Archive for Texas Residential Electricity
Have You Been Advertised A Low Electric Rate Only to Be Charged More?
Posted by: | CommentsFor the most part we have seen that Texas electric companies are very good about advertising all fees and charges in their electric rates and plans. Having said this there are still a handful of energy companies that are basically tricking their customers into an electric rate while staying in the realm of what is considered lawful. There are ways to fashion a rate by using the loopholes available in the PUCT regulations and laws so that a Texas residential or commercial electric rate may look like a low price but as soon as you recieve your first months electric bill you notice the electricity price is not as advertised.
This is called bait and switch in the deceptive trade practices law and so you may have more success pursuing a Texas electric company legally by complaining to the Texas Attorney General who investigates these types of crimes. If you have been scammed please fill out the form below so we can allow Texas energy consumers to be warned of potential traps a few electric providers have set for unsuspecting customers. If you are one of the Texas electric companies in the list below and have reason to believe that the customer filing the complaint is mistaken please feel free to comment below and clarify why the customer may be mistaken. We would be happy to retract any FALSE information.
Electric Companies That Do Not Participate in Bait and Switch Tactics
Below is a comparison chart that compares electric rates from multiple reputable electric companies in Texas each offering several different electric rates and terms. Some providers offer the cheapest long term fixed rates while another provider may have a very good short term rate. Some providers specialize in variable month to month rates that have no long term commitment. You can compare and pick the electricity company and rate below. When you ready to sign up just click on “continue” next to the provider you want and you will be taken to the sign up page. You will first be able to confirm the rate once more befire deciding to commit. The default area in the chart is Houston. If you live somewhere outside the Houston area then you will just need to choose your area in the “Select Area” box. Next choose your plan in the “Select Plan” box and finally click on “Get Rates” to see the rates based on the criteria you have chosen.
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June 2009 Highest Priced Residential Electric Providers
Posted by: | CommentsTo see a list of the most expensive Texas electric service providers selling residential energy please click on the below link.
Click Here to See the Highest Priced Texas Electric Providers
If you need to see the cheapest residential electric companies you can use the chart below.
These are Some of the Cheapest Dallas and North Texas Area Residential Electric Providers
All fees and charges are included in the below chart and all the electric companies in the chart are reputable stable residential energy companies in Texas. There are no hidden fees or fuel surcharges in these electric rates.
Electric Rates in all deregulated cities in Texas have come down quite a bit since last summer. Last summer a typical low cost electric rate at this time was around 16 cents a kWh for residential home owners and apartments. Now electric rates in the North Texas and East Texas area are priced at 10 – 11 cents per kWh for a 1 year fixed rate term. This is a very low price cosidering when last summer a residential electric rate in Dallas or Houston would cost anywhere from 16 – 31 cents per kWh. First Choice Power had a rate of 31 cents per kWh with some customers. We saw only a few months ago where Nueces Electric Coop was charging one of their customers 34 cents per kWh. We want to encourage residential Texas electric customers to not fall for a too good to be true rate offer but also to sign up for an exbortantly inflated electricity rate. Right now the name brand electric companies most Texas energy consumers are familiar with like TXU or Reliant are charging some of the highest prices in Texas. First Choice Power has come down from their high at 31 cents per kWh but they are still charging a lot when comparing their electric rate with several reputable discount electric companies.
A Quick Warning About Unbundled Too Good to be True Electric Rate Offers
Something to pay close attention to when deciding on a Texas electric rate is if the provider is hiding additional charges they do not make you aware of when quoting you a rate. For instance, Liberty Power advertises on the internet a residential Texas electricity rate that does not have the TDSP charges included in the energy price. We called Liberty Power to confirm what their energy price was on the phone and they did not disclose to us that there would be an additional 4 cents per kWh that would be added to the rate in the form of TDSP charges. We had to specifically ask them after the sales call if there would be an additional TDSP charges tagged on to the rate. Liberty Power also did not make us aware of a monthly service fee when quoting their residential electric rate to us. Their rate at the time that they were quoting was in the 7 cents per kWh range. Imagine thinking you were locking in at 7 cents per kWh to than get your first months bill that also contained 4 cents on top of that rate making the rate 11 cents per kWh and then add the monthly fee of $8.99 to that you have a rate in the 11.5 cents per kWh range.
