With electric rate caps set to expire in Pennsylvania, local businesses have a new way to take charge of what they pay for power. The Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and Industry is setting up a power pool for its members. WFMZ's Pam Cunningham explains how this could help businesses lock in low rates.

[ WEB LINK:  ( Power Pool Enrollment Page ) ]
  
>> REPORTER: With less than two months until rate caps for electricity come off for PPL, the Berks County Chamber of Commerce is all charged up. 

>> GAIL LANDIS: You look at the bill and then you say what's this on my bill what's this charge and what's this about. 

>> REPORTER: Because those caps are coming off they are anticipating that prices will go up and they wanted to give their members something they can do about it and so far there has been a lot of interest. 

>> LANDIS: I think we had some 87 individuals that have expressed an interest and that is just the PPL customers so after the first of the year we'll be broadening out to the Met-Ed. 

>> REPORTER: The Chamber says the majority of its members get power from Met-Ed. Its rate caps come off at the end of 2010. And they want all Chamber members to pull together their resources. 

>> LANDIS: Electricity is now a commodity so the more you consume or the more you use hopefully you can get it at a better price then if you were just going out to buy one item at a time. 

>> REPORTER: The Chamber has partnered with Reading based American PowerNet to go out and purchase power for a group of businesses to pool their resources. 

>> LANDIS: Come talk to us go online we have a very simple form they can fill out to let us know they may be interested in being part of the electric purchase power pool. 

>> REPORTER: The benefit is the possibility of locking in low fixed rates to manage costs. 

>> LANDIS: Especially if you are a business or a manufacturer operating costs are critical and in many cases the electric costs majority portion of that. 

>> REPORTER: Next Tuesday, businesses can learn more about power costs at the energy summit sponsored by the Chamber.

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