The Public Utility Commission of Texas has stated in their latest filing that they believe the requirements of a retail electric provider certificate holder are well known and should have been known by Clearview Electric. The commission does not believe a waiver should be given to Clearview Electric in order to allow them to comply with the requirements of being an REP in Texas unless specific circumstances warrant it.

The PUCT has asked that Clearview give them at least 90 days notice prior to the expiration of their suspension period on whether they plan to come into compliance with the PUCT rule P.U.C. Subst R.25.107 by the compliance deadline. So what is this rule all about and how does it relate to the Texas electricity consumer? Below is a summary of the rule that the PUCT is trying to get Clearview Electric to be in compliance with.

The amendment to §25.107 (1) provides requirements for a change in control of a REP, (2) strengthens the reporting and certification requirements related to managerial resources and ability, (3) limits the number of business names (dbas) a REP may operate under, (4) provides requirements for certification as a distributed generation REP serving large commercial customers, (5) allows the commission to draw on a letter of credit upon the revocation of a REP certificate, (6) defines erroneous switch-holds related to deferred payments plans as a significant violation of the commission’s rules, and (7) makes other clarifying changes.

As you can see the rule seems to be related to making it transparent who owns an electric company as well as limiting the amount of names one REP can hold. I would imagine these rules are in place so that an electric provider cannot hide behind many names for the sole purpose of gaming the system and advertising and promoting to customers in a way that could be seen as unethical and bad for the retail electric markets. We are not saying that Clearview Electric has done any of these things as it appears their violation has more to do with the letter of credit rule. The PUCT may not believe this provider will do anything bad but by enforcing these rules they protect the electric consumer from the possibility of something bad happening.

Currently this company is suspended from selling electric service in Texas. I went on their website and they no longer have Texas listed as one of the states they sell electric service in. From what I can find online they only have about 30 electric service customers in Texas. The PUCT wants a $30,000 letter of credit from them to protect the investment in energy of these current customers but will eventually need a $500,000 letter of credit for them to fully comply. Some of the things the PUCT would like Clearview to agree with in writing to avoid revocation of their REP certificate in Texas are listed below:

• They must agree to revocation if they fail to comply with rule P.U.C. Subst R.25.107 by the deadline date.
• Must agree to revocation if they significantly violate any additional rules of P.U.C. Subst R.25.107 before the deadline date of compliance.
• Clearview must agree that its $30,000 standby letter of credit cannot be withdrawn until they file a $500,000 letter of credit to comply with P.U.C. Subst R.25.107(f)(4)(F)
• Clearview must agree that once revoked or through Clearviews voluntary ceasing of service to Texas customers it must pay their $30,000 letter of credit to the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
• They must agree to not add any new Texas customers until the conditions of P.U.C. Subst R.25.107 are met.
• Clearview must agree to give 90 days advanced notice advance of the June 30 2012 deadline if they will be ceasing operations in Texas or providing the letter of credit.

The PUCT believes that if Clearview Electric cannot agree to these requests that the commission should consider revoking the REP’s certificate.

I looked at the information the PUCT had on Clearview Electric and they do not list any DBA’s this company uses or any bizarre change of ownership information. My opinion is that this electric company may have just not had the required $500,000 letter of credit the PUCT requires for them to operate as a retail electric provider in Texas.

If this is the case it makes sense for the PUCT to be heavy handed in this regard because many electric providers have gone out of business and did not have the money to cover the investment in the energy they purchased when the market moved against them.

The $500,000 letter of credit helps protect customers, investors, and the tax payers from a provider buying energy and then never paying the ERCOT electric grid back for that purchased power.

One of the best ways to save money on your monthly Haltom City, Texas electric bill is to make the most out of the energy you use.  Reducing energy consumption is a wonderful and responsible thing to do and when combined with energy efficiency it can make for a much lower electric bill.  Try preparing several meals at a time when you are using your oven.  You are already paying for the energy of heating the oven, so pack it full to get the most out of the heat.  You can freeze the extras for quick and convenient meals on those days when your life is just too hectic to worry about meal preparation.

Another fantastic way to save on your Haltom City, Texas electricity bill is to find a lower cost electricity service provider to establish service with.  Use the ElectricityBid online comparison tool to compare rates from all Haltom City, Texas electricity service providers and choose the one that offers the best deal.  Simply enter your zip code and service type to get started.  You can even order your new service right online through ElectricityBid.

We do understand that from time to time you may have questions that simply cannot be answered online.  If this is the case, please feel free to call us toll free at 1-800-971-4020 to speak with one of our energy consultants.  We will be happy to help you better understand the Haltom City, Texas electricity market and help you decide which electric company is right for you.

