Hurricane Ike, Electric Comparison, and Relief from Summer Rates

Houston had a major issue with hurricane Ike this last month and surprisingly it had little effect on electric rates. A lot of oil and gas infrastructure was shut down but nothing was destroyed. This still usually has a negative impact on the price of electricity but because oil and natural gas is being swayed by several other factors in the trading commodities market the electric rates did not spike up.

Electric rates in Houston have come down way below their highs this summer when rates were at historical all time highs. That price spike in the summer was related to natural gas prices rising in the commodities sector beyond any level they have seen before. This had about a 90% correlation with the price of electricity. To complicate matters Houston residential electric rates were higher then usualy because several providers had bought electricity on the MCPE ERCOT market and could not meet their financial responsibilities. These electric companies also had no hedging in place so if an electric customer in Houston was on a variable electric rate they may have seen their rate tripple during this time.

Electric Rates Look Much Better From Summer Prices

Take a look at our Houston Texas electric rate comparison. We have rates listed from cheapest to most expensive. Most rates are fixed and there is a designation in the chart to differentiate between a fixed rate or a variable rate. I do not recommend signing a variable Houston electric rate contract as it is subject to change without notice. You may click on the links in the chart below and sign up online at these discounted online electric rate prices.

Houston Residential Electric Rate Comparison Chart

Amigo Energy’s Competitive Electric Rates, Where Did They Go?

Amigo previously had provided competitive electric rates in the Texas area while targeting the hispanic community as their primary source for new customers. Over the last year Amigo has advertised energy rates that have compared competitively with some of the most competitive retail electric providers in Texas. Amigo Electric Company is headquartered in the Houston Texas area but provides electricity to customers throughout the deregulated cities in Texas.

Research On Their Site

I went out to their site today January 8 2007 and they are offering a 12 month rate at 12.9 in the Dallas area and 13.3 cents kWh in the Houston area. These rates are terrible. The only thing I can think as to why their rates have gone up so much is their success. They have their brand name out there and a lot of word of mouth so they may be signing up customers on brand name recognition only at this point.

Comparing Amigo With Other Electric Companies

A comparable electric rate to Amigo’s energy rate that is much more competitive would be to go through Startex Power if you are in or around the Dallas Texas area and to use Startex Power as well if you are in or around the Houston area. As of January 8 2007 Startex Power offered a 12 month term rate of 11.4 cents a kWh with no monthly customer service charge in the Dallas area and as of Feb 2009 they still offer the most competitive residential electric rate with no monhtly service fee.

h2>Amigo Energy Houston Electric Rates

The thing that is not yet built into the rate is a milder winter then what the weather men predict. If weather surprises the weather guys then you can expect for electric rates to come down in the winter. I am not saying that rates will come down but don't be completely shocked if they do. We did have a mild summer, so how about a mild winter. No one can accurately guess the weather 100% but if we could it sure would help people know when to lock in their energy rate.

Below are Decembers 2007 Electric Rates for Amigo Energy

Because these rates were for December 2007 we decided it was about time we updated these Amigo Energy rates with more current rates as of June 2009. Below you will find the latest residential electricity rates for Amigo Energy. You can compare Amigo Energy’s June 2009 electricity rates with the comparison chart above to find the cheapest available electricity rate offer from a reputable Texas electric company. Keep in mind that electricity rates will likely go up from this low point in the market so these June 2009 Amigo Energy rates will only serve as a historical reference point for what Amigo Energy prices were during this month. As of June 2009 there are a few Texas electricity providers with cheaper prices than the Amigo rates in this chart. Again check the comparison chart at the beginning of this article to compare electric rates with the cheapest residential electric companies.

November Research On Lowest Cost Residential Retail Electric Provider

< We have researched who has come out this month as being the lowest cost electric provider in Texas for residential service. Amigo Energy, Spark Energy, Startex Power, and Champion Energy are head to head in competition with each other as they offer rates that come pretty close to each other. As of February 2009 Startex Power has the cheapest electric rate. You can click here to learn more about Startex Power. Some of their energy rates are very good for Houston while not so good for another area like Dallas. The next provider might have a better electric rate in Dallas while not in Houston. Because the rates can differ by region it is important to check the rate by your zipcode. We have gone ahead and checked what the rates are by region and listed them below. These energy rates change about every 2 weeks so it is important to verify what is posted here by checking again to see if there may have been a market movement up or down.

Winning Residential Electric Providers

Startex Power wins in the Houston area and surrounding cities | 12 month term at 11.4 cents with no monthly fee

Startex Power has the best electric rate in the Dallas area and surrounding cities at 11.0 cents per kWh. Startex has no monthly service fee so they end up being a little lower then providers that include a monthly fee.

Some higher electric rates out there as of Feb 2009

Amigo Energy Houston

13.5 cents a kWh for Houston area. $6.95 monthly fee if under 500 kWh

Amigo Energy Dallas

12.3 cents a kWh for Dallas area. $6.95 monthly fee if under 500 kWh

Some of the cheaper electric companies out there

Startex Power Houston

11.4 cents a kWh for Houston area. No monthly fee under all circumstances.

