Atlantic City Electric (ACE) History
Atlantic City Electric, or ACE as it is best known, began in 1886 as the Electric Light Company of Atlantic City to serve a small section of the town. At the time, Atlantic City had been developing into a thriving beach resort. Steam-powered passenger trains from Philadelphia set speed records of 100 mph to bring tourists from all over the Mid Atlantic region to "go down the shore". By 1888, the company powered the first all electric merry-go-round and in four years, electric trolley service. The city's success not only increased demand for power but also brought in more competition from smaller New Jersey electricity companies.
In 1901, a New York-based holding company, the Electric Company of America, took a controlling interest in the Electric Light Company. But by 1906 after buying up 22 other utility companies, this holding company tottered on the verge of collapse. Another utility holding company, American Gas and Electric, took over the troubled organization and reorganized its subsidiaries. In 1907, the Electric Light Company was merged with three other Atlantic City utilities to form Atlantic City Electric Company (ACE). The new ACE soon installed larger generators and then moved out beyond the barrier island confines of Atlantic City by buying up smaller electric utilities. In 1924, Atlantic City Electric merged with four other coastal utilities and reorganized into a corporation.
Though the 1920s saw increasing growth in electric demand, by 1932 some 73% of all US utilities were owned by just 8 companies, all built on little more than debt and paper. Congress passed the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 to break up these corporate structures. So during the 1940s, the US Securities and Exchange Commission forced American Gas and Electric to sell off its interests in ACE.
Finally spun off in the 1950s as an independent investor-owned utility company, ACE not only expanded by aquiring still more small utilities but also became more engaged in New Jersey's economic development. Because customer demand continued increasing, ACE invested in building more generation capacity and in the 1970s, it became a partner in the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station.
But in the mid-1990s, lawmakers in the Mid Atlantic states voted to deregulate their monopoly utilities. Faced with new rules requiring them to sell off their generation operations, utility companies saw the need to expand, merge, and reorganize. In 1998, Delmarva Power & Light, based in Wilmington, Delaware, acquired Atlantic City Electric and formed Conectiv Power Delivery. Four years later, Pepco Holdings bought Conectiv and by 2005 reinstated both Delmarva Power and Atlantic City Electric names. Finally in 2014, Chicago-based Exelon acquired Pepco Holdings and with it, ACE.
Now as part of the Exelon family of companies, ACE continues its job of serving south Jersey customers. The company also gives back to the communities it serves through charitable giving programs benefitting New Jersey education, neighborhood development, culture, and the environment.
ACE Service Territory
Atlantic City Electric 550,372 customers in some or all of these southeren New Jersey counties:
| Atlantic | Burlington | Camden | Cape May |
| Cumberland | Gloucester | Ocean | Salem |
ACE serves these cities:
Shop for ACE Energy Suppliers In Your Area.
Compare ACE Electricity & Natural Gas Rates
Compare third party supplier electricity and natural gas rates
in the ACE service area.
- Enter zip code.
- Select electricity or natural gas.
- Choose "residential" or "business".
- Click "Shop for Rates".
New Jersey electricity and natural gas utility service territories can overlap in some zipcode areas. If the tool reports that it has found more than one serving your zip code, don't worry! Just choose your local utility from those listed.
You'll then get to see the listing of all the energy suppliers' plans available in your area, along with rates, term lengths, and links to more detail information.
How to Start New ACE Electricity Service
Starting electricity service is fast and easy. Just visit the Atlantic City Electric site and simply fill in the online Start Service form.
Start requests take at least 3 days to process. Residential service requests can be set up over the phone by calling 1-800-642-3780 (for NJ) if they need their service turned on sooner.
Be ready to supply:
- Service Address: The address where you want your service turned on or switched.
- The start date for electricity service. Your service may be started as early as 7:00 a.m. on your requested date.
- Personal Information: You will need your name, phone number, email address, and Social Security Number or driver's license number. These will be required to verify your identity.