In today’s economy, homeowners are more conscious than ever of the need to cut costs wherever possible. One way to do this is to invest in energy-saving appliances for the home. Following is one way to do just that.

Combination Boilers: Save on Heat and Hot Water Costs

Everyone uses heat and hot water. These are supplied via various methods, one of the most common being electricity. When electricity is used, it usually means that there’s a water tank and some type of heating unit (eg, a furnace).

When you add in really cold weather, large square footage that needs to be heated and/or many users, your monthly Pennsylvania electricity bill can get really steep very quickly.

But, what if you could get all the heat and hot water you need from one unit? This is what a combination boiler (aka combi boiler) can do. Instead of heating water from a cold water tank (which takes more time), combi boilers heat water from the water main – as it’s being dispensed.

This means you don’t have to run water and wait for the “hot” to come on. Imagine the savings from this one feature alone.

Another thing is, with the federal government giving energy tax credits to homeowners who make energy-efficient improvements to their home, now has never been a better time to install a combi boiler.

Get Energy Savings Everyday

If you’re currently under a prepaid electric service plan contract with a Pennsylvania electricity provider, it pays to do some investigating into other options. Why? Because there are low-deposit and no-deposit options that are so much more budget friendly.

Even if you’ve had credit problems in the past and fear having to pay a high deposit, you have choices. Check with traditional Pennsylvania electric companies and ask about programs like budget billing and LIHEAP.

These programs are designed to help credit challenged, low-income and fixed-income residents save on their Pennsylvania electric bills.

We have compiled a list of some of the cheaper electricity rates, prices and plans from some reputable electricity companies in the Houston area.  The electricity companies in the list below have a track record of offering electricity service in the Houston area for a few years now and with the new PUCT rules in place the bundled electricity rates shown in the chart include all fees and charges including TDSP related charges, advanced meter fees, etc. We have listed monthly base charges to the right of each rate so you can see which electric company charges a base charge and which ones do not. Many times the cheaper electric rate with a base charge will save you more money than going with a higher electricity rate with no monthly base charge.

The confusing issue some electricity service customers still face is with a variable electricity rate. You can be quoted an initial rate in the advertisement when choosing a variable rate but some providers can change that electricity price even before receiving your first months electric bill. To our knowledge none of the Houston electricity companies in the chart below adjust their initial quoted variable rate until after you have been with them for atleast a month. If you choose a fixed Houston electricity rate the rate will not change the entire term of the fixed electricity agreement. We strongly recommend choosing a fixed electricity rate in the Houston Texas area to avoid any surprises.

Most electricity companies in Houston will also notify you before your fixed electricity agreement is up so you can renew before being put on a variable electricity rate. By having advanced notification that your electricity contract is about to expire you can have assurance that you will never have to deal with a fluctuating variable electricity price. Most Houston home owners and renters choose a fixed electricity rate because they have knowledge of exactly what the rate will be. By simply multiplying the rate times the kWh usage used during the month you can confirm you are being charged correctly.

Right now a 1 year fixed Houston residential electricity rate for September 2009 is the most popular fixed electricity rate agreement. We believe that a 3 year fixed rate actually makes sense right now considering Houston electric prices are close to all time lows. We think some electricity service customers in Houston could even consider signing up for something even longer term like the Just Energy 5 year residential electricity agreement. Most people are uncomfortable committing to an electricity price for that long but because electricity rates are this low right now it really isn’t that bad of a choice.

If you are like me 2 or 3 years is about the max amount of time you will want to commit to for a fixed Houston electricity rate. If you pick a longer term rate with a Houston electricity company you are basically buying insurance betting that electricity prices will be going up in the next few years. This keeps you in a low electricity price for several years while prices will likely head back up considering they are near as close to zero as they will probably go. If you choose a 1 month fixed electricity rate you have price insurance only for the first month of the rate, after that the rate can change with fuel prices. If you choose a variable rate plan with no initial 1 month term the rate could do just about anything. Even if you see an electricity price in a quoted advertisement the rate can legally adjust even before your first months electricity usage.

We recommend if you are considering a variable electricity rate in Houston that you atleast choose a 1 to 3 month fixed rate. After the initial term the rate follows a fuel commodity or index price along with the market. There are several choices when picking a fixed Houston electric rate and right now you can pick from 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2, and 3 year terms. Occasionally there will be other alternative fixed terms like a 9, 15, or 18 month fixed electricity rate. You can compare electricity rates for September 2009 using the historical snapshot below. These rates are for historical reference for the month of September 2009 so you can track what electricity companies in Houston were charging during this time. TXU Energy and Reliant Energy in Houston are both falling behind on price when compared with some of the cheapest electric companies in Houston. Although TXU and Reliant remain the two biggest Houston electricity providers they still do not offer low prices compared to some of the other Houston electric providers.

