New Jersey    These four electric companies still service their
customers, but now only as the local utility and not as a
competitive electricity supplier.  This means that the incumbent
utility is still in charge of delivering the power to your home
or business, as well as maintaining the electric lines and
wires.  In most cases they will also continue to send you your
monthly electric bill.  Electricity supply, or generation, is
what has been deregulated and is what customers get to choose. 
They can choose to sign a fixed rate for a few months or few
years, a variable rate, or even wind power.  If you haven’t yet
shopped for competitive electric rates then you are paying a
default supply rate with your utility company.  In New Jersey
this default rate is called the basic generation service rate. 
The basic generation service rate is determined by a series of
auctions that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities holds for
competitive electric companies.  In theory, even if you haven’t
selected an alternati