After legislation by the government was passed, the key parts (generation, transmission and distribution, and retail sales) of the electricity market opened up to multiple competitors, giving consumers and businesses the power to choose. By opening up the market for several electricity providers to compete with each other, the government deregulated energy.
There are several cities in Texas that have been deregulated. To see if your area is deregulated and find electricity provider options, please visit the Service Areas page.
No, you do not have to pay us to use our site or select an electricity provider of your choice.
Electricity rates are determined on a few factors. The PUC (Public Utilities Commission) determines the base rate that electric generator companies must charge. The retail companies add their fees to that rate for customer service and other unique offers
Your current Transmission and Distribution Utility, or "local wires company," continues to deliver electricity to your home. Your local wires company still responds to service interruptions and continues to maintain the poles and wires. You will continue to receive the same reliable service you are used to with your local wires company, regardless of which Retail Electric Provider you receive service from.
You can now choose to buy your electricity from a different electric provider than the original provider for your area. These companies are called Retail Electric Providers. Additionally, your bill now looks different than bills you have received in the past, but each Retail Electric Provider provides the same standard information.
Competition is active in several cities in Texas.
Your service will not be disconnected if you switch your electricity provider. . Before you are switched, you will receive written confirmation in the mail. You will receive your first electric bill from your new Retail Electric Provider on the following billing cycle.
Texas' electric rates are average compared to rates across the rest of the country, but our usage is among the highest in the nation due to demand for air conditioning during the long, hot summer season. Competition in other industries has often brought lower prices and innovative, new products and services. Having more control over your buying decision should make it easier to determine what matters most to you, whether it is prices, renewable or green energy sources, customer service or simply a name you know.
Electric competition also should help the environment because Retail Electric Providers may offer electricity from environmentally-clean energy sources. Generating electricity from renewable sources such as wind produces less air pollution than generation that relies on burning coal or natural gas. Natural gas is considered a "clean" fuel source in Texas, since it produces fewer emissions than coal.
No. No matter which Retail Electric Provider you choose, your electricity will continue to be delivered safely and reliably by the local wires company, a company still regulated by the PUC.
Yes. Your Retail Electric Provider is responsible for customer service functions such as billing. The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) has established rules requiring Retail Electric Providers to provide you with a bill that is easy to read. For example, your bill will be issued monthly, you will receive a paper bill via U.S. Mail, and you have the choice of receiving your bill electronically, if both you and your Retail Electric Provider agree. It is up to Retail Electric Providers to design their bills; however, there are many bill components they are required to include. Please refer to our Fact Sheet on Bill Formats for more information on your electric bill.
It is up to Retail Electric Providers to design their bills. How they decide to itemize charges is up to them.
You should contact your Retail Electric Provider.
Billing disputes should be directed to your Retail Electric Provider. If disputes cannot be resolved, please contact the Public Utility Commission of Texas customer hotline toll-free at 1-888-PUC-TIPS (1-888-782-8477).
The portion you are shopping for is the total price per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which will help you compare offers from Retail Electric Providers. Each Retail Electric Provider must provide an "Electricity Fact Label," which is designed to show the cost of electricity at various levels of consumption, taking into account all of the costs of producing and delivering electricity. It will probably be easier for you to compare offers from different Retail Electric Providers by looking at the total charges in the Electricity Facts Label. Contact each provider you are interested in and request a copy of their Electricity Facts Label to compare offers and determine which is best for your family.
No. There is no switching fee unless you request a special meter reading at a time other than your regularly scheduled meter reading. There may also be penalties if you break an existing contract with your current Retail Electric Provider. Review your Terms of Service agreement for details.
Customers can choose a Retail Electric Provider at any time; however, you will not begin to receive power from your new Retail Electric Provider until after your next regularly scheduled meter reading. Before you are switched, you will receive written confirmation in the mail. You will receive your first electric bill from your new Retail Electric Provider on the following billing cycle.
Yes. You may cancel within three days from when you receive your Terms of Service agreement by contacting the Retail Electric Provider. If you are hand-delivered a terms of service agreement or you sign up for service using the Internet, there is a three-day cancellation period. The confirmation that will be mailed to you will also provide a way to cancel your switch.
You will not be without electricity. In most cases, your Retail Electric Provider will give you 30 days' advance notice to give you time to select a new provider. If your provider goes out of business suddenly, your electric service will be switched automatically to the "Provider of Last Resort" (POLR). POLR service is meant to be a temporary fix until you switch to another electric provider, and POLR service typically has very high rates compared to standard market offers. Use this Web site to shop for a new provider and ask the POLR to do an early meter read - this will cost a few dollars up front but will allow you to get switched to a lower-rate provider more quickly than waiting for your next regularly-scheduled meter read. If you do not switch to a new provider, you will remain with the POLR and have to pay its higher rates, so it's important to shop and switch providers as soon as possible.
