Questions About Electric Meter Usage Data in Houston

If you are an electric customer with an electric service retail supplier in the Harris County Texas area chances are high that Centerpoint Energy services your poles and wires and reads your meter. Have you ever received an electric bill that had an abnormally high TDSP (Transmission and Distribution Provider Charge)? Sometimes electric meters go haywire and misread your electic usage. In these situations it could have been years since the TDSP company has actually tested or performed maintenance on your electric meter.

Electric Meters do from Time to Time Malfunction

If you believe your meter was not read correctly in the Centerpoint Energy service area (Most of Houston) then we have phone numbers, email addresses, and other contact information to assist you in tracking down someone at Centerpoint to assist in testing your meter. Be aware that if they have performed maintenance on your meter recently and you still ask them to come out they may charge you for the visit. Be sure to try and negotiate for them to come out with no charge if you believe it is their fault. If they determine that the issue is not their fault but is an accurate meter reading you will likely be charged for their effort.


If you want to confirm your electric bill with your raw electric usage data as Centerpoint Energy reads it you can use the usage file number below to ask for this information to be emailed to you. You will need to have your account information ready as they will need to verify it is you.

One of the cheapest return on investments to make a residential home more energy efficient is a product by the name of PermaFrost. This product, which sounds just like that frozen tundra in Alaska is a breakthrough air conditioner lubricant with several patents. The product has been extensively tested with multiple case studies showing it reduces the energy consumption of most air conditioning systems by about 19 - 20 percent. This means that if you consider an A/C unit in a typical US home uses about 40 - 50 % of the energy on your electric bill you could stand to add about $20 - $30 a month or more in savings off of your home power costs.

The Start of Something Big, Mark my Words

Now, many people don’t know about this product yet (as of as May 20 2008) as it has not been officially launched in a major marketing blitz yet but to give the company I am about to mention a little due credit, Carrier Air Conditioning company has tested their product on their machines and has verified that the 19 percent reduction in energy consumption is true. The PermaFrost product is safe and passes with an Energyguide and Energystar rating by the US government and has multiple patents to keep its product solely owned and sold by the inventor. Starting May 31st 2008 the Perma Frost product will be exclusively marketed by a new MLM Electric Provider in Texas and New York by the name of Affordable Energy. This company currently sells electric service in the states of New York and Texas to both residential homes and commercial businesses through a direct sales force that makes residual income on the energy customers they sign up. The company will soon be launching their sales force in all 50 states to sell PermaFrost air conditioning lubricant. The lubricant filters into the A/C system through the coolant. The coolant goes through the pipes and coils and takes with it the PermaFrost additive. This additive helps to disperse heat away from the air conditioner at a much more efficient rate.

Seal of Approval by Many Reputable Organizations and Companies

Carrier Air conditioning, one of the largest air conditioning manufacturers in the United States gives this product two thumbs up. Multiple commercial facilities and other A/C manufacturers have done case studies on this product as well showing that it does what they claim it does. Many testimonials by residential home owners, well known commercial companies, trade journals and other customers give a very good positive validation and stamp of approval to this affordable way to reduce the energy consumption in a residential home. Affordable Energy has the exclusive rights to sell this product to residential homes although commercial rights are still held by the PermaFrost company to directly sell it themselves.

Strategic Decision Puts Affordable Energy in all 50 States

The PermaFrost product is a great way for Affordable Energy Electric Provider to enter all 50 states with a quickly growing direct sales force. As the electric provider becomes approved to sell electricity in other deregulated states they will have a PermaFrost home based business sales organization to sell not only PermaFrost but electric service as well. The strategy is genius as they have exclusive rights to offer this product and most people who give it hard attempt could make a traditional income simply by selling PermaFrost and electric service at trade shows, flea markets, face to face, mall kiosks, friends and family, referrals and other creative selling mechanisms. The MLM residual income is an added bonus to this home based opportunity but the residual income available to someone just signing up customers is about $4 - $6 per electric service customer on a monthly basis for the life of that customer. For those also selling PermaFrost it is a one time application for the life of the air conditioner system but the commission is about $65 a pop. For those taking the opportunity and signing up a few friends and family to sell these products as well there is the possibility to make residual income from a large downline of recruits that see the benefit of getting into this business in its infancy and selling the electric services and PermaFrost products they offer.

