How to Switch Electricity Providers in Maine: Standard Offer vs. Competitive Providers

Maine homeowners and renters can choose a Competitive Electricity Provider (CEP) for their supply, while Central Maine Power (CMP) or Versant Power keeps delivering electricity. If you do nothing, you stay on the Standard Offer, a price set each year through a Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) auction. The Office of the Public Advocate (OPA) publishes the state's official list of current CEP prices, and you can cancel a new CEP within five calendar days of receiving its Terms of Service.

Here is how switching works in Maine, what the rules say about fees and renewals, and a checklist to follow before you sign up.

Who regulates electricity suppliers in Maine?

The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) oversees CEPs and sets consumer protection rules. It also runs the Standard Offer auction and handles complaints through its Consumer Assistance Division (file a complaint). The PUC keeps a full list of retail electricity suppliers.

The Office of the Public Advocate (OPA) represents utility customers. It publishes a price comparison of CEP offers for CMP and Versant customers, with rates in cents per kWh, contract terms and early termination fees, plus a "What's My Charge?" cost calculator.

How switching works in Maine

• The Standard Offer is the default. The OPA says customers who make no choice continue to receive Standard Offer service.
• It usually changes on January 1. The PUC says the Standard Offer price typically changes on January 1 in CMP and Versant areas, and changes are usually announced a month or more ahead (current Standard Offer rates).
• No residential fee to move on or off the Standard Offer. The PUC says residential customers pay no fee to start, return to, or leave Standard Offer service.
• Delivery is unchanged. Your utility continues to deliver power and respond to outages.
• Contact the CEP directly to enroll. The OPA explains that you sign up through the CEP's website or phone number.

Availability varies by area. The OPA reported that, as of November 2023, it had found no CEPs serving the Versant Power Maine Public District.

Your rights with a Competitive Electricity Provider

According to the PUC's Choosing a Supplier page:

Right	What it means
Terms first	CEPs must give you their Terms of Service before enrolling you.
Five-day cancellation	You may cancel within five calendar days of receiving the Terms of Service.
Authorization	CEPs must get your authorization before enrolling you.
Renewal notice	CEPs must notify you of an automatic renewal, or of a switch to a variable rate at the end of a fixed term.
Disclosed termination fees	Fixed-term contracts may carry an early termination fee; ask the amount before enrolling.

Contract terms and fees

Fixed vs. variable. The PUC warns that variable-rate offers may save money at first but can rise in later months.

Match the timing to January 1. Because the Standard Offer typically resets on January 1, the PUC suggests checking whether a fixed-rate term extends past the next change. An offer that beats this year's Standard Offer may not beat next year's.

Early termination fees. Many fixed-term contracts allow one. The OPA's comparison lists termination fees offer by offer, and notes that most listed offers had none.

Renewal. The OPA advises contacting your supplier before your contract ends; otherwise, you may be automatically extended at a higher or variable rate.

What the Public Advocate found

A January 2026 OPA report using EIA data found that Maine's residential CEP customers paid $156,011,976 more from 2016 through 2024 than they would have paid under the Standard Offer, and that "every year CEP customers pay more in aggregate for electricity supply than they would pay with default service." The number of residential CEP customers fell from 117,544 in 2016 to 67,006 in 2024 (OPA 2026 CEP report). These are totals across all customers; individual results vary, and some customers came out ahead.

Step-by-step checklist: switching electricity providers in Maine

1. Find your Standard Offer rate and usage. Check the PUC's Standard Offer page and your bill. Our Maine electricity rates page gives wider context.
2. Open the OPA price list. Compare CEP offers for your utility on the OPA electricity supply page.
3. Compare the same time period. The PUC says savings are only likely if the CEP price is below the Standard Offer for the same months.
4. Run your numbers. Use our electric bill calculator or the OPA's calculator with your monthly kWh.
5. Confirm the price with the CEP. The PUC warns that prices can change without notice.
6. Read the Terms of Service. Check the term, any termination fee, and what happens at renewal.
7. Use the five-day window if needed. Cancel within five calendar days of receiving the terms if you change your mind.
8. Set a reminder before the end date. Decide whether to renew, switch, or return to the Standard Offer.

Red flags

• A variable rate with no clear explanation of how it is set.
• A fixed rate that ends right after January 1 without a clear renewal price.
• A provider not on the PUC's supplier list.
• Pressure to enroll before you receive the Terms of Service.
• Renewal at a new price without the notice the PUC requires.
• Claims of guaranteed savings compared with the Standard Offer.

How to estimate savings before you switch in Maine

Supply offers are quoted in cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), so the quickest test is simple arithmetic. Take the difference between the offer and your Standard Offer price, then multiply it by the kWh you use in a typical month. As an illustration only: an offer 1 cent per kWh below the default price, on a home using 700 kWh a month, would lower the supply part of the bill by about $7 that month. An offer 1 cent higher would add about $7.

Repeat the math for a high-use month (winter heating or summer cooling) and a low-use month, because the dollar difference grows with usage. Then add any monthly fee the supplier charges, and subtract any sign-up credit spread across the term. If the offer only wins in some months, or only before the Standard Offer price next changes, the overall result may be close to zero. Our kWh calculator can help if you need to work out usage for specific appliances, and our state rates page shows how prices in Maine compare with other states.

Fixed or variable: choosing a price type in Maine

A fixed-rate plan charges the same supply price per kWh for the contract term. It makes budgeting easier, and you are protected if wholesale prices rise. The downside is that you may pay more than the default rate if that rate falls during your term, and you may owe a fee to leave early if the contract has one.

A variable-rate plan can change from month to month. It may start low, but you carry the risk if prices climb. Before accepting one, ask how the price is calculated, whether there is a ceiling, and how much notice you get before a change. The Maine PUC specifically cautions that variable-rate offers may save money at first but can rise in later months.

Whichever type you pick, write down three dates: when service starts, when the price could change, and when the contract ends. Most problems people report with supply contracts come from missing one of those dates.

What to do if something goes wrong

Start with the supplier. Many billing errors, missed cancellations or wrong prices can be fixed with one call, especially if you have the contract summary and the date you enrolled. Keep notes of who you spoke with and when.

If that does not work, contact the state. In Maine, the PUC's Consumer Assistance Division handles complaints about Competitive Electricity Providers, and the Office of the Public Advocate publishes price comparisons and consumer guidance. Have your utility account number, the supplier's name, and copies of any letters or emails ready. If you think you were switched without permission, say so clearly; unauthorized switching is treated seriously by state regulators.

Next steps

Pull your usage from a recent bill and compare the Standard Offer with any CEP offer in our electric bill calculator. Then check the OPA price list, our Maine electricity rates page and the EIA Maine profile.