If you decided not to choose a new Retail Electric Provider, your service is being provided by the Affiliate Retail Electric Provider. The Affiliate Retail Electric Provider is the electric provider that was part of the original electric company that generated and sold electricity in your area, that now only sells electricity and provides customer service.
You can see which companies are providing electric service in your area by visiting the "Compare offers now" page. Or, you can call our toll-free Answer Center at 1-866-PWR-4-TEX (1-866-797-4839) and we will send a list of providers to you. Providers may also contact you directly to market their services.
To switch your electric service to a new provider, contact the Retail Electric Provider of your choice. Your new Retail Electric Provider will send you a "Terms of Service" agreement that provides details of the service offerings and terms. You do not need to contact your current Retail Electric Provider.
You have the right to choose an electric provider, which includes the right to be served by the Affiliate Retail Electric Provider (the electric provider that was part of the original Retail Electric Provider that generated and sold electricity in your area, that now only sells electricity). No matter which electric provider you choose, the Public Utility Commission (PUC) will continue to protect your rights.
If you feel that your rights have been violated, call the PUC's toll-free Customer Hotline at 1-888-PUC-TIPS (1-888-782-8477). Your rights include:
The Texas PUC requests your email address so that we may send correspondence about the Texas "No Call Lists." Your email address allows us to send instant registration confirmation. In addition, you will also receive a notification when your three-year or five-year registration is about to expire. At that time, you will have an opportunity to renew your registration. The PUC or Gryphon Networks Corp., the company that maintains the lists, will not use your email address for any other purpose, nor will it be provided to any third party.
The intent of the legislation is to stop unwanted telemarketing calls to customers from companies with whom the customer does not have an existing business relationship. However, customers with existing business relationships may continue to receive calls from these companies. In addition, customers with prior business relationships may receive calls from businesses with which they did business up to one year after the relationship was terminated. Also, if a customer requests contact from a company, the company may respond to that request. Non-profit and political organizations also are exempt from complying with the list.
No. No matter which Retail Electric Provider you choose, your electricity will continue to be delivered safely and reliably by the local wires company, a company still regulated by the Public Utility Commission.
You should call your Retail Electric Provider immediately at the toll-free number that is listed on your electric bill.
No matter which Retail Electric Provider sells you electricity, the actual delivery of electricity to your home across poles and wires is provided to you by your local wires company. The local wires company is responsible for maintaining the poles and wires and responding to emergencies and power outages, as always. The Public Utility Commission continues to regulate this delivery of electricity to ensure the safety and reliability of your electric service.
Yes. You will receive a termination notice giving you 10 days to pay the bill or make payment arrangements.
Slamming is the illegal practice of switching your electric service without your permission.
Cramming is the illegal practice of adding charges to your electric bill for additional services without your permission.
No, you cannot; you have to choose a different plan. The rates will vary with location, service area, REP, and other factors.
It depends on your contract, so review your TOS agreement. There is no cancellation fee for a variable rate, no-contract plan.
Most probably. But you can choose prepaid plans with no deposit.
Electric providers buy renewable energy certificates on your behalf to supply clean energy generated from renewable resources.
It is a plan where the rates vary with the time of usage.
Compared to a conventional analog meter, smart meters can record electricity consumption in detail.
The Electrical Service Identifier number refers to your home or business address to where you get the electricity delivered.
You need to provide information like your ESI ID, social security number for the credit check, and previous utility credit.
Multiply the wattage of your devices with the number of hours used. Convert it into kilowatt-hours by dividing it with 1000 to get the daily usage.
Many plans have a minimum usage; if you use less than that limit, you will be charged a minimum usage fee.
You will pay the bill to your REP. So, check on their website for payment methods.
You can do that from the payment settings in your account. Or, call the REP to discuss.
You can find the details by logging into your online account with the electric provider.
Electricity facts label (EFL) is a document that provides details for each plan from a specific REP. You can find out the average price per kWh, base charge, renewable energy percentage, and more.Electricity facts label (EFL) is a document that provides details for each plan from a specific REP. You can find out the average price per kWh, base charge, renewable energy percentage, and more.
It is a document explaining the terms and conditions of your contract with the REP. The TOS, EFL, and the YRAC constitute the agreement.
