Texas

Texas may quite possibly be deemed as the forerunner for states becoming deregulated. Their abundance of sunlight and wind makes this state a primary focus for electricity providers with renewable energy, and their state laws on electricity pricing means a guarantee decrease on your monthly bill.

Major green electric providers in Texas include TXU Energy, Green Mountain, Reliant Energy, Stream Energy, Ambit Energy, and Bounce Energy. All of these companies offer electricity from renewable sources, as well as fixed rates and other package deals. However, there are a ton of other new electricity providers available in Texas that does not focus on renewable energy.

A Texan Guarantee

As opposed to many other deregulated states, Texas guarantees a decrease in their resident’s electricity bill. They call it the Texas Price to Beat, which is based on status quo prices offered by default electricity providers.

Don’t forget to look before you leap! Although the Texas Price to Beat helps guarantee a discount, there are other aspects to consider – one being, as previously mentioned, where the energy is coming from. Do you want your household to run off of renewable energy? Or, are you looking for a service provider who really takes care of their customers by offering them several kinds of incentives? The choices are seemingly endless in Texas, so one must be careful when choosing their best option.

What to Look for When Switching Providers

When switching electricity providers you need to compare not only the providers themselves, but the electricity plans and offers. Here are some things to look for when comparing providers:

1. Length of the contracts – There are multiple kinds of contract lengths available: month to month, one-year, or two-year contracts. Some don’t mind if you cancel your contract, others incur a fee. Understand which you’d prefer for your home and which fits you the best financially.
2. Type of contract – There are two types of contracts: fixed, and variable. With a fixed contract your price is fixed at what the going rate for electricity is when you sign your contract. With a variable contract your price will go up and down based on the time of year and price of electricity at that moment. Neither is better than the other; they both have qualities that are good and bad. Note: the Texas Price to Beat is only available for variable-rate contracts.
3. Type of energy – As mentioned, understanding where your energy is coming from is vitally important in your contract price as well as your comfort with the company.

Consumers don’t have to worry about big changes when they make the switch to a new company. Their local utility will continue to deliver power and fix up their wires when they go down in a storm. The only major difference for the end user is the savings at the end of the month.