Your monthly electric bill has two main components: delivery and supply. Delivery charges are set by your utility to cover the cost of maintaining poles, wires, meters and customer service; they do not change when you switch suppliers. Supply charges come from the company that generates your electricity. When you shop for suppliers, you’re comparing the supply portion of your bill. Reading your bill carefully will help you understand kWh rates, base charges, taxes and surcharges. Switching suppliers will not affect reliability, since your utility still handles outages and emergencies. It simply changes who provides the electricity you consume.