Archive for Texas Residential Electricity
Tips for Selecting a Texas Energy Provider
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Every May, our contract with our Texas energy provider comes up for renewal, and we have the power to choose whether to stay with our current provider or switch. In looking for a new provider and/or plan we not only want a good rate, but we first have to decide if we want a contract and what kind, and if we want to use green energy, all the while paying close attention to possible promotions and rewards programs. Here is the process we usually go through.
In order to choose a provider, it is best to start with a plan. The two most common plans are variable rate and fixed rate. With a fixed rate plan you’ll pay the same rate for electricity throughout the term of your contract (which is typically 2 years). The price can change only to reproduce actual price changes that are allowed by Public Utility Commission rules due to changes in law or regulatory charges. This plan is great for people who have a household budget since the rate stays the same, which protects you from rising energy prices; however, if market prices fall you have to wait until your contract is over to switch to a lower rate. If you think you might want to discontinue service after a short period of time, look for a company that does not have contracts or offers short term contracts. Companies that have contract periods often have a minimum term and if you cancel your service before the contract period ends, you might have to pay a penalty.
Variable rate, or often referred to as “month-to-month”, plans have no minimum contract period and are based on current energy market conditions. With this kind of plan, the rate you pay can fluctuate depending on the changes in the electricity market. Which means you can benefit from lowering energy rates and could help you to save on your energy bill. However, just as this type of plan allows you to save money when market prices fall, it could also have a negative affect if market prices rise because so would your electricity rate. For some people, dealing with constant changing electricity rates can be stressful so a fixed rate works best for them. On the other hand, there are others who like being able to always get the best rate and don’t mind searching for it, making a variable rate plan their best option.
Next is to choose between a non-renewable (standard) and a renewable (green) plan. You can check a Texas energy provider’s Electricity Facts Label (EFL) to see if their plan produces electricity from renewable resources such as solar, hydroelectric, landfill gas, biomass, geothermal, or wind. EFLs allow you to easily compare what each company has to offer to find the best fit for your energy consumption and budget. Each label contains the following information:
- Electricity Rate: This is made up of the electric company’s average price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for 500 kWh, 1000 kWh and 1500 kWh, as well as a possible monthly customer service charge and seasonal pricing. Rates can differ depending on the number of kilowatt-hours so it’s important to look at your past usage. With some companies the more kilowatt-hours you use, the lower the rate will be.
- Contract Terms: Some companies have minimum terms and will charge you an early cancellation fee, while others may not require a contract.
- Power Generation Sources: The electricity provider should list from what resources the electricity is produced (coal, natural gas, renewable energy, etc.) The percentages will be graphed to compare them to the average usage for electricity generation statewide.
- Emissions: In this section companies provide details on the types and percentage of emissions they create per kWh of electricity generated. The energy provider’s percentages will be graphed to show if the emissions are better or worse than the Texas average. This might be an important section for you if you’re interested in decreasing your carbon footprint.
Once you’ve decided which plan works for you, then the next step is to compare Texas electricity companies. You can do this by going to ElectricityBid.com where you can compare prices and ratings. Just enter your zip code and then pick the kind of plan you want. You will be able to see different Texas energy providers and their company rating, different plans offered, cancellation fee, if electricity is produced from renewable or non-renewable resources and the terms and rate for each plan. These websites will also show you promotions and incentives offered by each company and if they have a rewards program.
Lastly, review and compare all the possible incentives and rewards programs offered. Some companies offer rewards programs to their customers such as cash back and gifts. For example, Bounce Energy is currently rewarding its customers for paying their bills on-time. Customers who pay their bill on-time for 6 consecutive months receive their choice of 2 movie tickets or a free companion airfare ticket and also gain access to Bounce Energy’s VIP Customer Service line. The longer you pay on time, the more you get in return. Power providers might also offer incentives or promotions for signing up with a new plan such as gift cards, airline miles, charitable donations, or better rates if you sign up online. For example, Bounce Energy’s Express Move plan. This short term fixed rate plan makes moving much easier by not only turning on your electricity, but Bounce Energy will submit your USPS Change of Address form, add your name to the Do Not Mail and Do Not Call lists, give you free identity protection service and give you either a $25 Walmart or Home Depot gift card. Bounce Energy’s Terrific 12 plan gives the customer their choice of $25 gift cards to Target, Wal-Mart, GAP Inc., Shell, or a $25 bill credit.