It would be better for Liberty Power to just disclose to people what their rate is as well as what the customer can expect to pay in TDSP charges since most residential electric customers will pay about the same TDSP charge. Most residential electric companies in Texas will fix the TDSP charges and bundle them into their advertised electric rate. This means that most residential electric providers in Texas make their customers aware of all charges in an “all-in” quoted rate instead of just quoting the “energy only” portion of the rate. We hope this explanation can help you avoid signing up with an electric company that does not disclose all charges in their advertised price.
Your Energy Company Residential Electricity Facts Label
We visited Liberty Power’s site and they had no hard evidence of what their advertised residential electric rate is although you can sometimes find it on a Google or Yahoo ad that is just the “energy only” price. They had a quote form to fill out but no prices displayed anywhere on their site. We are very curious why they do not provide this pricing evidence on their website? A quick glance on another too good to be true offers shows that “YEP Energy” is advertising a “fixed rate” at 7.5 cents per kWh with a $4.95 monthly service fee in their facts label and displays what appears to be a total bundled rate at 10.1 cents per kWh for the Oncor Utility area which is Dallas, Fort Worth, North Texas, and parts of East Texas. When reading their facts label which most customers pass on reading we find that their total bundled rate is really not the 10.1 cents per kWh that it shows. I called YEP Energy and asked them what their rate was including TDSP charges and they said that the Oncor area rate is 10.1 cents per kWh but does not include the TDSP charges. She also went on to say she has “no idea what those charges are”. The issue is that providers know aproximately what those TDSP charges are for residential energy consumers and can easily give a close aproximate by saying 3 – 4 cents per kWh. Based on this conversation with this YEP Energy sales lady the rate would be 10.1 + 4 cents in TDSP charges = 14.1 cents per kWh. It doesn’t matter that these additional charges are coming from the TDSP company. The issue is full price disclosure on the main advertised splash page for the residential electric price. The customer should have a clear front page example of the total “bundled rate” that includes all fees and charges including the TDSP charges.
Take a look at a YEP facts label as of June 8 2009. You will see that they have a charge showing 7.5 cents per kWh for the Oncor Electric Utility area but then at the top for Oncor they show 10.1 cents per kWh. Now you would assume that the total bundled electric rate is 10.1 since you have a low fee of 7.5 cents per kWh in the document at the bottom but a few cents higher at the top where it says 10.1 cents per kWh. This would be a great all in bundled residential electric rate right now. Now we call YEP Energy and ask them if the 10.1 cent per kWh rate includes all charges. The lady on the phone says that the rate will be 10.1 cents per kWh but does not include the TDSP charges. She goes on to say that she has no idea what the TDSP charges will be? Even though it is an easy average to tell the customer she claims to not know. If you are a YEP Energy customer let me finish the sales call correctly. Customer: “So what is the total bundled rate including TDSP Charges?” Sales Agent: “The total charges if when adding an aproximate TDSP charge of 4 cents per kWh will be 14.1 cents per kWh.” Customer: “Why is it that almost all Texas electric providers that sell residential electric service offer a total bundled residential rate in their advertisement that includes TDSP charges but your company does not?” Sales Agent: “Well we know our bosses know what the average cost of these TDSP charges will be but we have been told to state that we have no idea what these charges are.” Customer: “Doesn’t this allow the customer to assume that the rate will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 – 11 cents per kWh when in reality it will raise the electric rate several cents higher?” Sales agent: “No comment!”
Highest Priced Texas Electric Companies
These are the highest priced residential electric providers in the Dallas, Fort Worth, North Texas and parts of East Texas area. This comparison will also serve for showing who is pricing the highest in the Houston area as well although prices will typically be a little higher in Houston than in the Dallas Fort Worth area. The electric companies in the below list are reputable stable energy companies but happen to be offering electric rates at much higher prices than several other residential electric companies. There are also some electric providers in Texas that are advertising much lower rates than these providers but have hidden fees and charges they do not readily disclose on their websites or over the phone. We need to hear from consumers who have been tricked into what appeared to be a low rate but is really much higher.
Click here to see the Cheapest Available Residential Texas Electric Rates
Have You Been Surprised By Undisclosed Fees and Charges on Your Electric Bill?