Will I Need to Pay a Deposit?
All new ACE customers are assessed a deposit. ACE checks your credit worthiness to determine whether you will need to pay a deposit.
TIP -- Be sure to unfreeze your credit. If you have frozen your credit with any of the major credit agencies, you will need to have it temporarily unfrozen before you submit a new service request.
New Jersey law allows utilties to charge a reasonable deposit as a condition of supplying service to new customers.
- The deposit amount is calculated at as two months of the estimated average annual electric bill.
- The deposit can be billed in up to three installments for the first three months. The first installment would be due with the first bill.
- Customers that fail to pay a bill within 30 days of the due date may require an existing customer to furnish a deposit or increase their existing deposit.
- Deposits are eligible to be returned to residential customers after 12 months of on-time payment.
- Customers can have their deposit refund applied to their account as a credit or receive a refund check.
Understand ACE Delivery and Supply Charges
In New Jersey, residential customers pay for both the cost to deliver their electricity and the amount of electricity supply that they use.
- Delivery Charges are fixed rate charges (tariffs) representing the cost of reliably transmitting electricity to your home via ACE's network of power lines. The charges cover ACE's local infrastructure operating costs, maintenance, and ensure them a profit. Other usage-based charges are small costs from riders to fund projects, cover fees, etc. ACE's delivery charges must be approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU). All ACE customers pay the same set Delivery rate for their electricity, no matter who supplies their energy.
- Supply Charges represent the price for the amount of energy supply that you use. Customers can choose ACE's "Price to Compare" for electricity supply. However, because of New Jersey 's Energy Choice program, customers are free to also choose energy from a competitive retailer called a "Third Party Supplier" or TPS.
Understand ACE PTC Charges
The BPU requires ACE to provide electricity supply to customers in their service territory who don't shop for a retail supplier at a basic service rate. This default rate, called Basic Generation Service (BGS) charge, is overseen by the BPU. Because ACE is prohibited from making a profits on the default rate, the cost is passed directly through to consumers without mark up. This cost is also called the Price to Compare.
Price to Compare (PTC)
The PTC or "Basic Generation Service" represents the actual price the utility pays for the electricity. It includes not only the cost to generate the electricity but also the cost to transmit it from power stations over high tension power lines to ACE's local electrical switch yards. From there, the electricity is distributed throughout ACE's local electrical grid for delivery to homes.
PTC rates are set during a statewide auction process that is usually held each year in February to serve different demand periods. Summer rates usually begin on June 1 and end September 30. Similarly, winter rates run from October 1 through May 31. That means electricity rates can vary seasonally; low some months, higher the next.
ACE Current PTC Residential Rate: 13.170 cents per kWh, expires 3/31/2025
How Much Do ACE PTC Charges Cost?
The PTC ACE electric rate usually changes twice during the year. However, your utility can file a request for an increase at any time. That makes it important for consumers to know and understand how much they are paying for their electricity in any one month.
How much is the ACE Electric PTC rate?
The BPU estimates that the average New Jersey residence uses an average of 687 kWh each month.
In order to cover peak demand delivery costs, ACE divides the year into summer rates (June through September) and non-summer rates. ACE currently charges a different residential distribution rate for any usage over 600 kWh per month. However, in the current tariff, the higher rate only kicks in during the summer months. Therefore, an average, non-summer, residential PTC bill roughly breaks down like this:
| Rate per 687 kWh Used, including Sales and Use Tax (SUT) | Monthly Customer Charge | Total | |
| PTC Supply Rate | 13.170 cents | 0 | $90.48 |
| Monthly Distribution Charges | $$0.066324 per kWh | $6.25 | $51.01 |
| Total Bill | $141.49 |
Understand New Jersey Energy Choice
New Jersey energy consumers are free to choose their own competitive retail electricity supplier. Known as "Third Party Suppliers" or TPS, they shop deals with different producers on the wholesale market to offer their customers competitive rates. As such, TPS rates are not controlled by the BPU. This way, retail suppliers are able to offer competitively priced fixed rate plans for a variety of term lengths.