Some providers advertise the bundled energy charges as the average price per kWh, which different for various levels of usage. So, it is crucial to read the EFL before signing up for a plan.
On average, U.S. households use almost 908 kWh of electricity per month.
Bills on a bundled product combine the base charge, and charges for utility and energy used. Unbundling is separating each core component.
In Texas, electricity rates vary often. To know about who has the best prices, check our website today.
As of January 2020, the average electric rate for residential and commercial sectors is 11.75 and 7.69 cents per kWh, respectively.
In the greater Houston area, you have more than 60 electric companies. At Shop Texas Electricity, we display the lowest prices from top energy providers.
For an apartment of 1-2 bedrooms, it can range between $80-100 per month, and for a house, the monthly cost could be $140-$250, depending on its size.
It may be around $300 in summer.
You can refer to your electric bill. If you want to know who your electric utility company is, you can find it with your Zip code.
The utility companies put in a request with the PUCT regarding an increase in rates. The PUCT then investigates, and if it deems the rise justified, allows it. The PUCT will also look into decreasing prices.
Yes, before you make a move, or put in an offer on a home, you can check the utility costs of the area with the Zip code.
Check your lease to know what utilities to set up after your move. These include electricity, gas, water, and others.
ERCOT has predicted peak summer demand for two successive years in a row. However, ERCOT has increased the Reserve Margin, which indicates that the rise in electric rates won’t be too drastic.
Summer and winter months see peak demand for electricity owing to higher cooling and heating needs. In Texas, the electricity rates are the lowest in spring, and from December to March.
The advantage of fixed-rate plans is that you can lock-in the best prices for a year or more. But with variable rates, your contract is open-ended, and when you switch, there will be no penalty. Finally, you have to choose a plan per your requirements.
YRAC is a document you obtain from your Retail Electric Provider (REP) that details your rights in choosing a service, cancellation, payments, and others. YRAC applies to all REPs and is based on the PUCT-adopted (Public Utility Commission of Texas) consumer protection rules.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas is the state's regulatory agency that oversees utilities like telecommunications, water, and sewer. It also works to foster competition and quality infrastructure.
After the state of Texas made legislation of 1999, customers in most parts of Texas can choose their own electric company. This facilitates lower prices and a competitive market.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is the state's agency that manages the operations of the electric grid. It also controls 75% of the deregulated electricity market.
The Transmission and Delivery Utility is an electric utility company that distributes the power from generating companies to the homes and businesses of Texans. It manages the wires, poles, and transmission infrastructure.
Retail Electric Providers are the electric companies that provide you power. They came into existence after the energy market deregulation took effect on January 1, 2002.
Only about 85% of Texas is deregulated. The people in the rest of the areas get their electricity supply from investor-owned utilities, a co-op, or municipal utilities.
If you have a power outage please reach out to your TDU. The contact info is provided on your bill.
You have more choice in terms of energy providers, and the electric companies compete to get your business at low prices. The Texas power grid gets more reliable, and heat-related blackouts can even be eliminated in time.
No state in the country has a fully-deregulated energy market. However, over 85% of Texas is deregulated, and the customers in these areas can choose their power plans.
When you switch to a new electric company, only the supplier will change, not the TDU or the quality of the service. By law, the new electric provider has to supply the same care level as your current one.
By using our online tool, you can find the best rates and plans from top electric providers. Enter your Zip code to compare different plans.
Your electric supply will not be disconnected. Your service will automatically switch to the Provider of Last Resort (POLR).
Compare the rates from the electric provider to that of the utility. Read the EFL (Electricity Facts Label) document of each plan carefully and then decide.
Our services to you are free. We get paid by the electric providers.
It will be mentioned in your contract, or you can call them to find out. Electric providers usually notify you 45-60 days before the contract expiry.
You will not lose your connection but will receive power from the same provider at higher variable rates. Your contract will default to a month-to-month contract.
After the 10-day notice period is over, your REP may request the TDU to disconnect power.
There is no need to wait; you can switch. But most likely, you will have to pay an early termination fee.
First, ask the new REP for a copy of the authorization. If there is none, this unauthorized switch is known as slamming. You should complain to the PUCT.
Electric rates vary based on market prices. Even when you renew your plan, you will pay the current rates.
Typically, when the rates are the lowest, which would be before the colder season starts or in spring - before the peak summer demand hits.
Yes, you can.
Yes, as a tenant, you are responsible for your bill, unless otherwise stated by the landlord.
If you are moving please contact your current electric provider before you move.
371 Tynebridge Ln, Houston, TX 77024, USA
