What do you compare on a supplier offer?
Compare five things: the price per kWh, any fees, how long the price holds, what leaving costs, and what happens at the end. State rules say a supplier contract must say how the price is set, how long it lasts, and list the other fees, with early termination penalties named.
| Line | What it tells you | Compare it? |
|---|---|---|
| Price per kWh, or the formula that sets it | Fixed, or a price that moves | Yes |
| Monthly or other fees | Add to the real price | Yes |
| Length of the contract | How long the price holds | Yes |
| Early termination penalty | The cost of leaving early | Yes |
| Renewal terms | What price follows the deal | Yes |
| Delivery charges | Set by your utility, the same for everyone | No |
NJ Power Switch offers a "contract summary" page for the same job. Read both before you agree. If you only want a list of who may sell to you, see our supplier list guide. This page starts after that: pricing one offer.
Does this offer beat my utility? The free tool
Pick your utility. Enter the offer's price, its monthly fee, its length, its cancel fee and the kWh you use in a month. You do not need a ZIP code. The tool prices the offer in winter and in summer, adds up the year, sets it against your utility's price to compare, and says switch or don't switch.
Fill in the offer and press "See my verdict". You get the cost of the offer next to the cost of your price to compare over the whole contract, a plain answer, and a warning if your price to compare is about to change.
Partner toolWe get paid if you sign up. You don’t pay more, and it never changes our scores.
This is an estimate of the supply part of your bill, not a bill. It uses your utility's seasonal prices as we last read them. It leaves out delivery and any fee you do not type in. The utility price can change on June 1 or Oct. 1, and the tool warns you when the next change is due. You can save a calendar reminder or print the result. The tool keeps nothing you type.
Use your own kWh for a winter month and a summer month. Your bill shows both. Homes with air conditioning use far more in summer.
The tool also shows how many suppliers sell at your utility and what share of homes there have switched, from the BPU's monthly report. NJ Power Switch lists suppliers but shows no prices, so ask the supplier for its offer in writing.
What is the price to beat at each utility?
Your bill names your utility. The price to compare is the supply and transmission price your utility charges when you pick no supplier. It includes sales tax. Find your row.
| Utility | Now | Winter | Summer (first block of use) | In effect since | Suppliers | Homes switched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSE&G | 19.79¢ | 19.79¢ | 19.55¢ | Oct 1, 2026 | 65 | 4.1% |
| JCP&L | 17.05¢ | 17.05¢ | 15.82¢ | Oct 1, 2026 | 67 | 10.5% |
| Atlantic City Electric | 18.16¢ | 18.16¢ | 17.12¢ | Oct 1, 2026 | 58 | 7.4% |
| Rockland Electric, Bergen | 18.43¢ | 18.43¢ | 12.46¢ | Oct 1, 2026 | 35 | 3.3% |
| Rockland Electric, Passaic and Sussex | 16.62¢ | 16.62¢ | 10.65¢ | Oct 1, 2026 | 35 | 3.3% |
The summer price applies to the first block of use. Above that block the summer price is higher, which our rates guide explains with the block sizes. The BPU's "homes switched" figure is for September 2026.
NJ Power Switch says the electric price to compare generally changes on June 1 and Oct. 1. New Jersey buys supply at a yearly state auction. The next one is scheduled to start February 8, 2027, with new prices from June 1, 2027. These are scheduled dates and can move.
A fixed supplier price does not move when your utility's price does. If your fixed deal runs past June 1, 2027, the utility's price may end up below it. Put the date on your calendar and check again.
Why can the lower price cost more?
An offer can beat your utility in one season and lose over the year. Here are the usual reasons.
- A fixed price for the full term.
- No monthly fee and no early termination fee.
- A low first-months price that then steps up.
- A variable price. The contract must say the formula, but the price still moves.
- A monthly fee that adds cents to each kWh.
- An early termination fee that keeps you in a bad deal.
- A renewal that moves you to month to month.
Here is a made-up example. A supplier offers 16.5¢ fixed for 12 months. Your utility charges 15.0¢ in winter and 12.0¢ in summer.
| Season | Offer | Utility | Offer minus utility, per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter month | 16.5¢ | 15.0¢ | $12 more |
| Summer month | 16.5¢ | 12.0¢ | $36 more |
| Over a year (8 winter months, 4 summer) | 16.5¢ | 14.0¢ | $240 more |
The offer looks close in winter. It is worse in summer. Pricing one season would have hidden that. The year is the test.
Which charges can you compare, and which can't you?