If you have signed up at a higher electric rate than you were advertised by a Texas electric company than please fill out this form and let us know. There have been several complaints by Liberty Power and YEP Energy customers that they were locked into an electric service rate much higher than what they were initially told. You may have been misled into an electric rate by one of these electric companies or possibly a different one we do not know about. Please feel free to let us know by filling out this quick form with your information.
Last Summer (2008) Some People Signed up at 15 Cents per kWh
Last summer a company by the name of Just Energy which also goes by the name of US Energy Savings Corp signed up many electric service customers to 5 year fixed residential electricity agreements. The reason so many Texas electricity customers signed up with Just Energy at 15 cents per kWh was because this was the cheapest rate when comparing 1, 2, and 3, and 5 year fixed electric rates.
Many did not realize that the summer of 2008 were some of the highest electricity prices in the Texas electric service markets history. By signing up for 5 years many Just Energy customers had locked themselves in at the highest time in the Texas energy market. Just Energy was not to blame for offering a 5 year fixed electricity agreement but consumers who decided to sign up for this long were strongly recommended by Electricity Bid to sign up for 6 months to 1 year even though the rate would be higher because it was our companies opinion that electricity rates would be coming back down. The summer of 2009 Texas saw some of the cheapest electricity rates we have seen but as of June it looks like the markets are heading back up again. We recommend 1, 2 and 3 year fixed rates at this time while prices are still low.
TDSP Pole and Wires Charges, Have You Been Scammed?
Posted by: | CommentsComparing Texas Electricity Rates in a Clear Apples to Apples Comparison Chart
Read the article below about deceptive trade practices regarding advertising a low Texas residential electric rate that does not include all charges such as TDSP charges, pole charges, and pass through charges. After your done reading come back here to this residential electric rate comparison chart that shows all charges in a total bundled rate in a clear apples to apples comparison. You can be confident that the rate you sign up on will be a total bundled electric rate with no surprise charges.
What is at The Root of the Confusion Involving Unbundled Residential Electric Rates?
In Texas you have commercial electricity rates and you have residential electricity rates. These electric rates and charges are all together different animals. Don’t be confused by assuming one is the other and don’t let a retail electric provider convince you that your wrong about a confusion involving TDSP charges added onto your electric bill. Texas commercial electric rates are usually quoted to a energy consumer as an “unbundled rate”. This means that the quoted commercial electric rate does not have the TDSP charges (pole charges) added into the rate. The reason the charges are not quoted initially when receiving a commercial rate quote is because the electric company does not know what they are for that specific business. TDSP charges are figured based on actual or historical usage and differ from one company to the next.
TDSP charges for commercial businesses are not a fixed charge because they are based on the amount of electricity you use on any given month. The charges are past through by the monopoly utility that owns the poles and wires and so the provider isn’t even in control of what these charges will be but only passes them through on their electric bill to the consumer. A fitness studio gym might spend on average about 7 cents per kWh for TDSP charges on top of their “energy only” rate. A large chemical or manufacturing plant might spend 1 – 2 cents per kWh on average for TDSP charges. Generally the larger the commercial or industrial business the smaller on average per kWh the TDSP charges will be.
How TDSP Charges Work for Residential Energy Prices
Now lets consider residential electric rates and TDSP charges. Most Texas electric providers will quote you an all in electric rate that includes the TDSP charges in the rate. You may wonder how a residential electric provider can quote the TDSP charges as a part of the electric rate if they vary from one customer to the next? The answer to this question is that most Texas electric companies will bundle the two charges together before ever knowing what the residential energy consumer uses because they know on average what the historical average is for most residential customers. Since most home owners average about 1,300 kWh a month a Texas electric company can fix the TDSP charges and go ahead and bundle those charges in their advertised residential electric rate. Now even though we say that most residential electric companies in Texas bundle these pole and wires charges in their advertised rate does not mean that all do. The fact that not all residential electric companies include the TDSP charges in their rate is the issue many Texas energy consumers are facing and it has defrauded them out of hundreds of dollars.
Why do Residential Electric Service Customers Sign up for Unbundled Energy Service Products?