September 2009 Houston Texas Electricity Rates

Today is August 14 2009 and we have gone out to the power to choose website to check on electricity rates from companies like Champion, Startex, Green Mountain Energy, Spark Energy, TXU, Ambit, Stream, Bounce, Texas Power and Reliant Energy.  We checked on some other Texas electricity providers but these energy companies provide a good overall comparison of rates. We have sorted the electricity rates  in order from cheapest to most expensive using the pricing available on the Power to Choose website.

Startex Power, Champion, and Green Mountain Energy, are some of the more popular electricity companies we recommend and Startex and Champion are currently offering some of the cheapest available electricity plans in the Dallas Texas area. There are no hidden fees or charges with Startex or Champion. If you use below 500 kWh per month than a $4.95 monthly service fee will kick in with Startex Power but other than that you are going to be good with the top two cheapest Dallas electricity plans in the chart.

This chart above is a historical snapshot of what Dallas residential electricity rates looked like for the month and day of August 14 2009. These charts sometimes help in determining the track record of a Texas electricity companies overall consistent performance in delivering a low cost electricity price to Texas energy consumers. To see a current comparison of our recommended electricity companies in Dallas Texas please click on our Dallas electricity comparison link by clicking here.

If anyone was around in Texas last year during this time you probably remember having to pay one of the highest electricity bills you have ever had to pay in history. If you were already locked into a rate with a provider you were one of the smart ones who were protected during this volatile time. I saw a First Choice Power bill over 30 cents per kWh. I saw a few other Texas electric provider bills in the 24 cent per kWh range. Most Texas electricity companies were advertising fixed rates in the 16 cents per kWh range as can be seen in this historical chart: http://www.electricitybid.com/electricity/index.php/2008/05/05/may-2008-houston-residential-electric-rate-comparison

The summer is the hottest time of the year and people begin cranking on that AC unit around May. Many people use double or triple their electric usage during this time. If you were using 2,500 kWh a month at this time and were paying 24 cents a kWh then you might have had a bill that totaled $600. First Choice Power customers may have had an electricity bill that was quite a bit higher. Several energy providers had sold unhedged power to their customers but were selling it as a fixed electric rate. National Power and Riverway Power were a couple of energy companies that did this and attempted to raise their fixed price on their customers when fuel prices went up. These providers no longer operate in Texas.  Some electric companies that were selling fixed energy prices without hedging eventually sold out to companies that had enough capital to take on the weak providers customers, honor the rate they charged and then hedged the energy they sold at a better time in the market.

Oil Prices from May 2008 to May 2009

Texas electricity rates have been coming down the last few months but have been toying with going back up for the past two weeks. These electric rates are down as of today but if you have read the news lately, a barrel of oil is considering going above $60 a barrel. Last year oil was hitting $100 a barrel and went as high as $140 before it tanked back down close to where it is today. We could be in for another disaster scenario this year considering how volatile energy prices can be. No one can accurately predict what energy prices will do but one thing we can say, electricity rates look pretty cheap right now when you compare them to last years prices at this time. You may wonder why we bring up the price of oil when talking about electricity. Oil and natural gas has a pretty strong correlation with electricity prices in Texas which is why we use the oil chart to compare. For instance last year a 1 year electric rate at this time was around 16 cents a kWh. This year you can lock in a 1 year rate around 10 cents a kWh. Now look at the oil chart to the left to see how oil prices were much higher last year then what prices look like today.

Right now a 1 year fixed electricity rate looks like the best rate. When you go out on a longer term fixed contract you will pay about 10% more but for the risk averse this could be worth it. By locking in for 2 or even 3 years you get in at a decent rate and avoid the volatile swings in electricity and fuel prices. When oil and natural gas commodities go up in price so does electricity. To avoid these volatile commodity price swings you should lock into something even if just for a year. You can compare the cheapest available residential electric rates by looking at the top left of this page in the side bar. We have the cheapest offers available there.

If you need a commercial Texas electric rate then please click on our contact link in the navigation bar at the top of this page and send us your information. A commercial energy consultant will call you right back.

