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New Jersey switching guide

How to Switch Your Electricity Supplier in New Jersey: Steps

A plain guide to changing your electricity supplier in New Jersey: the steps, what the state regulator says about your rights and the points that still need a check before you sign.

Reviewed Rules read on October 10, 2026 from the sources named below. Price and customer figures: EIA Form EIA-861, 2025.

Homes with a supplier

6.1%

232,158 homes, 2025

Average price

22.48 cents

30% above the US average

Average monthly use

670 kWh

New Jersey, 2025

One cent per kWh is worth

$80 a year

At average use

Seven steps to switch in New Jersey

  1. Find what you pay now. Your bill shows the price you pay for Basic Generation Service. Write down that price and the date it will next change. It is your utility’s Basic Generation Service price.
  2. Check that you can choose. Look at your bill. If your power comes from a city utility or a cooperative, it may sit outside the choice program, so confirm before you shop.
  3. Compare on the official site. Start with New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, which is run for consumers. Look at the price type, the term and the fees, not only the headline rate.
  4. Get the terms in writing. Ask for the price per kWh, whether it is fixed or variable, the term, every monthly fee, the early termination fee and what the price becomes at renewal.
  5. Sign up with the supplier. You enroll with the supplier, not with your utility. Keep the contract and any confirmation, and note how long you have to cancel.
  6. Watch for the start date and your first bills. Your utility handles the change. Expect a notice, and check that the supplier name, the price and the start date match what you were told.
  7. Mark the end of the term. Put the renewal date in your calendar. Many plans change price at the end of the term unless you choose again.

What we checked for New Jersey

These points come from the regulator or its official shopping site, or from the supplier disclosure language that its rules require. Each names where it was read.

  • The Board of Public Utilities licenses electric suppliers. Generation from a supplier is competitively priced and is not regulated by the board. Source: New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
  • After you enroll, your utility sends a confirmation notice. A 2018 board order set a seven day rescission period and a shorter switching time, and supplier contracts describe a window of seven calendar days from the date of that notice. Source: New Jersey BPU Board order, June 2018.

Source: Read on October 10, 2026. Rules and supplier lists change, so use the regulator link below for the current text.

What to confirm before you sign in New Jersey

We could not confirm these points from an official page, so we do not state a number for them. Ask the supplier, read the contract and check with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.

  • The rescission period in your own contract summary, which differs for new and existing customers
  • How long the switch takes to show on your bill
  • Early termination fees and renewal terms
  • The date of your next default price change, so you compare offers against the right number

What a small price gap is worth

The average New Jersey home used 670 kWh a month in 2025, or about 8,038 kWh a year. At that use, every 1 cent per kWh of difference between an offer and your utility’s Basic Generation Service price changes the yearly bill by about $80. A gap of 2 cents is about $161 a year, and 0.5 cents is about $40.

Those numbers shrink or grow with your own use. A monthly fee of $5 adds $60 a year, which can erase a small price gap. Run your own numbers with the electricity bill calculator, and compare fixed and variable plans with the fixed vs variable rate calculator.

Compare the whole contract

A low first price is only part of a plan. Look at the term, the monthly fee, the early termination fee and the renewal price, then compare the full yearly cost.

Who still delivers your power

Switching does not change the company that owns the lines and the meter. In New Jersey, the largest investor-owned utilities by residential customers in 2025 were:

Largest investor-owned utilities in New Jersey by residential customers
UtilityTypeHomes served
PSE&GInvestor-owned2,072,339
Jersey Central Power and Light (JCP&L)Investor-owned1,047,687
Atlantic City ElectricInvestor-owned509,015
Rockland ElectricInvestor-owned66,678

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 (final 2025 data), residential customers. Call your utility for outages whichever supplier you use.

If something goes wrong

Keep your contract, your confirmation and any call notes. If you think you were switched without permission, tell your utility and your regulator right away. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities takes complaints about suppliers.

Be wary of anyone who says they are from your utility and says you must switch, who asks for your account number before you have seen a contract, or who will not give you the price and fees in writing.

Switching electricity suppliers in New Jersey

How do I switch my electricity supplier in New Jersey?

Compare offers on New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, choose a supplier, get the price, term and fees in writing and enroll with the supplier. Your utility handles the change and keeps delivering your power.

Can I cancel after I sign in New Jersey?

After you enroll, your utility sends a confirmation notice. A 2018 board order set a seven day rescission period and a shorter switching time, and supplier contracts describe a window of seven calendar days from the date of that notice.

Do I still get a bill from my utility?

In most cases yes, and your utility still delivers the power, owns the meter and restores service after an outage. Some suppliers send their own bill, so read the contract.

Is a supplier cheaper than Basic Generation Service?

Sometimes. It can also cost more. Compare the offer with your utility’s Basic Generation Service price over a full year, and include fees and the renewal price.

Who handles complaints in New Jersey?

The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities oversees suppliers and takes complaints. Contact your utility too if you think you were switched without permission.

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