By signing up for an unbundled electric rate you are kind of flying blind with no real knowledge of what the final rate will be. You are not to blame as you probably had no idea that there would be additional pole and wires charges added on to the rate. The confusion comes in when a Texas residential energy consumer compares electric rates from several electric companies and finds a rate that is much much cheaper than all the other companies they have looked at. The rate says that it is a fixed electric rate and the company seems to be a large company in several states so the customer feels reassured that they are signing up on a legit rate. So lets say that the customer finds a 1 year fixed electric rate at 7 cents a kWh. This sounds amazing right now and is several cents cheaper than all the other electric companies. They wait and get their first months Texas electric bill only to find that the actual rate they are paying is 13 cents a kWh. Somewhere along the way they must have missed something when signing up with the electric company so they call to find out what the problem is. The customer calls and the sales agent tells the customer that their rate is 7 cents a kWh but the “pass through charges” also known as TDSP or pole and wires charges are an additional 3 – 6 cents per kWh on top of the “energy only” rate you agreed to. The funny thing is you were never notified about these additional charges and so you argue towards that direction only to hear the provider say, “We are not the TDSP company and only pass through those charges from the pole and wires company that owns the wires. Our charges are the “energy only” charges which is the rate you agreed to.” So all of the sudden the blame goes to the pole and wires company which is Centerpoint Energy in the Houston area and Oncor Electric Delivery in the Dallas Area. The electric provider even encourages you to call the pole and wire company if you want to complain about the charges.
The Pizza Guy on the Phone Gets You Into a Never Ending Circular Argument
Do you see what the electric provider has done? They have shifted the blame over to the pole and wires company for their misleading advertised electric rate. So even though you were under the impression that your total bundled rate was 7 cents per kWh the electric company is blaming you for not understanding that there was an additional pole and wires charge. If you complain to Johnny Pizza Guy that you were not notified about the charge the Texas energy provider may even shift the blame over to the pole and wires company so they get you off the phone and continue signing up more suckers for their misleading electric rate. Do you really think Johnny who gets paid $9 an hour really cares about your plight over your higher electric rate? He probably doesn’t and needs to keep his calls under 15 minutes so that he keeps his job and the energy provider meets their call center metrics.
You Take the Bait and Call the TDSP Company Which Gets You No Where
So you call the pole and wires company and they are no help at all as they don’t even deal with the retail side of the market. They handle disconnects, turn on’s, move in’s, new construction and such. These TDSP companies do not sell electricity and so when you call complaining that you were charged a very high TDSP charge they direct you back to the retail electric company that did not properly notify you of the charge. So you call the retail electric provider that sold you the misleading residential electric rate and the argument starts all over again. You complain that you were told the rate would be 7 cents per kWh but the bill states the rate is 13 cents per kWh. They explain that “their rate” is 7 cents per kWh but the “TDSP Charges” are 6 cents per kWh and come from a different company. You explain that you just called the TDSP company and they told you to call back your retail electric provider to complain. The electric provider blames the pole and wires company for requesting you call them back and explains again that they only pass through the TDSP charges but have no control over what those charges will be.
Only a Handful of Electric Companies in Texas Advertise an Unbundled Residential Electric Rate
So what is really going on here? There are only a handful of Texas electric companies that do this practice of misleading the customer into an electricity rate that seems several cents cheaper than it really is. If we were to name some of these energy companies in this article we could potentially get into some legal trouble as we have made some rather troubling statements that may not be within the necessary realm of legal accuracy. For the time we will refrain from naming names of exactly which electic companies in Texas participate in offering a rate that only appears low but is really much higher. Instead we encourage any customer that has been defrauded to post a comment with your exact experience in order to warn other consumers to stay away from the electricity providers who practice this slimeball advertising tactic.
Challenge the Electric Company With a Sound Argument About Pole and Wires Charges
If you engage in an argument with a Texas electricity provider that operates in this manner you will go round and round in a circular argument about how their rate is accurate and is the “energy only” rate and that the TDSP charge is something they are not responsible for. You might want to ask this provider, “why do most Texas electric companies go ahead and bundle the TDSP charge into their advertised fixed residential electric rate so that Texas energy consumers know exactly what they will be charged?” Who knows what the pizza guy will tell you on the other side of the phone from here but you get my point. They really won’t have a good answer for you. If you want to compare residential electricity rates that have all fees and charges, TDSP, and pole and wires charges disclosed without the hidden fees and unquoted pass through charges then please use the comparison chart at the top of this page. We have all fees and charges included in the electric rates in the chart and the companies in the comparison chart are reputable quality energy companies to do business with. By comparing Texas electric rates in an apples to apples comparison with multiple other energy providers you can make a clear informed decision and truly go with the cheapest electric provider in Texas. Again we promise you will not experience the surprises that you may have had with a disreputable electric company that did not disclose your TDSP charges in their advertised energy price.