You can read more about Texas electric companies by visiting these related articles:

Green Mountain Energy
Ambit Energy
Spark Energy
Ignite Energy
Startex Power
Champion Energy
TXU Energy
Reliant Energy

Compare Reputable But Cheaper Electric Providers with Reliant Energy

As many know, Reliant Energy remains the largest residential retail electricity company in the Houston area. Reliant has spent a lot of money trying to enter new territories such as Dallas, Arlington, Tyler, and Irving to take thousands of customers away from TXU Energy from their own backyard. Reliant Energy has done this through feet on the street tactics where the sales person at the home owners door will offer them a $50 dollar rebate or something similar and provide an electric rate that is a few cents cheaper then TXU Energy. This strategy has worked out very well for the large electricity companies like Reliant and TXU because most people have heard of these brand names and trust them. I live in the Tyler Texas area and have seen probably 3 different Reliant Energy billboards in what is considered TXU Energy’s backyard. This aggressive marketing approach is very simple, the big guys are going to the easiest customers. TXU and Reliant customers will pay a few cents higher for their energy in order to stay with a brand name they trust when switching away to the other well known brand. If they pay $500 more per year to be with Reliant or TXU they will do it and so Reliant Energy in Houston has taken the path of least resistance which is to take as many TXU Energy customers away from TXU as possible. We want to suggest checking out other reputable Houston area electric providers that have substantially lower electric rates then both Reliant and TXU. We have the best Houston residential electric rates listed on the top left of this page. All fees and charges are disclosed. Simply find the term and rate you want and click on “sign up now”. You can then read more about the rate and other plans and decide if it is the right fit for you or click here to compare all cheap Houston electricity company offers.

Has Reliant Energy Been Knocking on Your Door?

If you are a TXU Energy customer and have been approached by Reliant Energy of Houston to sign up on a slightly cheaper rate then TXU Energy offered, you are the customer we are talking about. We checked today on the Texas government website, “power to choose” and discovered that Reliant is offering a 12 month fixed rate at the price of 15.6 cents kWh. TXU Energy is offering a 14.7 cent per kWh rate in the Houston area and is most likely trying to compete on price solely with Reliant Energy in order to continue to steal Reliant Energy customers away from them. Like we said, for TXU it is easier to just take Reliant Energy customers when in Houston. There are millions of people in Houston signed up with Reliant and the price isn’t all that great so TXU continues to go after their customers until something in the market changes. We would like to suggest an alternative for Reliant Energy customers that are signing up with TXU Energy because they have a slightly better rate. Read below…

Reputable Texas Electricity Company and Cheapest Price

Don’t go with Brand go with the Best

If you are a TXU Energy customer, instead of saving a penny per kWh with Reliant Energy Houston you could potentially be saving as much as 4.8 cents per kWh. For a residential energy consumer in Houston that uses 1,000 kWh a month this equates to about $576 in savings per year. If you use about 2,000 kWh a month it would be double that in savings over Reliant Energy. There are now several reputable Houston electric companies that are not as big as TXU Energy or Reliant but have very good rates, billing, and customer service. These Houston electric providers also do not have hidden fees, gimmicks, or fuel adjustment surcharges. Our site focuses on getting these reputable electric companies into the public eye so you have other choices then falling for a slight decrease in rate against what Reliant Energy is offering. Right now at the time of this article we would like to suggest you give Startex Power a try. They are currently advertising their cheapest rates at a price of 10.8 cents a kWh for a 1 year fixed rate in the Houston area as of (April 17 2009 – the date this article was published). Startex also has other fixed rate terms available and they have no hidden fees or gimmicks to worry about. You can click here to learn more about Startex Power.

Have you moved into a new Houston apartment or rental house? Are you a student and are just getting your credit history established? You may have tried switching to Reliant Energy if you are in the Houston area only to be told they need a very large deposit to have Houston electricity service turned on in your name. If your credit score is less then fair they may need a $400 deposit or possibly even higher. For many in this situation you may have even had to already save up and pay your deposit for your apartment or rental house. To now be asked for an additional $400 as a deposit for electric service to be turned on can be a very frustrating issue. If you are in this situation or something similar we recommend you give Bounce Energy a call. They can get your electric service turned on right away and they guarantee no deposit will be required. You can call Bounce Electric Company at: 1-866-945-8937

Reliant Energy in Houston rejects hundreds of customers a day who just do not meet their credit requirements. A good credit score is 630 while a bad credit score could be anything below 600. Now having a 600 credit score really isn’t that bad but when turning on electricity service many Houston electricity companies have to be conservative about what credit risk they take on. Energy providers make a profit by signing up large volumes of customers. They cannot afford for too many of these electricity service customers to default on their energy contract. We do not know what credit score Reliant Energy uses to flag a customer for a deposit or no deposit because it is an always changing number with most Texas energy providers.