Though it can seem confusing, shopping for cheap New Jersey electricity is an easy process. The trick is finding the one that meets your needs. That's why retail energy suppliers in New Jersey offer two types of plans:
Understand Your Energy Usage and Your ACE Bill
While your energy usage habits are unique to you, any New Jersey native will tell you, winters can be blustery and cold while summers can be hot and muggy. In the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., about 52% of an average home's energy usage goes to space heating.
Average Annual Usage Breakdown
Want to learn more about your home energy usage? ACE customers can see 12 months of their past electric usage plus other relevant information free of charge on their ACE on-line account.
The best way to cut your gas bill is to reduce your usage:
Understand Your ACE Bill
Your Atlantic City Electric Co. electric comes packed full of useful information to help you better understand your usage and rate. But all these different line items that can be confusing to customers. Here is where we break down the most important items. Below is a sample ACE Electricity bill.
ACE Sample Bill
- A & B: Bill Overview. It states the billing period, your service address and personal account number with ACE.
- C: ACE Contact Information. Here you find out who to contact at ACE for customer support or emergencies.
- D: Summary of Your Charges. This shows the balance from your last bill, the current total amount due, and the date that the bill is due.
- E: Shows your usage history per bill over the course of the past year to help you compare your energy use over time and understand trends.
- F: Payment Stub. Just detach and return with your payment. It also includes your account number, amount paid, amount due, and the due date.
- Page Two
- G: Detail of Electric Charges. This shows the type of rate for the your service address, the meter number, and the meter data which includes the start and end dates, the number of days, and total kWh used.
- H: Detail of Delivery Charges. Here you can find details about ACE's distribution charges which includes their delivery charge by kWh, the monthly customer charge, and any additional riders and taxes.
- Page Three
- I: Electric Generation Supply Charges. This section shows infomation about the current ACE Price to Compare and your NJ electricity supplier. Here you'll find the total supplier charges and a total sum of your electric charges due.
ACE Coupons, Energy Promotions, Discounts, Rebates and Promo Codes
As your local electric utility, ACE offers several rebate and energy efficiency programs to help customers save money off their monthly bill by upgrading their home's energy performance. Some programs also offer money-saving incentives while others could make paying your monthly bills much easier during those expensive winter months.
| Program Name | Program Type | Benefit |
| Appliance and HVAC Rebates Program | Energy Efficiency Rebate Program | ACE residential customers can now take advantage of rebates on the purchase of ENERGY STAR® certified appliances and HVAC systems.
|
| Lighting Discounts Program | Energy Efficiency Rebate Program | ACE has partnered with the following local retailers to offer instant discounts on select ENERGY STAR® certified LEDs. Participating stores include Ace Hardware, Costco, Dollar Tree, Goodwill, Lowe's, Target, Home Depot, and Walmart. |
| Appliance Recylcing Program | Energy Efficiency Rebate Program | Recycle your old working fridge or freezer and get $50. You can also receive a $25 rebate for an old, working dehumidifiers unit if picked up along with a qualifying fridge or freezer. Plus, you can save money on your electricity bill when you purchase a new ENERGY STAR® appliance to replace it.
|
| Quick Home Energy Check-up Program | Energy Efficiency Rebate Program | Atlantic City Electric customers can sign up for the no cost Quick Home Energy Check-up, an in-person assessment of your property's energy efficiency. Includes installation of free energy saving products and recommendations for upgrades that can qualify for rebates. |
| Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program | Energy Efficiency Rebate Program | ACE customers can sign up with a participating contractor and schedule a home energy audit. Through this program, a specially trained Participating Contractor will come to your home and:
You may qualify for rebates up to $5,000 to cover imporvements once the audit is completed. |
| Home Weatherization Program | Residential Energy Efficiency | You may be eligible to receive a free assessment to identify areas for energy efficiency improvements. Depending on your home's needs, you also may be eligible for installation of up to $6,000 in energy efficiency upgrades and up to $1,500 in health and safety improvements at no cost to you.