Read More Related to This Issue
Houston Electricity Rates Compared With Trustworthy Energy Providers
Posted by: | CommentsCompare Houston Electricity Providers
It isn’t always enough to compare all Houston electricity providers to find the cheapest electricity price. Some of Houston’s energy providers actually have additional hidden fees and charges that are not made known to the energy consumer in the initial advertisement. We have even tested out some of these Houston electricity rates and providers by calling the number on their ad and asking about the Houston electricity rate they have displayed on a Google ad, billboard, or newspaper ad. The chart below includes all fees and charges with the cheapest Houston electricity rates and offers. Just pick the plan you want > Click “Get Rates” > Then click “Continue” with the provider you want to sign up with.
Why Don’t Some Electric Companies Disclose TDSP Charges
About 9 out of 10 times we found that the Houston energy provider in question would not disclose the additional charges when speaking with them on the phone. Only after getting to the end of the sales pitch and asking specifically what additional charges will I have to pay were we sometimes told that there would be an additional 4 cents per kWh added onto the electric rate due to TDSP pass through charges. The provider would go on to say that these are not their charges and they are only passing them through from the pole and wires company but this doesn’t answer the problem.
Bundled Charges Shows Total Electric Rate
Most Houston residential electric providers bundle these TDSP charges into their advertised rate. The customer knows exactly what their total electric rate looks like. If that isn’t enough most electricity providers will also disclose exactly what their monthly service fee is as well (if they have one).
A Good Comparison Chart Will Show You What You Need to Know
So picking the very cheapest will usually put you in a too good to be true electric service rate because there is probably a reason they are several cents cheaper than all the other providers. Picking a Houston electricity company that is cheap and lays out the different charges next to other energy companies gives you an apples to apples comparison. A Houston electricity rate comparison lets you sign up with the Houston electric company with some confidence. Knowing that you are with a quality energy service company that also offers a cheap electric rate is the way to go. We have provided a comparison chart above that lists all fees and charges. We have outlined these different companies and their fees next to each other so that you can choose an electric rate with confidence.
Reliant Energy Electric Rates Just Don’t Compare With Cheaper Providers
If you compare these electricity rates with what Reliant Energy is offering you will find that Reliant Energy Rates are a few cents higher than the cheapest electric company in our comparison. Reliant Energy Houston is a good company but they are no where near the cheapest energy provider in Houston. We encourage you to pick an electricity company in the chart above that is more in line with where market energy prices are instead of going with a brand name that charges you a little extra because you recognize the name.
Texas Residential Electricity Market Report 2009
Posted by: | CommentsWhat’s happening With Residential Electricity Service This Spring 2009
The summer time is a peak time period where electricity consumers start moving into new homes and apartments as well as begin shopping for a competitive Texas electric company. There are several electric companies to choose from. Many energy consumers have heard of energy providers like TXU Energy, Reliant Energy, and Direct Energy. There are still a lot of people in Texas that do not realize that they could save several hundred dollars a year by shopping for an electric rate with some of the smaller but reputable electric companies in Texas. Loyal followers of Reliant Energy and TXU Energy may be surprised to know that both of these companies sold out to companies based out of the state of Texas. TXU Energy sold their business in the largest leveraged buyout in US corporate history. The company was sold to two private equity companies with about 80% in leveraged capital. This leveraged buyout simply means that it will be a long time before these private equity companies will actually own TXU Energy without the help of the banks financing them.