As you’ve probably seen, there are many Texas energy providers and plans to choose from but by doing some research you will be able to find one that is right for your electricity needs and budget.
Online Resources
http://powertochoose.org
http://www.electricitytexas.com
Houston Electricity Rates Prices and Plans – September 2009
Posted by: | CommentsWe 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
Arlington Texas Electricity Rates
Posted by: | CommentsIn Arlington Texas there are several discount electricity rates usually being offered as fixed rate terms by most electricity companies. A few Arlington electricity companies only offer variable electricity prices that fluctuate with the commodity markets. These variable electric rates change in price based on how the fuel prices that generates electricity in Texas changes on the futures markets. A variable electricity rate is generally considered a more risky product than a fixed electricity rate. By choosing a variable price you avoid a long term commitment with an electric company and there is usually no early termination penalty with the Texas electricity company. A fixed electricity rate term plan gives you peace of mind that the rate will not change. The below Arlington Texas electricity companies offer easy to understand fixed rate plans with no hidden fees or charges.
Many times a variable electricity price will be much cheaper than a fixed rate for the first month because it is an introductory offer or fuel prices happen to be lower on the prompt month. This unhedged variable price does not require a lot of capital investment in comparison to a fixed rate for the Arlington Texas electricity company. There is not a lot of risk for the provider to sell a variable electric rate because the customer is taking on all the risk.
Generally Arlington TX electricity companies that focus on selling variable electricity rates have a higher customer complaint record because customers become agitated when their introductory variable rate goes up beyond what they expected. Even when an Arlington Texas electricity company provides disclosure after disclosure explaining that the rate is subject to change with fuel prices customers will still complain to the PUCT when their rate goes up regardless to the fact that they agreed to this rate plan.
Sometimes the electricity provider really is to blame when a customers variable electricity rates go up. A few Arlington electricity companies either in the past or even still now advertise rates that appear to be fixed but have the ability to go up in price. Some of the tactics an Arlington Texas electricity provider will take to show one rate and charge you a different rate is to hide some of the TDSP charges within the details of the contract. A provider should disclose all fees and charges in the facts label but some of these providers hide the fees in a word problem within the text of the contract. Most energy consumers have no way of figuring out what the actual rate is in this case without questioning the electricity provider and the PUCT to get down to the bottom of it.
When an electricity provider knowingly uses customer electricity price confusion to deceive their customers into an electric rate they are committing fraud. We have heard directly from people within some of these companies that have confirmed that some Arlington electricity companies use customer confusion as a part of their core business model. This has been confirmed by a disgruntled employee at one provider and a satisfied employee at another provider that works within the actual pricing area of the electricity providers business. The mindset of the Texas energy consumer according to these electricity companies is that they are quick to forget. A year may go by and many of these customers will stay and some will go but the electric provider continues to sign up unsuspecting customers since there is plenty of customers to go around.
There is nothing wrong with a variable electricity rate but it is important that a provider makes it clear to the consumer that a changing price is what they are signing up for. A fixed electricity rate should be a true fixed rate and not subject to additional hidden fees and fuel surcharges that can cause the electricity price to change. A variable electricity rate can be the perfect type of rate plan to get on as I personally am on a variable electricity rate but the consumer should know that is what they are on. If the energy consumer has been made aware of the risks involved with being on a variable electricity price than they should not be complaining when their rate goes up in price otherwise they should have signed up on a fixed electricity rate with an Arlington Texas electricity company.
These are some of the issues that Texas energy consumers should know about before just signing up with any Texas electricity provider. The PUCT has a complaint scorecard that gives detailed information on which electricity companies should be avoided and which Texas electricity companies in Arlington have a high customer satisfaction record. As of August 2009 Startex Power in Arlington Texas has received the number 1 rating by JD Power and Associates. Part of Startex Power’s strategy involves offering cheap electricity rates that are fixed and do not contain hidden fees and charges.
August 2009 Dallas Electricity Rate Comparison
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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.