You can compare supply and the supplier's fees. You cannot compare delivery. Your utility sets it, with BPU approval, and it is the same for every supplier.
| Part of the bill | Who sets it | Does an offer change it? |
|---|---|---|
| Supply price per kWh | The supplier you pick, or your utility's price to compare | Yes |
| Supplier fees | The supplier | Yes |
| Delivery and monthly customer charge | Your utility, approved by the BPU | No |
| Taxes | The government | No |
If your town runs an electricity program, it is your price to beat. You can opt out of such a program. Read how it works on NJ Power Switch before you compare.
How do you compare suppliers, not only prices?
Once the math works, look at the company. Check that it is on the BPU's list, how clear its contract is, and how easy it is to leave.
- The supplier is on the NJ Power Switch list.
- The contract states the price or formula, the length and every fee.
- It shows the early termination penalty in dollars.
- You can find a phone number and a way to cancel.
- It would not send the written terms first.
- It pressed you to sign at the door or on a call.
Our supplier guide shows how to check one before you switch. For green plans, read what 100% renewable means in NJ.
How do you compare offers in 6 steps?
Find your utility price and your kWh for both seasons, get two or three offers in writing, test each one, then sign and set a reminder.
- 1Find your utility's price.
It is on your bill and in the table above.
- 2Find your kWh.
Get a winter month and a summer month.
- 3Get offers in writing.
Fixed with fixed, variable with variable.
- 4Run each through the tool.
Add the fee and the penalty.
- 5Read the contract.
Check the length, the penalty and the renewal line. With no signed renewal, a contract moves to month to month at its current price.
- 6Sign, then watch the clock.
You have 7 calendar days from the confirmation notice, and the contract is not binding until that ends. Save the end date.
Want to see how this works on a bill? Our bill guide shows what pushes a bill up.
Find your utility on your bill, enter one supplier offer in the tool, and sign only if it beats your utility all year.
Compare plans at my ZIPA partner runs the plan finder. If you sign up, it may pay us a fee, and that never moves a rating or a score.
Questions, answered
How do I compare electricity rates in New Jersey?
Price each offer for a full year, summer and winter, with every fee, and set it against your utility's price to compare. Then read the contract for the early termination penalty and the renewal.
What is the best way to do an NJ electric rate comparison?
Use your own kWh for both seasons. The tool on this page does it and gives a switch or stay answer.
Is the lowest rate the cheapest offer?
Not always. A monthly fee or a price that steps up can make a lower rate cost more. A fixed price can also lose to your utility's summer price.
Do all suppliers charge the same delivery fees?
Yes. Your utility sets delivery, and the BPU approves it. Suppliers differ only in supply price and fees.
Why does my utility's price change?
It generally changes on June 1 and Oct. 1, and it can move with the yearly state auction. Your bill shows the date your current price began.
Can I compare electric rates by ZIP code?
You can pick your utility instead. Your bill names it. NJ Power Switch lists suppliers by utility.
How long do I have to cancel a new supplier contract?
You have 7 calendar days from the date of the confirmation notice. The contract is not binding until the period ends.
What if I do nothing when my contract ends?
If you have not signed a renewal, state rules say the contract continues month to month under the current terms and pricing. Check the price you pay then.
Is it worth switching in New Jersey?
It depends on your utility, the season and the offer. 94 of every 100 eligible homes still buy from their utility. Test one offer at your own kWh first.
What do you want to do next?
Sources and updates
Sources (6)
- New Jersey Administrative Code, N.J.A.C. 14:4-7.6, contracts, via the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School: What a contract must show about price, length and fees, the 7-day right to cancel and month-to-month renewal (read Nov. 1, 2026).
- NJ Power Switch (run by the BPU), Price to compare: What the price to compare includes and that it generally changes on June 1 and Oct. 1 (read Nov. 1, 2026).
- NJ Power Switch (run by the BPU), Home page: The supplier list, the fixed and variable rate page and the contract summary page (read Nov. 1, 2026).
- New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, Electric switching reports, published monthly: Homes buying from a supplier, by utility.
- BGS Auction (the state's auction site), Calendar for the 2027 auction: The scheduled start of the auction and of new prices.
- PSE&G, Price to compare, effective Oct. 1, 2026: PSE&G's seasonal supply prices.
Changelog · last updated November 1, 2026 · 1 update
- November 1, 2026: Guide published.
How to cite this page: The Day Company, "How to compare electricity rates in New Jersey, summer and winter", updated November 1, 2026, https://theday.company/nj/compare-nj-electricity-rates.
The Day Company is not affiliated with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, NJ Power Switch, any utility or any electric supplier. Prices and switching counts come from public sources on the dates shown and can change at any time. The tool gives an estimate, not a quote or a promise of savings. This guide is information, not legal advice. Our plan finder is Power HQ, operated by Blitz Ventures Inc. (doing business as EnergyBot), which holds New Jersey Board of Public Utilities licence EA-0519.