 Cell Phone |
 Cable, Internet and Home Phone |
 Electric |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | $54.80 per month | $171 per month | $92 per month (average) $193 per month (average) in summer |
| Current Plan | Ivan already has the lowest available plan ($39.99 for 450 anytime minutes) through AT&T, and he subtracts $8.80/month through his employer’s corporate discount. Government fees and an extra 20 cents per text message (he averages 70 a month) account for $13.60/month. | Ivan is already wisely taking advantage of Time Warner’s reduced Triple Play package, which bundles three services for a base rate of $134.95 and is about $25/month less than he’d pay for them individually. He also pays $9.95/month for DVR service and $14.95 for HBO. | Like the rest of us, Ivan pays whatever ConEd tells him to. The energy provider’s rates fluctuate within a government-approved range (10.2 cents per kilowatt hour on Ivan’s last bill); usage ordinarily spikes in summer, thanks to Ivan’s multiple air-conditioners. |
| How He Can Save | Since he never goes over 100 daytime minutes, Ivan should find a carrier that offers a lower-price plan and also will buy him out of his contract with AT&T. Sprint’s new Credo Mobile network has a 200-anytime-minute plan for $29.99 and offers up to $200 to offset the termination fee. Ivan could then tack on a $9.99 package for unlimited text messaging (AT&T would charge $20 for this). | Though there are New York cable companies with lower rates (such as Comcast’s $99 Triple Play package), none are available in Ivan’s neighborhood. However, he can sign up for Time Warner’s “Price Lock Guarantee” for two years. The deal will lock him in at a reduced base rate of $119.95 per month (plus taxes and fees for HBO and DVR service) for the full term for the same services he has now. | The only way Ivan can curtail his ConEd bill (besides cutting his energy usage) is by selecting one of the dozen-odd ESCOs (or energy-services companies) listed on the ConEd Website (coned.com/escos). One company, Energetix, has a low cancellation fee of $35 and a per-kilowatt rate that’s currently a tenth of a cent lower than ConEd’s. It’ll also send Ivan a $25 rebate if he signs up with them. |
| New Plan | $48.88 | $155 | $82/$172 (with rebate) |
Annual Savings: $416
(Assuming summer electric bills and the ESCO rebate.)
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