August 2009 Houston Electricity Rates and Plans – Compared
Posted by: | CommentsPicking The Right Houston Electricity Company, Rate and Plan
What to Know Before Signing up With Just Anyone
We have compiled a list of some of the more popular residential Texas electricity companies and rate plans. If there is a known issue with one of the residential electricity companies we list that concern next to the provider. There are some providers that have blatantly obvious tricks we know of that shows one rate on their website but when receiving your first electricity bill the rate is much higher due to the TDSP charges not being clearly apparent. A note should be made that these Texas electricity providers are usually involved in leaving off the TDSP charge on their advertised rate. We are not sure exactly how many energy companies participate in this practice as well as they change their practices depending on how much heat they are receiving from PUCT complaints. You can read Consumer Energy complaints from some of these providers customers who can explain what exactly can occur when switching to a gimmicky energy company better than we can.
August 7 2009 Residential Houston Electricity Company Comparison, Cheapest to Most Expensive
Understanding Your Houston Residential Electricity Rate
Most electric providers in Texas will bundle the TDSP charges into the energy only rate giving you an all-in rate that can be compared against other Texas electricity companies like TXU Energy and Reliant Energy. We have listed both TXU and Reliant in our comparison chart in order to compare their electricity prices with other Texas electric providers. You will notice that the two largest energy providers in Texas have much higher electricity prices than some of the smaller but good electric companies. Right now Champion Energy and Startex Power are two reputable electricity providers in Texas offering very cheap fixed electricity rate offers. All fees and charges are disclosed with these two companies. With Startex if a customer uses less then 500 kWh hours a month there will be a $4.95 monthly service fee although most Texas electricity consumers use more then this so it shouldn’t be an issue for most customers. A monthly service fee is simply an additional charge many electricity providers have in addition to their electricity price. It is important that a provider disclose this fee upfront rather than hide it in the contract details. We have made these fees obvious in our rate chart so you can make a clear apples to apples comparison of electricity prices in Texas.
Historical Houston Electricity Rate Snapshot for August 7 2009
Since this Houston electricity comparison chart is an update for August 7 2009 it only represents a historical snapshot of what Texas electricity providers were charging on this date. An updated and daily refreshed electricity rate chart is also provided below with some of the cheapest Houston electricity companies. We hope this historical list of Houston energy providers in prices above will keep you informed of how prices move over the course of several months. If you have any questions or comments about one of these Houston electricity companies please feel free to leave a comment below. If you are interested in a no deposit Houston electricity choice please visit our no deposit electricity page.
Current Houston Electricity Rates, Companies, and Plans
Customer Confusion Over Price is Some Texas Electricity Companies Business Model
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Fixed rate product — A retail electric product with a term of at least three months for which the price (including recurring charges) for each billing period of the contract term is the same throughout the contract term, except that the price may vary from the disclosed amount solely to reflect actual changes in the Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU) charges, changes to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) or Texas Regional Entity administrative fees charged to loads or changes resulting from federal, state or local laws that impose new or modified fees or costs on a REP that are beyond the REP’s control.
According to TXU it is unclear whether the ERCOT System Administration Fee, TRE Fee, Public Utility Commission assessment, and Gross Receipts Tax Reimbursements are considered recurring charges that must be included in the total average price per kWh on a customer’s Electricity Facts Label and bills, or whether they may merely be identified to customers in the Electricity Facts Label or Terms of Service and then billed as line items on the bill and not included in the total average price/kWh. Currently Retail Electric Providers are treating these fees and assessments differently which is preventing customers from making an apples to apples price comparison.
The PUCT clarifies that any dispute between a customer and a Retail Electric Provider concerning the terms of a contract, any vagueness, obscurity, or ambiguity in the contract will be construed in favor of the electricity service customer.
The Electricity Facts Label for each electric service product shall be printable in no more than a two page format. The Electricity Facts Label, Terms of Service, and YRAC for any products offered for enrollment on a Texas electricity providers website shall be available for viewing or downloading.
According to the PUCT for a fixed rate product, the Electricity Facts Label shall provide the total average price for electric service reflecting all recurring charges, excluding state and local sales taxes, and reimbursement for the state miscellaneous gross receipts tax, to the customer.
I hate to even suggest it if it wasn’t true but some of the Texas electricity companies advertising out there really cannot be doing anything other than making a clever attempt at tricking customers into their rates. Below however are several Texas electricity companies with all fees and charges disclosed in their rates and plans. You can compare reputable Texas electricity companies in the comparison chart below or click here to continue reading.