Among the improvements included: |
| New Jersey Comfort Partners Program | Residential Energy Efficiency | Operated through the BPU Clean Energy Program, this free program that helps income-eligible customers reduce their utility bills through implementing cost effective measures which save energy and money while improving their home's safety and comfort at no cost to them. |
| BPU Winter Termination Program | Bill payment assistance | From November 15 through March 15, the program prevents residential gas and electric customers who qualify from having their gas or electric service disconnected during the winter months. Call ACE Customer Service. |
| ACE Payment Arrangements | Bill payment assistance | ACE offers payment arrangements to allow residential customers to pay their account balance in monthly installments. These installments are billed along with your current monthly charges and both must be paid on time, in full each month. Apply through your online ACE account.
|
| Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) | Bill payment assistance | A Federal grant to help pay your winter heating bills. ACE heating customers that apply usually receive an average of $300 towards their energy bill, and about $200 for medically necessary cooling, if qualified. |
| New Jersey Universal Service Fund (USF) | Bill payment assistance | The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities created the Universal Service Fund (USF) to help make energy bills more affordable for customers. If you're eligible, USF can lower the amount you have to pay for your gas and electric bills. You can apply online. |
| New Jersey Lifeline for Seniors and Disabled Adults | Bill payment assistance | New Jersey Lifeline is a $225 yearly electric or gas bill credit for seniors or disabled adults in New Jersey. To qualify, you must be a New Jersey resident, 65 years of age or older, or 18 years of age or older and receiving Social Security Title II Disability benefits. |
| New Jersey SHARES | Bill payment assistance | You can help an Atlantic City Electric customer in need of assistance with their energy bills by contributing to NJ SHARES. Simply pay exactly $1.00 over your Atlantic City Electric bill amount and that dollar will be contributed to New Jersey SHARES, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. |
| Gift of Energy | Bill payment assistance | With the Gift of Energy, you can make a payment toward a friend or family member's energy bill. Atlantic City Electric customers can arrange to make a payment through their online account. |
| Budget Billing Plan | Bill payment assistance | Budget Billing averages out your annual energy cost to create a balanced and predictable monthly bill. This allows you to avoid spiking winter and summer bills. |
ACE Reviews
Because ACE serves a mid-sized New Jersey market segment, understanding how it compares to other large-scale incumbant utilities can show just how well it serves its residential customers. ACE is not accredited by the BBB but was rated above average in J.D. Power's 2022 utility residential customer satisfaction study. The utility also placed well in Escalent's 2022 study, Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential.
| NJ Energy Ratings Score | Better Business Bureau | J.D. Power 2022 Electricity Utilty Study | Escalent 2022 Utility Study |
| N/A | Not Accredited; rated A+ | 724 of 1000 pts |
677 of 1000 pts |
How do I Get the Cheapest ACE Rate?
Shopping energy plans from new Third Party Supplier in ACE can seem bewildering at first. Once you understand how it works, though, it's an easy and straightforward process. That said, you should have these three things with you when you shop for electricity or natural gas.
- Your current bill. Your past usage per billing period can help you estimate a how much a plan might cost you each month.
- The current ACE BGS electric rate and expiration date. Knowing the current ACE supply cost gives you a price to compare with alternative energy suppliers. This way, you can get a better feel for what they're offering, for how long, and if any of their incentives make their price work for your family's need.
- Your ACE customer account number. This 12 digit number is located in the upper right corner of your bill. Keeping this information handy lets you sign up for TPS offers right away.
