Spark Energy

Founded in 1999, Spark Energy provides low-cost energy to over 100,000 commercial and residential customers in 12 states. They offer a variety of fixed and variable rate plans, along with green energy options.

States Served

Spark Energy delivers natural gas and electricity residential service to the following states:

Electricity	Natural Gas
Connecticut Illinois Maryland Massachusetts New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Texas	California Illinois Indiana Maryland Michigan New Jersey New York Ohio

Commercial Customers

Spark Energy serves all of the above electricity and gas markets for businesses. It also serves commercial natural gas customers in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, and Nevada.

Available Rate Plans

Spark Energy offers variable and fixed rate options for natural gas and electricity.

Rate Type	Details	Different Fees	Contract Period
Fixed Rate	Rate remains the same for entire contract length Available with green energy 30 days advanced notification required to cancel all fixed rate plans	Price Protect: $4.95 fee each month, and $100 early cancellation fee Freedom Plus & Spark Preferred: no early cancellation fee and no monthly fee Secure Advantage or Preferred Advantage : No monthly fee, but $50 or $100 early cancellation fee applies	6, 12, or 24 months
Variable Rate	Rate subject to change monthly No contract or cancellation fee	None	None

Which Type of Rate is Better?

We generally recommend fixed rate plans with alternative suppliers like Spark Energy. This is because variable rates with alternative suppliers are usually not regulated by your local government, which means that they often skyrocket after a few months. With fixed rates, provided that you lock in a good rate and choose the right length contract, you can save over time.

Based on historical price data for natural gas and electricity, we recommend the following fixed rate contracts:

Energy type	Recommended contract length
Electricity	18 months or more
Natural gas	12 months or less

For more information, read our article on fixed rate energy plans.

Rates for New York Customers

Rate offers from Spark Energy depend on your city and local utility. Most plans are fixed rate, but some New York customers have access to variable rate plans as well. Some elctricity plans feauture renewable energy options.

Energy utilities served by Spark Energy in New York include:

For more information about service in New York state, including local rates and how to switch, check out our Spark Energy New York page.

Customer Reviews

Consumers are often satisfied with the quality of Spark Energy's customer service. Also, savings with fixed rate plans can be significant.

However, like many alternative energy companies, Spark Energy uses door to door sales techniques which can leave customers feeling uncomfortable or mislead.

Read more customer feedback along with our opinion on our Spark Energy reviews page.

Renewable Energy Options

Green energy plans are available in most of Spark Energy's service area for both electricity and natural gas. For green electricity plans, the energy delivered to your home is 100% renewable. For green natural gas plans, Spark Energy purchases carbon offsets worth 100% of your consumption, which support renewable energy projects in the United States. The actual natural gas you consume does not come from renewable sources, but instead you compensate for your carbon footprint.

Renewable energy plans are available with fixed rate contracts, of 12 and 24 month periods. Monthly fees start at $4.95 a month on green energy plans, and early cancellation fees range from $50-100.

Spark Energy Contact Information

You can reach Spark Energy customer service representatives at 1-877-547-7275, from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Saturday (CST). Read more complete contact information.

Spark Energy History

Spark Energy was founded in 1999, and now serves over 100,000 customers. It is based out of Houston, Texas. In 2011, it ranked 2nd among alternative energy suppliers for customer satisfaction in Texas, according to JD Power and Associates.