Loyal Customers with Reliant and TXU Energy
Reliant Energy was also bought in 2009 by a company called NRG Energy which is based in New Jersey. Loyal followers of TXU Energy and Reliant Energy have been switched to a different electric company whether they are aware of it or not. Many times after a buyout there are billing issues and other concerns due to migrating billing systems into one core system. TXU Energy will unlikely be changing their billing system since they are not merging with another electric company. NRG Energy however could potentially be tweaking their billing system in some way to accommodate Reliant Energy or vice versa. When shopping with a smaller but more competitive Texas electric company you can stand to save as much as $600 a year or more than just going with a name brand like Reliant or TXU Energy. TXU Energy rates right now as of May 22 2009 are quite a bit higher than several other energy providers that have accurate billing, cheap rates, and good customer service. Reliant Energy rates are being advertised as being “up to” 10% lower. Why does Reliant Energy just go all the way and say “our electric rates are now 10% lower?” Even if Reliant Energy discounts their electricity rate by 10% you will still find that their energy rates are quite a bit higher than several more competitive electric companies like Champion Energy or Startex Power.
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TXU and Reliant are Not The Enemy But Why are Their Rates so High?
We are not saying that TXU Energy rates or Reliant Energy rates are the worst thing you could possibly get on but we are encouraging loyal customers of theirs to shop around. Reliant isn’t the only electric service company on the block in Houston anymore. There are great tools to compare Reliant Energy rates and TXU energy rates in detailed apples to apples electric rate comparisons. By looking through the rates next to other providers you can see all fees and charges and know exactly what the difference in price will be if you go with a more competitive electric provider. Many of these electricity comparison tools even have a number to call to speak with an energy consultant who can help in making sense of exactly how much money a residential electric service customer could save. Most Texas electric providers can sign you up completely online with just a few bits of information and a few clicks. The residential electric service customer has a 3 days right of rescission of they decide that the electric rate that switched to is not what they really wanted to do. Once you have switched to a Texas electric company it is encourage to go ahead and stay with that company until the contract has ended because canceling early could put you in a bad light with that provider. If you ever wanted to go back to the electric company you cancelled early on they may want an unreasonable deposit amount.
Energy Price Manipulation Conspiracies Abound
Houston Texas is now the energy hub and retail electric provider hub of Texas. We have Enron to blame for lobbying the Texas government to deregulate the Texas electricity market in 2002. Enron created a nightmare when deregulation first began as consumers immediately assumed back in 2002 that deregulation was not working because of the natural gas fuel price spike. The fuel price increase happened at the same time deregulation began which made people in the know suspicious of large electric providers and distribution companies who potentially had subsidiary companies assisting in this fuel price increase. The added notion that made people even more angry was that since Enron was the main company lobbying to make deregulation go through in Texas that they must have manipulated prices. That Enron or some subsidiary or loosely tied connections was additionally some how to blame for price manipulation has even made those initially in favor of the success of deregulation to back track. The mayor of Houston in the beginning was very upbeat and touting the success of electricity deregulation on his site and in 2007 he kind of changed his tune and conceded that Texas electricity deregulation was in fact a failure.
The idea was that maybe their was a little price manipulation going on to help in the confusion that deregulation was the reason for the upswing in electricity prices. The real cause of electricity price increases could have been a little nudging by certain subsidiary companies to assist in pushing up the price of natural gas futures which is the controlling fuel price tied to electricity prices in Texas. The ability to track who exactly may have manipulated the prices up is still in debate but there are 60 minute specials and evidence available for those willing to search the internet. There is also the very high likely hood that due to fuel supply issues because of a high demand for electricity that prices increased to unreasonably high levels. Typically prices will go up if their is a shortage in the supply of natural gas. There was a historical low supply of natural gas in 2002 during high peak demand in the summer which is a common sense explanation for why Texas electricity rates went up in 2002. In the summer of 2008 however we saw electricity prices and natural gas prices go up to historically high prices with no correlation to a lack of supply. The year of 2008 confirmed in many expert minds that price manipulators may indeed still be at work in the market but because of the hidden nature of commodity trading it is very hard to verify these conspiracy theories.
