Press Release

PUC Websites for Natural Gas and Electric Shopping Receive GO-TIME Award for Promoting Increased Citizen Engagement

Published on 8/14/2017

Filed under: Electric Gas

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today announced that its highly regarded websites for electric and natural gas shopping and energy efficiency – www.PAGasSwitch.com and www.PAPowerSwitch.com – have been recognized by the Governor’s Office of Transformation, Innovation, Management and Efficiency (GO-TIME) for the use of technology to promote increased citizen engagement.

At a ceremony in Harrisburg, PUC Chairman Gladys M. Brown joined officials from Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration to accept the award and highlight the Commission’s effort to provide “neutral and trusted resources for power and energy shopping information.”

“The PUC’s shopping sites attract nearly one million visitors per year, enabling residents and small businesses to shop for energy offers from competitive suppliers, receive alerts about upcoming rate changes, and review in-depth information about conservation and energy efficiency,” said PUC Chairman Gladys M. Brown. “PAPowerSwitch.com and PAGasSwitch.com have been designed to allow consumers to easily sort and filter various offers and to quickly identify suppliers that best fit their needs. Additionally, these sites have become models for shopping portals across the country and around the world.”

Chairman Brown noted that during June 2017, over 4,000 Pennsylvania natural gas customers used PAGasSwitch.com to generate more than 1,000 direct clicks to sign up for natural gas suppliers’ offers to save money and/or for innovative competitive services.  This represents a 47 percent growth rate in visitors to the shopping website, year over year, from June 2016 to June 2017.

Also in June 2017, more than 72,000 Pennsylvania electric customers used PAPowerSwitch.com to generate nearly 39,000 direct clicks to sign up for electric suppliers’ offers to save money and/or for innovative competitive services.  This represents a 28 percent growth rate in visitors to the shopping website, year over year, from June 2016 to June 2017.

Additionally, a survey conducted in conjunction with the 20^th anniversary of electric choice in Pennsylvania, consumers indicated that the PUC is a trusted resource for information about energy choice decisions.

According to the survey data, consumers who visit PAPowerSwitch.com indicated the following:

• Ninety percent somewhat/strongly agree that the website provides helpful information.
• Eighty-seven percent are very/extremely satisfied.
• Seventy percent say that the website is very/extremely easy to navigate.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

The Governor’s Office of Transformation, Innovation, Management and Efficiency (GO-TIME), works with state agencies to modernize government operations to reduce costs and improve services. State agencies already saved over $156 million last fiscal year and Governor Wolf challenged GO-TIME to build upon this success by achieving $500 million in savings by 2020.

For recent news releases and video of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.pa.gov. Follow the PUC on Twitter – @PA_PUC for all things utility.  “Like” Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Facebook for easy access to information on utility issues.

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Contact:

• Nils Hagen-Frederiksen
  Press Secretary
  717-418-2701
  nhagen-fre@pa.gov