You may have seen advertisements in the Metro advertising the “DC is Electric” website and warning consumers their electrical bill will change on Feb. 8. That’s the date the price cap for electricity will be eliminated, and the cost for electricity will jump by 18 percent annually, or “about $10 per month,” according to the public information website.

The change is occurring as part of the process of deregulating the production – but not the transmission or distribution – of electricity in D.C. Basically, everyone will still pay Pepco to get the juice to the door, but since 2001 have been able to choose the producer of electricity, and come Feb. 8, all regulations controlling price will be eliminated.

It turns out that for residential customers, despite all the rhetoric of choice, there isn’t a whole lot to go around. According to the D.C. Public Service Commission website, although 6 companies have been approved to sell electricity to residential consumers, only two are actually available: Pepco and Washington Gas Energy Services. Interestingly, Pepco’s website for residential customers shows they are able to purchase “green” and “wind” produced electricity at a slightly higher cost.