Startex Power Dallas

11.0 cents a kWh for Dallas area. No monthly fee under all circumstances.

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Need a Texas Electric Provider with a Guaranteed No Deposit Requirement?

Bounce Energy is currently offering a “no deposit or low deposit plan” that will allow those with bad credit scores to qualify for a no or low deposit electric rate depending on credit score. The rate is a cheap Texas electric rate and many times cheaper than some of the bigger brand name electricity providers in the state.

Sign up Now with Bounce Energy or call 1-866-945-8937 and ask for the “No or Low Deposit Plans”

Compare Amigo With The Others

Amigo Energy has an updated electricity facts label on the www.powertochoose.org website. Their electric rate continues to be one of the lowest electric rates with pretty fare terms and agreements when comparing with some of the other discount electric providers in Texas. For instance, as of 9-12-2007 they have a 12 month rate at 10.7 cents kWh but if you add the $6.95 monthly customer charge you will be paying a rate of about 11.4 cents kWh cents. Because there is a $6.95 cent monthly base charge this would actually make the rate a little higher then Spark as they do not charge a monthly customer charge. Spark Energy which is offering a 10.3 cents kWh rate for 6 months and a 11 cents\kWh rate at 12 months has no monthly customer service charge. If you want to sign up with them you can click here and do it online immediately – Spark Energy 11 cents kWh | No Monthly Customer Service Charge | Very Low early termination fee | No Hidden Charges | No Deposit Under Most Situations

Learn More about Spark Energy Online Promotional Rate - Promo\Coupon Code Built In

Amigo Energy Facts Label

Here it is, Amigo Energy’s Residential Electricity Facts label. The Facts Label is the equivalent of the nutrition label on the back of a can of food. It is really all you need to compare rates prior to signing a contract. They can’t mislead you on the facts label and then offer a different electric contract or they would be in serious trouble with the (PUC) Public Utility Commission.

About Amigo Energy

Amigo Energy is a privately owned Retail Electricity Provider (REP) that services both residential and commercial consumers in Houston Texas and the rest of the state.  The Energy company was founded by a Hispanic father and son team with over 20 years of combined experience in the Texas deregulated energy market. If you don’t live in Houston Texas Amigo is still able to provide electricity to your home and business at a much lower electric rate then most of the other providers in Texas.

Current Texas Residential Electric Rates

Dynamo Soccer Team Sponsor

Amigo Energy is the official home and commercial business Retail Electric Provider of the Dynamo soccer team. The marketing strategy used by Amigo will have co-branded Dynamo and Amigo Energy advertising on the field and on other Dynamo related products and merchandise. The strategy works to gain new customers and keep existing ones.

The Founders of Amigo Energy

The founders of Amigo have been involved in the infrastructure of the Texas power grid for years and have assisted the public utility commission in the Texas grid reliability. Antonio Vega worked with TXU for 37 years as an electrical engineer providing strategic knowledge and grid reliability engineering to make sure electricity reaches its final destination. Texas remains one of the most reliable grids in the United States. The state may pay a little extra for their energy but we have one of the best grids in the country and you have to give those who engineer and create the grid credit.�

Go Here To Learn more about Amigo Energy

Amigo Energy in Houston Texas

Amigo Energy has sponsored The Houston Dynamo Major League Soccer team for $7.5 Million. This is by far the largest sponsorship in the team’s history. The Dynamo now become the 5th major league soccer team to have Jersey Sponsorship. Since they are the defending MLS champions Amigo has good reason to sponsor the team but the price is staggering. Is the sponsorship really worth this much? In Amigo’s estimation it is and they will reach a large Hispanic demographic in the process.

Today I was looking at Amigo Energy Services 12 month true commitment plan to see if their electricity rate of 12.1 cents\kwh is really true. This would be the lowest residential electricity rate yet. As long as you use more then 500 Kwh a month you pay no monthly customer charge of $6.95.

Well, everything looked great until I read the residential electricity facts label. If you look at the chart below you can see that the rate is composed of an on peak off peak rate. This means that if you are like most people and use your energy during peak hours you will end up averaging higher then 12.1 cents\kwh. This quoted rate just averages their on peak off peak rate together. This is not realistic to how you will use your energy. You can expect to pay about 12.8 cents per kwh or so.

This price consists of the price per kWh charge plus a $0 fixed monthly charge for meters using at least 500 kWh per billing period. At or above 500 kWh per billing period your average price per kWh for electric service will not vary regardless of usage.This price consists of the price per kWh charge plus a $6.95 fixed monthly charge for meters using less than 500 kWh per billing period. Your average price for electric service per kWh will vary according to how much electricity you use.

So in the meantime I would continue to read the electricity facts label for each electric rate product before you sign up.

Learn more about Houston Electric Companies

Learn more about Amigo Energy