If you live in a state with a deregulated electricity market (which includes MD, NY, and PA; the states Agway serves), where you’re free to purchase energy from independent suppliers rather than state-owned utilities, you may have noticed the ESID on your electric bill. ESID is short for “Electric Service Identifier.” Every household in a deregulated market has one. When talking to customers, suppliers often refer to it as their “Easy ID.”
ESID numbers aren’t attached to persons but to houses. Each home has one assigned and, like your postal code, it changes every time you move. If you own multiple homes, each one will have a separate ESID assigned. It tells your energy supplier which utility is responsible for delivering electricity to you.
Though electricity providers, suppliers, and utilities are often used interchangeably, each one plays a different role in powering your home. Utility companies operate the power lines that deliver electricity to your home. They rely on energy supplies to provide the electricity that travels over the lines. Suppliers, in turn, rely on providers, who own the power plants that generate it.
Whenever you switch energy suppliers, you’ll need to give them your new ESID number. Even though it’s often referred to as your meter number, you won’t find it on your meter. It’s normally listed on your electric bill instead, alongside or underneath your account number. An ESID usually contains 17-22 numbers, broken up into several sections: industry prefix, DOE code, and premise identifier.
You can also look it up online using an ESID locator or call your electricity supplier. To provide your ESID, they’ll need your address and zip code. If you’re hunting for low energy rates, your ESID is important. It tells the supplier which utility they’ll have to contact to power your home.
Protecting Your Electric System
Besides providing energy, Agway also protects the systems used to power your home. When your heating, cooling, or internal wiring breaks down, our EnergyGuardTM program is there for you. Rather than pay out of pocket yourself, we cover the cost of repairs. There are no service fees or deductibles. Just reliable, year-round savings. Contact us today to sign up!