ACE Shopping Questions
Often when you know the right questions to ask you'll learn exactly what you need to save money or avoid making a bad choice. When you shop electricity rates from a TPS in New Jersey, always be sure to ask the supplier these important questions:
- Is the rate competitive with ACE's electricity basic supply rate?
- Is the rate variable or is it fixed?
- How long does the plan last?
- What happens when the contract expires?
- Does the plan have any recurring monthly charges?
- Does the plan come with an early cancellation fee?
- Does the supplier offer any customer incentives or rewards?
There are also some other important things to understand ahead of time:
Who bills me? ACE sends a single bill that outlines and adds up your monthly charges.
What are the Terms of Service? The Terms of Service explain and identify specific charges and any fees a customer will face when they sign up for an electricity plan. Many suppliers offer different rates for plans with different term lengths. All New Jersey energy customers should read and understand what's in a TPS's terms of service and contract summary for any plan they are interested in before they agree to the plan.
What are early termination fees? Switching retail suppliers before a contract ends can involve paying early termination fees. These can take a chomp out of your checking account if you switch retail providers before your electric plan contract ends.
Where can I find more information on my usage? ACE customers can find 12 months of their usage plus other relevant information free of charge on their monthly ACE bill or through their online ACE account.
Read ACE Customer Reviews
Compare Electricity Rates in Your Area
Electricity Service Out?
Contact ACE !
Problems or interruptions with your ACE Electricity service? Here's the proper people to call:
Billing problems? - First thing to do is contact ACE. If you have trouble paying your monthly bill call ACE 's Customer Service:1-800-642-3780.
Need extra time to pay your energy bill? Atlantic City Electric offers its customers two ways to get a little extra time to pay:
- One-time Payment Delay You can enroll in a one-time 30 day payment delay twice a year.
- Extended Payment Date Plan Qualified residential customers can enroll if their main source of total household income is from government or other low-income entitlement programs. Call Customer Service or apply on-line.
Emergencies and Outages
For all emergencies, call 911 immediately!
- Electricity -- call ACE at 1-800-833-7476.
- All power transmission lines are extremely dangerous! Never attempt to move a downed power line by yourself. Call 911 and then notifiy ACE.
- Follow current ACE electric outages as they are being repaired.
Latest Atlantic City Electric News
Shop Best Electric Rates For Your HomeElectric rates will likely follow falling natural gas prices. But a hot summer could drive them up again. Shop now to lock in low price electricity and save!Are you looking to save on your electricity this year? Atlantic City Electric hasn’t finalized...
What You Need to Know to Shop for a New Electricity RateIf you're not sure how to switch your energy provider in the Atlantic City Electric serivce area, let us show you how!If you're fed up paying the BGS or don't like your existing electricity supplier, you're not stuck. You have the powe...
Basic Generation Service Hike ApprovedThe NJ BPU has approved raising the Basic Generation Service for all NJ utilties. If you're on BGS, you're going to pay LOTS more for your electrcity. Learn how you can save by shopping rates and plans instead!New Jersey residents’ electricity bills w...
ACE New Jersey Service Area Providers
| Company | Rating | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Harbor | (4.1/5) |
|
| Spark Energy | (3.8/5) |
(866) 605-8658 |
| Green Mountain Energy | (3.4/5) |
|
| Frontier Utilities | (3.4/5) |
866-607-3081 |
| Constellation | (3.4/5) |
|
| Direct Energy | (3.3/5) |
(866) 645-2643 |
| Sunwave Gas & Power | (3/5) |
|
| CleanSky Energy | (3/5) |
800-581-1016 |
| XOOM Energy | (3/5) |
|
| Verde Energy | (3/5) |
|
| APG&E | (2.5/5) |
|
| NextEra Energy Services | (2.2/5) |
855-639-8091 |
| NJG&E | (2/5) |
|
| NRG Home | (0/5) |
|
| SFE Energy | (0/5) |
|
| National Gas & Electric | (0/5) |
|
| American Power & Gas | (0/5) |
866-682-9816 |
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