Without an effective risk management strategy a Houston electric provider can easily go out of business which was the case with Riverway Power and National Power in the summer of 2008. Reliant Energy is not the enemy but they are one of the biggest Houston electricity companies if not the biggest and so they have to be very careful which energy customers they sign up as they could end up with too many credit risk customers and actually lose money. A Reliant deposit however is not the end of the road for a credit risk customer. If you have limited or no credit you can be approved for a guaranteed no deposit electricity rate with Bounce Energy. You can call them using the phone number listed above and get immediately switched to Bounce Energy at a very unique electric rate plan. The way Bounce has created their no deposit electricity rate plan is by charging you a little higher rate the first 3 months. If you pay your electricity bill on time the first 3 months they will proactively reward you by lowering your Texas electricity rate to the cheapest plan they offer.

If you have good credit we recommend trying out our cheapest available electricity rate offers which are listed on the top left of this page. Find the fixed rate plan that suits you best whether it be a 1 year fixed rate, 2 year, 3 year, or 6 month rate and click on the “sign up now” link. You will then need to enter your Texas service address and your rate will be confirmed based on the area you live in. We pride ourselves in disclosing all fees and charges in our electricity rates we advertise on our site. We are not trying trick someone into an energy contract that is not what it clearly states it is. Some energy companies in Houston and other deregulated areas in Texas will have unclear terms and conditions with their pricing which can only be found by investigating their pricing in their terms of servive in their energy contract. Reliant Energy is not a Texas electric provider that deceives their customers and so you will not have to worry about being tricked into a rate that isn’t clearly advertised for what it is when signing up with Reliant. Reliant Energy however has uncompetitive Houston electricity service rates in comparison to several of the reputable electric companies we have listed in our best residential rates on the top left of this page. At this time we recommend you choose an electric provider other then Reliant until their electricity prices improve.

Click Here and Compare January 2008 Houston Residential Rates

Houston residential electric rates have steadily come down this month and when comparing to the summer of 2008 they are several cents cheaper. This last summer we had one of the worst electricity rate spikes in the history of Texas. Because residential electricity rates in Texas have come down so much since this summer we recommend signing up for atleast 1 year. A 1 year fixed electric rate insures that your Houston electricity rate is locked in for the duration of the term.

Houston Electric Service More Expensive then Dallas Rates

In Houston rates are a little higher then they are in the Dallas Texas area and other deregulated electric service cities in the state. Houston’s congestion and line loss issues on their poles and wires contributes to a higher electric rate in comparison to other cities regardless of the electric provider in Houston you go with.

TDSP, Pole and Wires Charges, and Comparing Electricity Rates

When comparing residential electricity rates in Houston do not be confused when looking at commercial energy prices. Commercial energy prices usually just show the “energy only” portion of the rate. When you look at a rate comparison chart showing several commercial energy providers the rates will look much better then they do when looking through residential electric service rates. The reason for the difference in price is that the Texas residential electric rate is an all in rate that includes the pole and wires charges and the “energy only” charges. The commercial rate isn’t any cheaper it just doesn’t have the pole charges included.

Are Commercial Electric Rates Intentionally Deceptive?

Commercial energy providers in Houston are not trying to be deceptive when the rate that is quoted does not have the pole and wires charges included in the energy rate. The reason for this difference is because the electricity provider does not know what the pole and wires charges will be immediately for a Texas business. A Texas chemical plant may pay a penny on top of the “energy rate” while a Curves fitness studio may pay 9 cents kWh for their pole charges. The pole charges are not known until an accurate estimate is completed based on several specs of the facility or the historical electricity usage is pulled from the electric utility in Houston.

All-In Energy Prices

The below Houston residential electric prices include the pole charges and energy only charges. These electric rates are all in rates that include all charges. You may browse through and pick the company, term and electric rate that meets your specific residential electric service needs.

Compare Houston Residential Electric Rates Below

January 2008 Update

Compare Electric Rates Below

The last few months energy has come down quite a bit a long with the stock market, the economy, and consumer confidence. Even our dollar isn’t doing so good but it has started a climb up. Residential electric rates in Dallas have come down some but not as much as some were anticipating. The problem is when fuel prices drop quickly it doesn’t necessrily have the same effect on the conversion over to electricity. There is a cost associated with converting natural gas and coal to electric power. This cost is called a heat factor cost. When natural gas comes down quickly you will usually see the heat factor go up. This makes it a little difficult to anticipate exactly what electric rates will do when fuel and energy comes down. Below is a comparison list of some of the cheapest electric companies in Dallas Texas.

These rates are subject to change as the month progresses but are accurate as of the date this article was written. To see an updated comparison list go to : Dallas Electric Rate Comparison

Dec 2008 Dallas Electric Rate Chart