Still purchasing your electricity from PPL? You may be able to save money with just a few clicks of a button.

Approximately 1.8 million Pennsylvanians now buy their home's energy from an alternative electricity supplier, such as UGI or Met-Ed, according to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. That's about one in three homes across the state.What am I buying?When Pennsylvania residents and business owners "shop" for electricity, they are choosing the company that generates their electricity. Energy generation is the largest portion of monthly electricity bills.A smaller portion of the bill, for delivery of energy, remains the same no matter where your electricity is purchased because electricity for all homes is delivered by the local default energy provider. For many local readers, this is PPL."PPL Electric wants you to shop. We only deliver your power, and we get paid the same for that no matter where you buy it," said Paul Canevari, the regional manager of PPL Electric Utilities. "I shop, as do many PPL Electric Utilities employees, because we know we can save money and that shopping has no effect on our company. And you will get the same reliable, high quality service if you shop."What to considerMost shoppers have looked for the lowest price among competitors, but it's also possible to search for companies offering "green" or sustainable energy, such as power generated through wind power or hydropower, or geothermal and solar energy.In addition to where your energy comes from, it's important to consider the terms of each company's contracts.Contracts offer either a fixed or variable rate. Fixed rates will remain the same for the length of time stipulated in the contract, typically three to 12 months. Variable rates can change each month, or even by the day, also as stipulated in their customer contract."If you have a variable rate, it means the price you pay per kilowatt hour can change any time, based on factors like weather and market conditions," said Canevari.Variable rates do tend to be less expensive initially, especially during the spring and fall when energy use is typically lower.But variable energy prices can dramatically increase during very cold weather, surprising customers who have a variable rate with a very high electricity bill."Last winter, many PPL Electric Utilities customers on variable-rate plans for their generation supply faced high bills, resulting from a combination of high usage during the prolonged cold weather and volatile market prices," he said."As with any purchase people make, it's always good to double-check what you're buying, and know the terms of your energy contract and the price you'll pay. Even if you're already on a fixed-rate plan, it's a good idea to check the terms and expiration date of your supply agreement. Sometimes fixed-rate plans automatically shift to variable-rate plans when they expire."How do I shop?Energy generation prices and availability vary by area. To see a list of companies selling electricity in your area, go to

www.papowerswitch.com and click on "Shop for Electricity."After entering your ZIP code, you can narrow your search for companies offering fixed or variable rates and sustainable energy generation."All suppliers on the Public Utility Commission's website,

www.papowerswitch.com, are licensed and legit," said Canevari.Also listed on the site is PPL Electric Utilities' "price to compare," which is the generation charge PPL customers are currently paying. To determine if an alternate energy supplier can save you money, you'll need to compare their rates per kilowatt hour to PPL's "price to compare."As of last week, the PUC listed 108 choices for homeowners living in the greater Lehighton area. Of these options, 84 were for fixed-rate contracts. Approximately half cost less than PPL's current price of approximately $0.09 per kilowatt hour.The website also offers an estimate of how much each contract would cost, based on your home's monthly energy usage.Some things won't changeNo matter where you purchase your electricity, it will continue to be delivered by your area's default power company.And whether you continue to buy energy directly through PPL or an alternative supplier, you'll still receive one bill from PPL each month."Sign up with a new supplier and they will take care of notifying us," said Canevari. "You will still get one bill showing your delivery charge from PPL Electric Utilities and your energy charge from your supplier."