Ameren Energy Marketing (AEM), the power marketer for Ameren Energy Resources, in 2010 will mark its 10-year anniversary as a competitive supplier of electricity within the Illinois market. To date, AEM has saved its customers tens of millions of dollars on their generation supply costs. AEM has more than 6,000 commercial, industrial and governmental customers in Illinois.
Electric retail competition, approved through state laws, began more than 10 years ago. The law restructured the utility industry and opened up energy markets to competition, initially providing commercial and industrial customers the right to choose their electricity supplier.
AEM is one of the nation’s largest energy marketers, with offices in St. Louis, Mo.; Peoria, Springfield and Lincoln, Ill. “AEM markets and trades more than 6,000 megawatts of diverse generating assets, providing customers with customized energy solutions and exceptional service,” says Don Mosier, vice president of Ameren Energy Marketing.
Joe Lebryk, owner of Caffé Avanti in O’Fallon, Ill., is one of those customers. His company has saved between 20 and 30 percent on electric supply since switching to AEM from AmerenIP in October 2008. Founded in 2005, Caffé Avanti not only serves coffee and unique breakfast items, but also specializes in gourmet sandwiches, soups, salads and pizza for lunch and dinner. “I’ve had a very positive experience in working with Ameren Energy Marketing,” says Lebryk. “It has been an easy process to switch and I believe that AEM has helped my company realize savings in our energy costs. That’s especially important with the economic issues we are all facing today.”
In response to revisions of Illinois restructuring legislation in 2005 and 2006, AEM expanded electric supply offerings to include opportunities for smaller business customers. AEM’s market share in this arena is growing, as consumers realize that electric supply choice is available to them. “I didn’t know I had the option to choose until a customer, who happens to work for Ameren Energy Marketing, explained the benefits of switching to another electric supplier,” says Lebryk. “I also had the option to create a contract with a fixed price, which has helped me budget my business expenses.”
Lebryk says that although electric supply accounts for 4 percent of the company’s total costs, the costs of other supplies necessary to run the business continues to rise. “From coffee to tomatoes, costs have gone up, and we’ve managed not to raise our prices in the past three years,” says Lebryk. “Electricity has been the only cost that has gone down since we’ve chosen AEM.”
Caffé Avanti is also expanding by opening a second location at 217 E. Vandalia in Edwardsville, Ill., on Feb. 1. “Ameren Energy Marketing will be my electric supplier for the new location as well,” says Lebryk.
For more information on AEM, visit www.AmerenEnergyMarketing.com or call 888.451.3911.
AEM is part of Ameren Corporation, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. With assets of $24 billion, Ameren companies serve approximately 2.4 million electric customers and almost one million natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area of Missouri and Illinois.
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Contacts: Susan Gallagher 314-554-2175, Brianne Lindemann 314-554-2738