Significant Decrease in Electricity Rates Since Last Year (2008)
This May 2009 we are looking at electric rates that are 6 – 10 cents per kWh lower than what residential electric rates looked like at this same time last year. Companies like Dynowatt, National Power, Amigo Energy, Riverway Power, and a few other electricity companies were hit very heavily with a large amount of customer complaints due to electricity rate increases. Many of these electric service customers were on a variable market rate that by nature was subject to go up and down with the natural gas commodities market and the MCPE index. Some of these energy providers like National Power and Riverway Power attempted to raise what was initially advertised as a “fixed electric rate” to be more inline with the market. Because National Power Company and Riverway Power had signed people up on a fixed energy price the PUCT of Texas did not allow them to not honor the rates they signed their customers at. These two companies are no longer operating in Texas. Amigo Energy had to pay some fines and is currently being sued by their previous CEO of the company in a related issue around the time Amigo had these high price fluctuations on their variable Texas electric rate. Dynowatt is under no litigation in relation to the variable electric rate price swing in the summer of 2008 because their product was a variable rate the customers had agreed to. Since the price swing Dynowatt electric rates have come back down and look attractive again.
For a detailed comparison of electric rates we recommend looking at a price comparison of several reputable Texas electric companies and picking the price and term that suits your situation best. Not all electric providers advertise their electricity prices in an ethical manner. Because not all energy companies play fair we only select electric companies that have clearly stated charges and fees and a total bundled electric rate. You will find that our price comparison displays all fees and charges in a very clear apples to apples comparison that leaves nothing to guessing. Spark Energy rates used to be listed on our energy comparison site although Spark is currently not pursuing expansion in the Texas market at this time as they are focusing their strategy on natural gas sales in the North East. Right now Champion Energy rates and Startex Power rates remain the cheapest available offers in our comparison chart. You can find our comparison in the middle of this electricity market report. If you have more questions that were not answered here please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-971-4020
TXU Energy Rates
Posted by: | CommentsCompare TXU Energy Rates
If you have been needing to compare and shop for a cheaper Texas electric provider but just have not had the time we would like to encourage you to do so. Texas electric rates are at some of their cheapest prices they have been at for years. Last summer at this time a cheap rate would have been 16 cents a kWh. You can now sign up for a cheap electric rate in the Dallas area at around 9.4 cents a kWh. In Houston the rate is closer to 10 cents a kWh for a 1 year fixed rate. If your TXU Energy rates are becoming unbearably high then we recommend switching to a cheaper electric company. We only recommend that you come off of your TXU Energy rate if you are currently off contract with TXU Energy. We never recommend that you break a current contract that has not expired yet. The default area in the comparison chart above is for the Dallas area. If you live in a different area you can select it in the selection box above and click on get rates. Prices for your area will appear after clicking on get rates. Once you have decided on an energy rate just click on “continue”.
Going From TXU to Reliant Energy
If you have considered switching off of TXU Energy and onto a new electric provider that you have heard advertise on the radio than please read this. Reliant Energy rates are currently being advertised on billboards and on radio saying that they are now lowering their electric rates by “up to %10″. Unfortunately this means that you would still have to pay Reliant Energy around 13 – 14 cents a kWh when there are several energy providers offering residential electric rates in the 9 – 10 cents per kWh range for a 1 year fixed rate. Don’t be fooled by a clever marketing campaign. Reliant Energy radio ads have their coworkers on the ads explaining that they love being able to help people but in reality paying an inflated price for electricity service is not really a help in this current economy. There are several reputable electric companies in Texas that offer much cheaper electricity service than Reliant and TXU Energy rates. We have a comparison chart of electric companies that beat both Reliant Energy rates and TXU Electric rates listed in the comparison chart above.
Comparison Chart Shows All Fees and Charges in Energy Rate
We encourage you to browse through the 1 year, 2 year, and 3 year fixed electric rate terms and pick the rate and monthly term that suits you best. The chart above has all fees and charges disclosed so you know exactly what you are signing up for. We want you to have no surprises when signing up for electric service as some providers we do not have on the chart do not disclose all charges in their rate. We do not work with Texas electricity companies that hide certain fees and charges that most electric companies will disclose in plain english.
Other Energy Providers and Rates
TXU Energy in Dallas and Houston
Posted by: | CommentsElectric rates in Dallas and Houston have started coming back up the last couple of weeks although today energy prices are back down a little. This trend up represents the possible beginning of a new trend back up. The summer is approaching and if anyone remembers what electric rates were doing last summer you would be wise to lock into an electricity rate now.