Is it Likley this Business will Get Off the Ground?

Based on the success of similar businesses like Ambit Energy and Ignite Energy, it looks like Affordable Energy will build a large direct sales force in short order with their energy efficiency product, PermaFrost and electric service. The new home based business electric company has a synergy of products that make Ambit and Ignite look like yesterdays news. If you are interested in learning more you can visit the company website and a founding partner will talk to you more about it: Affordable Energy. The company officially re-launches May 31st 2008 in a large marketing blitz to get the word out about this new energy business and opportunity. Get in early before the momentum starts and be a founder. This really is at the beginning so don’t hesitate. You can sign up online here: Sign up Today!

If you would prefer someone call or email you back, please fill out this form and a founding partner with Affordable Energy will get right back with you.

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Special Discount Rate for PreBuy Electric Customers of Texas

We have worked out a special discount rate with Champion Energy for PreBuy Electric customers on their 12 month fixed electric rate. You can sign up with them here: Champion Discount Sign Up The discount code is built into the link so you will not need to enter it.

If you need a shorter term electric rate or just want to get on a month to month no contract rate then we recommend a reputable low cost provider by the name of Startex Power. Startex Power has never reneged on a Texas electric service agreement and is an ethical company.

Sign up with Startex Power

If you need to sign up with someone quick again we recommend Champion Energy Electric company and use them ourselves at our own home. They are a good solid energy company with an industry low electric rate. PreBuy Electric Companies appeal was their no deposit option. If your credit isn’t too bad the most we have seen Champion’s deposit requirement is $250. You may be able to sign up with them with no deposit if you have ok credit. When you sign up online using the discount code built into the link below you will get their cheapest rate they offer and they usually respond back regarding if a deposit is needed within 2 minutes via email.


Champion Energy Discount Electric Rate

Prebuy Electric Company has often been mistaken for the name Prepaid Electric. If you have come to this site looking for your electric company you may refer to them by Prepaid or Prebuy because the names are easy to confuse. Both names refer to PreBuy Electric who filed bankruptcy on May 16 2008. Prebuy Electric offered consumers in Texas the option of purchasing their energy in advance thereby having no need to check for credit or require a deposit. Prepaid electricity appeals to a large segment of the Texas population but there are not very many electric providers in Texas who offer it. If you need a prepaid electricity choice we unfortunately know of no other electric provider but PreBuy who offers this option.


If you would like to learn more about PreBuy Electric’s status you can reach them at one of the following numbers below. Also, if you have any experience with what has happened to you as a customer of PreBuy Electric Company since they went bankrupt please comment below to let other PreBuy Electric customers know what is going on. We would really appreciate it.

Information, Phone Numbers, and Email Addresses

Primary: Authorized Rep
PRE-BUY ELECTRIC LLC
1703 16TH STREET

BRIDGEPORT, TX 76426
Main: 940-683-1853
Alt: 866-777-0406
Fax: 866-883-8302
Email: lbosley@prebuyelectric.com

Company / Physical
PRE-BUY ELECTRIC LLC
1703 16TH STREET

BRIDGEPORT, TX 76426
Main: 940-683-1853
Alt: 866-777-0406
Fax: 866-883-8302
Email: jim@prebuyelectric.com

Contact
PRE-BUY ELECTRIC, LLC

Main: 940-683-1853
Alt: 866-777-0406
Fax: 940-683-8302
Email: jim@prebuyelectric.com

Contact
PRE-BUY ELECTRIC, LLC.
1703 16TH ST.
PO BOX 1460
BRIDGEPORT, TX 76426
Main: 866-777-0406
Alt: —
Fax: 866-883-8302
Email: regulatory@prebuyelectric.com; mhanley@prebuyelectric.com

Contact
PRE-BUY ELECTRIC, LLC.
1703 16TH ST.
PO BOX 1460
BRIDGEPORT, TX 76426
Main: 940-683-1853
Alt: 866-777-0406
Fax: 866-883-8302
Email: regulatory@prebuyelectric.com; lbosley@prebuyelectric.com

Contact
PRE-BUY ELECTRIC, LLC.

