I do the utility investments for one of the largest asset managers in the world, so yes, I know a little
The alternative providers are scams, and you cannot trust what the salespeople tell you. I recently had one come to my house, and it was very obvious that once you started asking informed questions, they were out of their depth, i.e. off the memorized script and rebuttals. Then they started with misinformation because they were trying to BS their way through the conversation.
The supply you buy through your utility will almost always be cheaper over time relative to alternative sources, because the utilities have a large incentive to keep your bills as low as possible, and regulators would require it anyway - except for their little renewable pet projects - which often cost more than other forms of generation (in MA), but are getting cheaper. In fact the last time I looked, nobody was cheaper than what I pay now.
The "disconnect from the grid" comment was tongue-in-cheek...it would require either a lot more money than you pay now, or would require huge changes to your lifestyle - starting with ending your reefing hobby. And I am not even sure you can legally do it, but I may be wrong.