Since Texas electricity rates are still quite low as of today (May 20 2009) I wanted to see what Reliant Energy and TXU Energy were offering for residential electric service in some of the larger cities like Houston and Dallas Texas. I first went out to the powertochoose website to see what the government was showing for TXU Energy’s 12 month fixed electric rate. They are showing that TXU Energy is advertising a rate of 14.7 cents per kWh. This is very high when you compare it with the cheapest reputable electric provider in the bunch. The cheapest provider in Dallas that is a quality company is with Champion Energy. They are currently showing an electricity rate at 9.2 cents per kWh with a $4.95 monthly service fee. This is multiple times cheaper then TXU Energy and you can learn more about this residential electric rate in the Dallas and North Texas area by clicking on the link below.
Champion Energy Electric Rates
We also checked to see what TXU Energy’s closest competitor was offering in the Dallas Texas area. Right now Reliant Energy is working very hard via radio and billboard ads to take residential electric service customers away from TXU Energy in TXU’s territory. Reliant has a cheaper electric rate plan then TXU Energy in TXU’s own backyard. The Reliant Energy rate is also 20% renewable energy which offers a feel good factor for those wanting to save the environment from the pollution of coal fired power plants. One issue with the wind energy plan is that it may be energy that has been produced in another state so Texas doesn’t benefit from the environmental clean energy. Reliant Energy’s rate is 14.1 cents per kWh for their 12 month fixed rate. So we see that Reliant Energy beats TXU but Champion Energy beats both Reliant and TXU on price by several cents. If you compare the 14.1 and the 14.7 cent rate next to 9.2 cents per kWh with a $4.95 monthly service fee you end up saving several hundred dollars over the course of the year by signing up with a wholesale provider like Champion Energy.
You can learn more about Champion Energy by visiting their link and see for yourself why Champion Energy is a better choice over TXU Energy and Reliant Energy.
Learn more about Champion Energy and check rates in your area online
The Reliant and TXU Energy rates when compared in the Houston and Harris county area are similar in price difference with Champion Energy in that area as well. If you live in the Houston Texas area and would like to compare electric rates with multiple energy providers then please click on the comparison link below to learn more.
Last Year at This Time Where Were Electricity Prices?
Posted by: | CommentsIf 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
Richardson Electric Rates in Comparison to TXU Energy
Posted by: | CommentsRecommended Cheapest Electric Rates – Click Here
When choosing a Richardson electric rate you want to make sure you are signing up with a reputable Richardson energy company that does not have a track record for adding in hidden fees and charges. A residential Richardson energy provider should bundle all fees and charges in their electric rate they are advertising. If the rate is not bundled they should list any additional fees right below the electric rate being advertised so there is no question about what you are agreeing to. There is nothing that I hate more then to be tricked by a US company. We have enough regulations and rules to prevent an energy company from deceiving a customer but Richardson electricity companies will still do this from time to time. Not all Richardson electric providers are dishonest or expensive. We have a comparison of rates from multiple Richardson electric companies below. We also have Reliant and TXU Energy in our electricity comparison chart below.
The below chart lists Richardson electric company rates for May 2009 from cheapest to most expensive. If a Texas energy provider is not recommended you will see a comment with our problem with that company.
TXU and Reliant No Longer the Price Leaders
You may notice in this May 2009 Richardson Texas electricity rate chart that TXU Energy and Reliant Energy have very expensive electric rates in comparison to the cheapest providers at the top. You may also see that YEP Electric Company has a cheap rate but we do not recommend them at this time as we continue to receive an excessive amount of complaints from their customers saying their electric rate is much higher once you receive an electric bill from them.
April 2009 Dallas Residential Electric Rates
Posted by: | CommentsWe have gone back to check Dallas Texas electricity rates for the month of April 2009 to see where the electric providers fall in line on their prices. Some Dallas energy providers have prices that are several cents cheaper then some of the larger electric companies like TXU and Reliant. One of the reasons we put this list together is so that Dallas energy consumers can see that there are much better offers available for Dallas electricity service then what TXU Energy has to offer. For instance, checking the rates TXU Energy is offering as of today, April 17 2009, we see that they have a 1 year fixed rate listed at 13.8 cents a kWh. The cheapest available 12 month offer in the chart is for 9.4 cents per kWh with Champion Energy.