- Amigo Energy – Over 80 Comments (Problems associated with POLR customers not understanding to switch to a plan after moving to POLR)
- Dynowatt Energy – Over 80 Comments (many of these are customer confusion over variable electricity prices)
- Freedom Power – Over 40 comments (complaints and confusion by customers of disconnects and extra charges)
- National Power – Over 330 comments (no longer selling in Texas after an attempt to raise customer fixed rates)
- Riverway Power – Over 30 comments (no longer selling in Texas after an attempt to raise customer fixed rates)
This is a very confrontational topic and I will do my best to stay away from naming Texas electric company names but a few different scenarios of what I am talking about come to mind. Below I will give a summary of some of the confusing electricity price advertisements I have come across.
- One electricity provider had an electricity rate on the splash page where they advertise their rates about 3 cents cheaper than the cheapest 12 month fixed rate any Texas electricity company was offering. The rate was being advertised as a fixed rate as well. This was a residential electricity rate and since 90% of all residential electric companies in Texas bundle in all charges minus a monthly fixed base charge we would assume this was a bundled rate. We pulled up the facts label off their site which is supposed to break it down according to PUCT regulations where the rate is bundled together with all charges. The rate showed the same low price in the facts label but had some interesting legal jargon in the fine print that TDSP charges may need to be added in addition. We called this electricity provider because no where on the site could we find a total bundled residential electricity price. The provider after much questioning explained that additional TDSP charges would need to be added to the rate but they could not tell me what these are because they are variable and vary by customer. The lady was right. The TDSP charges are variable and in fact 90% of the TDSP charges are demand related. In other words if you are accustomed to turning on all the machines, lights, AC, and appliances in your house during peak times in the day than your demand charge could be much higher than a typical household. Your variable part of the rate could be 4 cents per kWh or more on top of the advertised fixed rate. Most Texas electricity providers fix the TDSP charges and bundle it into the rate so regardless of what your demand may be you pay the disclosed advertised price you saw and read in their advertisement. How is a Texas electricity provider able to fix the TDSP charges? Well, if you average what most residential customers use in energy it comes out to about 1,300 kWh a month. The demand is also easy to average out. Since residential electricity service providers deal in large volume they can average out the cost of TDSP charges and make them a fixed component of the rate. These electricity companies than bundle the TDSP charges into the advertised rate to give you an exact picture of what your residential electricity rate will look like. Again most electric companies will do this for residential customers and it has become an industry standard norm. Only a handful of energy companies do not use this practice and they seem to keep it a secret on their sites as you usually can only discover that additional TDSP charges will be added when reading the fine print of their contract or asking interrogating questions to the sales rep.
- Another practice involves having a “fuel surcharge” clause in the fine details of the contract in that little tiny print on page 6 or something. Most customers will never ask or look to discover that their fixed rate they have “locked into” can change when fuel prices go up. The Texas electricity grid relies on natural gas to spin the turbines that create our Texas electric power. Natural gas is about 45% of the generation fuel we use to create electricity in Texas and Dallas and Houston are big recipients of this fuel source. Natural gas prices go up all the time and right now are near a low in the market. This low means that “what goes down must eventually come up” as the old commodities adage goes. We beg to differ that you are really “locking in” to anything considering fuel prices go up and down everyday. A fuel surcharge is one of the biggest jokes to put in a fixed electricity rate contract. If you are buying a variable wholesale price for your residential electricity service and want to take on the risk than a fuel surcharge is great. I personally am on an MCPE type of residential electricity rate that goes up and down based on market conditions. It is fine to sign up on one of these rates if you know that is what you have agreed to. The problem is that some Texas electricity companies literally have a business model that is based on assuming their customers have confusion already about price. These electric providers know what they can and cannot get away with. By adding something in the details of the contract while leaving the splash page that hooks in customers void of any reference to the additional fuel surcharge they are deceiving their customers. Sometimes a reference might be made in microscopic print after an asterisks at the bottom of the page. One way or another the electricity provider operating in this manner doesn’t do enough to inform the customer about what electricity rate they are really agreeing to.
- A recent comment by a visitor on our site gave some helpful information about an electricity company that according to him had a business model based on customer confusion over electricity price. We have taken out that Texas electricity providers name since we do not have any way of knowing if this is true but you can read for yourself someone who apparently has a little inside knowledge of some of these games that are played.
