Green Buckeye: December 2007

December 23, 2007

SOAR Energy Cooperative: My New Natural Gas Supplier

This week I ended up applying for membership in SOAR Energy, "a member-owned solar and renewable energy buyers cooperative." I say "ended up" because I didn't start out looking to join a energy cooperative, I started out looking for an alternative (cheaper) natural gas supplier. I didn't know anything about it, so first I read up on natural gas choice on the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel Gas Choice 101 site. Then I found myself on the PUCO's Apples to Apples web site. While reviewing the certified suppliers and their plans, I stumbled on "The Energy Cooperative of Ohio through SOAR Energy."

Columbia Gas will still be my natural gas service company; SOAR Energy supplies the actual natural gas at a competitive rate (actually, they are an aggregator/middleman, I think). I understand that my bill is still coming from Columbia Gas. The Columbia Gas rep I spoke with indicated that there is no switching fee to change from Columbia to SOAR. So . . . I'll let you know if I have any problems or unexpected fees.

Incidentally, while trying to research SOAR, I called the Ohio Environmental Council because the SOAR site named an OEC staff member as a director. Turns out that person is no longer on staff at the OEC, but the OEC administers SOAR Energy customer service.

Meanwhile, I have mixed feelings. I believe I will save a few bucks by changing suppliers. I think I've made a slightly "nobler" choice by joining a cooperative that's ostensibly supporting renewable energy rather than by buying from a for-profit company. However, I also have a sense that I've incurred some risk I didn't have before. Columbia Gas is a known entity to me . . . who is SOAR Energy? We'll see.

Maybe you made a different choice. If so, which natural gas supplier did you choose and why?

Labels: consumer choices