Main: 940-683-1853
Alt: 866-777-0406
Fax: 940-683-8302
Email: lbosley@prebuyelectric.com

Another Texas Electric Company down, Hit by Unhedged Energy and skyrocketing prices

Today it was announced that Pre Buy Electric has gone out of business. The way this company sold energy is pretty obvious from their name. The Texas electric provider would have their customers pre pay for energy so there is no need for a deposit and if they havn’t paid a previous electric company, well no problem you have to pre pay with Pre Buy Electric so the choice was simple for many people. One of the down falls of Pre Buy Electric Company wasn’t the fact that they had a customer base of about 9,000 bad credit risks because these customers bought their energy in advance so the risk was minimal to Pre Buy. The issue once again is bad risk management. What I mean by risk management is that Pre Buy Electric Company did not properly hedge their energy in the Texas market. In order to insure you make money and don’t expose yourself to a high level of risk an electric provider in Texas has to buy natural gas futures and then hedge this energy in case of any potential price volatility that puts their profit margin into backwards teritory. No one wants to lose money after selling an electricity rate to a customer but that is what several companies have done by putting themselves into the position of having sold energy without hedging it expecting the market to stay in a particular safe territory.

If you are one of the unlucky ones that were taken off of PreBuy Electric by the Texas government and put on the POLR rate you are paying a high inflated electric rate. You want to start shopping for an alternate electric provider as soon as possible as you will not want to pay a full months electric bill at the POLR rate. The POLR electric rate was created by the Texas grid operator as a back up plan if an electric company were to go out of business. We were told by Prebuy that they have not filed for bankruptcy but it looks like they may be scrambling to do something like this pretty soon as they have lost all of their 9,000 energy customers. Read below for low cost electric providers who will be happy to get you off the POLR rate and onto a more competitive electric price.

I am a PreBuy Electric Customer, What Should I Do?

PreBuy Electric has right under 9,000 customers which were switched to POLR or the provider of last resort at an inflated electric rate.* In Dallas Fort Worth the POLR company is TXU Energy and in Houston the POLR company is Reliant Energy. The POLR company was established as a back up so that if an energy company goes bankrupt the customers with that Texas electric company do not lose electric service. PreBuy ELectric failed to pay their financial obligations to the Texas grid operator, (The Electric Reliability Council of Texas) and were forced into bankruptcy. If you are a PreBuy Electric customer you want to shop for a competitive Texas residential electric provider as you are on the POLR uncompetitive rate that is meant as a temporary solution so you are not without power. The Texas POLR back up plan is a great idea but is only a temporary solution and is higher then the going competitive market rate. If you need a discount electric rate choice we recommend Champion Energy’s 12 month fixed rate - Sign up Here! ( I use this company myself. Good ethical company with one of the lowest rates around.

If you need a month to month electric rate or a shorter monthly fixed rate we recommend going with Startex Power. You can sign up at a discount here: Startex Power Discount Rates

The Texas Power Companies History

The senior business partners at PreBuy Electric pioneered the prepaid electric market in Texas and have been committed to remain the largest prepaid Texas electric provider. Prebuy Electric serves thousands of customers across Texas.

PreBuy Electric was based in Bridgeport TX and is now in Grapevine Texas, PreBuy Power is led by an experienced team of energy managers who are experienced in the deregulated electric market. The pre paid electric provider uses innovative software, that appears to have given them some bad fundemental or technical signals, which was used to keep electric prices as low as possible for their customers. This company never charges a deposit and all Texas customers qualifies for their electric service. Prepay Electric’s slogan is “The PreBuy Advantage”.

Fly by Night Texas Energy Providers in a Similar Situation

Well the electricity market is at a 3 year high in Texas and Pre Buy Electric is not alone in a list of scandalous Texas electricity activities. Riverway Power sent out a notice to their customers that they would not be honoring their electric customers fixed rate energy agreements but would instead be raising the electric price much higher. In the middle of May 2008 not but a few days ago National Power Company had found themselves in a similar unhedged position as Pre Buy Electric. National Power also sent out a letter and told their customers that they coul not honor their fixed electric rate any longer but would be raising multiple fixed rate term agreements from around 11 cents kWh to 15 cents kWh. These issues have since been dealt with in short order by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, thank goodness.