Dear A—- Customers-
1st thing 1st…A—- Energy is owned by a company called F—— Energy, a wholesale energy provider. They purchased a large power plant called Basque about a year ago that cost them about 600 million dollars. They are leveraged to the hilt and this cost has been passed on to the consumer through their retail provider A—- Energy controlled by F——.
A—-’s personnel is a patchwork of bufoons and people who don’t know how to deal with customers and are very green when it comes too being an REP. It was once said in a meeting by their pricing person that he wanted to quote, “Take advantage of people who do not know anything about price.” unquote. I notice he made good on his promise to J—– V—, the flamboyant CEO of A—-. I guess this is the reason that they have targeted the hispanic community with this exorbit price. How unfortunate.
Again, they have uneducated people at levels that they should not be at by any stretch of the imagination and they use tactics that are possibly in violation of PUCT rules and regulations. They have over two hundred BBC complaints against them and have had a expose by the Houston Chronicle informing the people of the many complaints. When V— was asked by the Reporter if he knew about the many complaints, V— totally lied to them about his knowledge of the complaints. He knew about all of them and doesn’t give a flying, well you know. I knew they were ignorant about their knowledge, I didn’t know they were that unethical.
So what is my point in writing about the bad Texas electricity companies out there? It is a pretty important topic as having electric providers out there tricking customers and doing illegal things is bad for everybody. It is bad for myself who is in this business trying to do something honest, it’s bad for ethically run electricity companies like the ones in the Texas electricity comparison chart above, and it could easily bring on more government regulation. With a possible government take over of the health care industry, GM, and who knows what other industries do we really want to turn into Canada? These rogue Texas electricity companies do get sued from time to time but they make a lot of money and have increased their profit margins through dishonest business practices. It is important to bring to light the dishonest practices of a handful of energy companies so that Texas electricity customers know that not all providers operate in this manner.
For a clear easy to understand apples to apples comparison of discount electricity rates in Texas please look at the top of this article for a comparison of several reputable electricity providers in Texas. All fees and charges are disclosed, there are no hidden fees or fuel surcharges, and several different fixed electricity rates are available. You can compare from cheapest to most expensive, pick a no deposit plan, green energy plan, Fast move in, or just go with a shorter term option. If you have questions after comparing electricity companies please give us a call at 1-800-971-4020 back to top ^
Power to Choose Shows TXU Energy at 13 Cents for a 12 Month Fixed Rate
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From time to time we like to check in and see how the larger companies like TXU Energy and Reliant Energy compare to the over 40 different retail electricity providers selling electricity service in Texas. TXU Energy has never seemed like the price leader as their brand is quite recognizable and many people feel safe and secure when choosing a brand name they recognize. Although the TXU Energy retail division has been sold to a new company called Energy Futures Holdings they still have their core billing and customer relationship management tools to give their customers a good experience. The issue is that their electricity rates just are not very good when comparing them to numerous other Texas electricity companies.
TXU Energy as of today (July 27 2009) shows that their 12 month fixed electricity rate is 13 cents per kWh in the Dallas Fort Worth area. This is quite a bit higher than several other electricity companies offering Dallas electricity prices in this area. Although TXU is a well established company there are several electric providers in Texas that now compete very well against TXU and their rates are lower. We have an electricity comparison chart that shows some of these Texas energy providers. What you will see in the chart is a clear apples to apples comparison with all fees and charges disclosed. If one of the electricity providers has a monthly service fee you will see that in the chart along with the rate. Some electricity companies do not have a monthly service but just a rate. The electricity rates compare much cheaper than what TXU Energy is currently offering their Dallas and Fort Worth Texas customers.
Take a look at the electricity rates in our residential electricity comparison chart above and choose a low cost electric company in the Dallas, Fort Worth or North Texas area. If you live outside the Dallas Fort Worth area just choose your area from the area box.
Have You Been Advertised A Low Electric Rate Only to Be Charged More?
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For 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.
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.
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 “Trickster Energy” (name hidden because of legal) 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 Trickster 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 Trickster 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 Tricksters 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 Trickster 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 Trickster 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 Trickster 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: | CommentsCompare several electricity rates and companies in Texas where all fees and charges are disclosed and bundled into the rate. There is no guessing what your final electricity rate will be when using Electricity Bid’s comparison chart below. Type in your zip code and click “continue”
Comparing 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.