preference may impact this timeline. If we haven't found a rate within a couple weeks, it generally means your current rate is already favorable, but we will continue working in the background to secure a plan that matches your preference.

When you are on a new rate from a competitive supplier, you keep paying your local utility company as usual. They continue to manage your bill, and deliver the same reliable electricity to your home. You'll just see the new supply rate and the name of your competitive supplier on your bill.

This means you're on a good rate and we do not currently have any rates available from alternative suppliers in your area. Arbor continuously is looking for new rates so when one does show up, we will let you know.

Once you are submitted on a new rate, you'll receive a confirmation email with the details of your rate (price/term/supplier). From there, you can anticipate the new supply rate to appear on your utility bill in 1-2 billing cycles. The switch time varies for each utility company.

When you switch to a new rate plan, your utility stays the same. There's no interruption in your service, you'll get your bill only from your utility, and you'll just see the new supply rate in the supply section of the bill. If we run into any issues submitting you onto a new rate plan, we will notify you of any action that is needed.

Suppliers are required to notify you when your contracted rate plan is coming to the end of the term and they may include a renewal offer as a part of that notification. As an Arbor user, you can safely disregard that notice. With Autopilot turned on, Arbor will continue to secure personalized savings rates for you beyond your initial rate plan. In the event that you have Autopilot off, Arbor will no longer work to secure personalized savings rate plans for you.

If you have switched to a new supply rate plan yourself, please contact our support team at support@joinarbor.com with the new rate plan details so we may update your account appropriately. This will ensure we only act on new rate plans that are beneficial to you, with your new rate in mind.

The price to compare (PTC) is the utility’s default supply rate of an electricity bill that can be used to compare against other energy supply rates.

It's typically listed on your utility bill and may change periodically. When someone switches energy suppliers, the competitive supply rate replaces the PTC rate.

PTC may also be known as the Standard Offer Service (SOS) price.

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A supplier purchases or generates electricity and then sells it to end users through the local utility grid, which is then reflected on the end user’s local utility bill. Suppliers are active in competitive electricity markets, where companies compete to offer electricity, just like cable or internet companies compete for your business.

Utilities operate the electrical grid (the "poles and wires" company), which distributes electricity from power plants, over transmission lines, to your home. In most places, the utility is the default supplier, but in competitive electricity markets you can choose to buy electricity from a competitive supplier. You still receive the same reliable electricity and the same monthly bill from your utility, but at a different rate from the competitive supplier.

Arbor only offers fixed rates, usually with a term of 6-18 months. Fixed rates provide price protection and certainty over a guaranteed period of time. Variable rates, on the other hand, fluctuate month-to-month, exposing you to unexpected price hikes.

It typically takes 1-2 billing cycles for the new rate to take effect and display on your utility bill. This is due to processing time on the supplier and utility’s end.

We’re just as anxious for our customers to start saving and appreciate the patience extended awaiting the new rate to take effect.

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Typically a fixed rate requires a contract for 6-18 months, but you are not locked in as you can cancel at any time and Arbor will reimburse you for any early termination fees incurred.

We currently do not switch supply rates during it’s term length. However, when your current contract term is nearing it's end, we'll start searching for a new competitive rate, compared against the default supply rate with your utility.