Unable to Pass on Higher Electric Rate Costs

Pre Buy Electric is one of those electric companies that cannot pass on the cost of an unhedged energy rate as their customers never signed a term??agreement and can get out at anytime. Of course, it is illegal for an electric company to break a fixed rate agreement but several have tried and been succesful. Recently Riverway and NPC tried to pass on their unhedged energy costs but the PUCT told them they must eat their losses. It makes you wonder of Pre Buy Electric will soon have Riverway and National Power Company following suit? I suspect many of Pre Buy Electric’s customers in Texas left when the rate got so high they couldn’t realistically justify paying such a high rate in comparison to paying a reputable electric company a small $200 - $500 deposit rather then pay an energy bill that would pay that and more in just a few months. It made sense for many of Pre Buy Electric’s customers to leave and find a cheaper electric company even if there was a deposit required. The deposit for most providers helps protect them from customers who never intend to pay their electric bill in the first place which happens more often then you would think. Some providers charge such a high deposit that it discourages anyone who would even think about not paying from even signing up.

Alternative Electric Provider for Pre Buy Electric Customers

If you need an alternative electric company besides the now bankrupt Pre Buy Electric we recommend a very good low cost Texas energy provider who has ethical business practices, a low electric rate, quality customer service, and I use them myself. They are a large electric company in Texas and are offering a discount electric rate to Pre Buy Electric Company customers. The name of the electric provider is Champion Energy. You can sign up on their online discount electric rate below.

Champion Discount Electric Rate - Sign up Today!

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Pre Buy Electric Detailed Company Profile

Detailed Pre-Buy Electric Company Profile
Pre-Buy Electric is a private company located in Grapevine, TX.

Pre-Buy Electric’s line of business is Texas electric services.

Company Profile: Pre-Buy Electric
Year Started:2005
State of Incorporation:N/A
URL:(www.prebuyelectric.com)
Location Type:Single Location
Stock Symbol:N/A
Stock Exchange:N/A
Also Does Business As:N/A
NAICS:N/A
SIC #Code:4911
Est. Annual Sales:$130,000
Est. Employees:1
Est. Employees at Location:1
Contact Name:Criag Bolin
Contact Title:Owner
Contact Phone Numbers and Emails for PreBuy Electric Company
?
This company has been confused with the names Prepaid Electric and Prepay Electric, but is actually called Prebuy Electric which is very close in name and meaning.

*information gained from Tom Fowler with the Houston Chronicle: (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/5789933.html)

Today Pre Buy Electric of Texas has Gone Bankrupt or Have They?

Wow, Texas electricity rates are at a 3 year high right now and with electric companies breaking fixed rate contracts on their customers it is no surprise that Pre Buy Power also known as Pre Buy Electric has gone out of business and had all 9,000 electric customers transferred off their electric service and onto a higher electric rate managed by the government which is called the POLR rate. In Houston, Reliant Energy provides the temporary back up rate until the consumer decides to shop for a competitive offer. You don’t want to stay on the POLR rate to long as it is just a back up and much higher then competitive offers out there.

This electric provider was not operating their business correctly as far as the hedging of their energy, risk management and the credit risk of their customers. Having your customers pre purchase their energy definitely helps as positive insurance you will receive payment from your customer base but then speculating on the energy market without hedging your energy leaves your electric company to really high levels of exposure to market volatility. The energy provider was forced into bankruptcy (according to PreBuy company associate they have not yet filed for bankruptcy) by ERCOT (The Electric Reliability Council of Texas) because they were not able to meet their power payment obligations. PreBuy Electric customers were switched to the Provider of Last Resort (POLR) over the weekend by ERCOT so they would not be without electric service. In the Dallas area the POLR company is TXU Energy and in Houston it is Reliant. The POLR electric rate is a higher inflated rate and is only temporary. A PreBuy customer on the POLR rate is encouraged to sign up with a competitive electric provider ASAP to avoid paying a higher then the average electric bill they may be used to.

We are asked quite frequently for a recommendation of an electric provider like Pre Buy Electric Company that will let you into an energy contract with no deposit and I have to flatly spell it out that there really isn’t anyone if your credit is bad. If you have decent credit history some providers are more lenient then others. In rare circumstances some electric companies will allow someone else to personal guarantee your residential electric contract but that is very rare. The pre buy energy option is one way to avoid a deposit and besides Pre Buy Electric Company I know of no one else who offers this arrangement. Some Texas electric providers offer lower deposits then others and some consider one credit score passable while another one will want a deposit. We recommend Champion Energy for those needing a low rate with a relatively low deposit if they even end up requiring one.

The Irony of PreBuy Going Bye Bye

I was talking to my brother today about PreBuy who sells Texas prepaid electric service and how ironic it is that they have their customers prepay for their electric service but they themselves did not prebuy their electricity and went bankrupt because of it. An unhedged energy price is basically like never locking in on a set price so you are completely exposed as to whatever the market may do. Ouch they got hit, and so did a few other electric providers who tried to sell electricity without hedging their bets. The PUCT came down on a couple of these companies but Prebuy was one of those electric providers that just couldn’t eat the loss. Riverway Power and National Power Company found themselves in a similar situation and the word is still out on if they will be able to stay in business since the PUCT would not allow them to pass the loss on to the customer.

No Credit, No Problem Appears to be the Mode of Operation

The way Pre Buy Power has setup their business model is to let energy customers into an agreement by having them prepay for electricity. The problem once again is that they were selling unhedged energy to credit risk customers. It takes a smart cookie to run a Texas retail electric provider as you have to have well trained energy trading experts who know how to buy and hedge natural gas futures while maintaining a healthy risk management policy. Some electric providers like Pre Buy Power can make a bundle by betting that the market will go their way while selling unhedged energy and these electric companies could potentially make a lot of profit for years and years. The problem is that when companies like Pre Buy Electric leave themselves exposed with no risk management policy firmly in place they will eventually get burned. Unfortunately Pre Buy Power has sold their last energy contract unless they restructure and go at it again.

Pre Buy Electric Company Website Still Shows Open for Business?

We checked to see if (prebuyelectric.com) was still open for business or atleast had some type of news worthy information but everything appears to be business as normal as far as the site goes. I tried calling every number available on the site but could not get through. All indications is that the company doesn’t have plans to start back up anytime soon. If you need an alternative electric company to Pre Buy??Electric Company??that offers a low deposit then we recommend Champion Energy of Texas. Champion usually lets you in at a reasonable deposit if you have bad credit. If you pay on time for the term of your contract they may let you renew with no deposit at all. As far as Prepaid electric service in Texas we know of know other company besides PreBuy that offers this option.

Alternative Discount Offer we Recommend for Pre Buy Power Customers

If you would like to sign up with Champion Energy at their discounted electric rate we have a special offer for you below:

Champion Energy Discount Rate - Sign up Now!

List of Natural Gas and Electricity Deregulated States

If you have been looking for a comprehensive list of the deregulated states in the US then this list should help. This list contains both natural gas and electricity deregulated information on all 50 states. If you need more information about a states deregulated status you can visit their state commerce site that will give you more information related to how energy deregulation is going in that state and if they consider it a success or failure in lowering energy rates.

Map of Electricity Deregulated States

Here is a map of all states in Texas that have their electricity deregulated. Deregulated electricity means that the energy consumers in these states can pick among multiple retail electric providers to buy their energy instead of just one monopoly company. States in blue are deregulated while states in gray are not.

What is Electricity Doing Right Now?

As of May 2008 Electric rates are currently close to a 3 year high and because of this Texas residential electric rates do not look so good right now. Many people would like to wait and renew when rates drop down but there is just no way to know when this will happen. Electric rates could hover at historical highs for several months before they drop back down to prices many people are comfortable paying.

Who We Recommend

We recommend signing a 12 month energy agreement and then trying again next year. Notice: Riverway Power recently cancelled their residential electric customers agreements in mid April according to several people who called in and left comments regarding them so we do not recommend using them as their fixed electric rate is subject to change. Our preferred electric providers at this time are Champion Energy and Startex Power. Both of these Texas electric companies have accurate billing, good customer service and low rates.

Comparing Electric Rates in Dallas Tx, Fort Worth, North Texas, and much of East Texas.

For those living in the Dallas, Fort Worth, surrounding metroplex, as well as East Texas you will find current May 2008 electric rates in the chart below. Texas electric rates are very volatile and so these rates could be lower or higher as the month of May approaches its end. Each Texas electric provider below has their company linked so you can click on the company to learn more or sign up.


If you would like to see what Texas electric rates have done in the past feel free to browse past electric rates. Historical Texas Residential Electric Rates

Disclaimer regarding Riverway Power Co.

A disclaimer needs to be made about Riverway Power Electric Company. Riverway Power cancelled their Texas electric power customers fixed electric rate contracts around the middle of April and were unable to be reached from their India outsourced call center for awhile due to large call volume associated with the breaking of their fixed energy contracts. This issue was reported to Electricity Bid by several of their prior customers. Because of this it is important to know that they just started business in Texas recently and have already renegged on their residential energy contracts. In our estimation we cannot recommend them at this time due to a less then satisfactory record with Texas consumers.


If you need a recommendation for a good reliable low cost electric provider then we currently recommend Champion Energy. Feel free to call us if you have any questions or go ahead and Sign up Now!

Many people like myself have searched for several years to find a cheap affordable solution using solar panels for your residential home. Unfortunately the cost has always outweighed the benefit of being off grid. The upfront capital investment in solar panels would take 20 years to succesfully pay off and maybe more. Deep cycle batteries eventually deplete and new ones need to be bought to store the solar power energy created and then fed into the appliances and cooling systems for your house.

Recently new solar technology has come out in the news like the thin film solar panel technology that will allow solar panels to be manufactured similar to the printing of paper money. The problem exposed about thin film solar panels is that they are inefficient. To be fair the thin film technology may be inefficient but it is cheap to make and more affordable to consumers like me wanting to buy solar panels to assist in getting off the grid or atleast having a cogeneration set up. The way cogeneration works is that any unused power generated by off grid technology can be fed back on the grid and credited on your meter directly. Solar still needs some more advancements and breakthroughs and right now there is a shortage of silicon for manufacturers to start mass producing some of the new technologicaly tweaked solar panels. A recent discovery that has cast a shadow on thin film solar technology is the new vertically aligned, low-density carbon nanotubes that are the blackest material ever invented or created. You may wonder why it needs to be the blackest to be such a wonderful advancement in science. Having a blacker solar panel means it becomes extremely efficient and cost effective. A very black solar cell means you will not need to buy as many solar panels to do the same thing and it will cost less. Just like CPU processors have become smaller, more efficient, and less expensive the solar industry is working on doing the same.

So where do you go to buy the latest thin film solar panels and blackest of black more efficient solar panels? The answer is sketchy as manufacturers that sell solar panels are still selling old outdated technology because they have not yet produced an available retail product for a residential home using either thin film or the smaller blacker low-density carbon nanotube solar panels. We spoke with an engineer at Applied Materials and went back and forth with them about the thin film technology they have a patent on and licensing ability to make available to solar panel manufacturers. There are several manufacturers working on getting a product created especially in Asia and China but I received no email back from Applied Materials when I asked for just one available retail store selling the thin film solar panel technology. Applied Materials were happy to talk about manufacturing opportunities but were silent on if the technology has actually reached retail stores. For right now the solar panel technology is still in the dark ages for a residential home. If you are going to invest in a solar panel system for your residential home be aware that you may be buying something that will shortly be replaced by a more efficient cheaper solution. With everyone talking about Green Energy and many companies including the NFL, Fox, Green Mountain Energy, Al Gore and a slew of other companies there is no end in site to the demand for green energy products. I have never seen more demand for green energy and solar panels in my life and I can only imagine this will rise significantly when the new technology hits the retail shelf.

If you would like updates on new solar retail products and technology as it comes available we have contacts with Solar manufacturers, and several retail solar stores featured on TV and trade magazines that keep us current on any new developments. When we receive this information we will be happy to pass it along to you.

Feel free to fill out the form below about your Solar Panel interests and I will keep you in the loop. We do not sell your email or phone number information.

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If You would like to have an energy expert consult you in the right device to purchase for your home or commercial business you may speak to an energy consultant at Electricity Bid who can help point you in the right direction. Depending on the preferences you might want and the amount of money you would like to save over the year some thermostats are more effective then others. Please feel free to fill out the form below to learn more.

Some of the industry leaders in programmable home automated thermostats is a company by the name of Proliphix. A licensed commercial and residential reseller will be happy to call to assist in answering your questions and setting you up with the right thermostat for your needs. We can also help with the installation of the device so you can begin saving money on your Texas energy bill.

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