What this gimmicky electricity company will do is switch you at whatever the new electricity rate is at the time the switch occurs instead of the rate you agreed to when you signed up on their website. So even if their website showed an electricity price 1 penny per kilowatt cheaper you will end up paying a higher price because they didn’t honor the price they quoted you a few weeks ago but stuck you on what the new price happened to be at when the actual physical switch occured at the meter.

Our company does not work with electricity providers in East Texas that offer this type of gimmicky product. Our comparison chart spells it out in plain English by averaging your electric rate with all fees and charges included. Our comparison chart also shows you the type of plan you are choosing, whether it is fixed or variable, and how many months the rate will be good for. Most of the electricity companies in the chart will call, email, or send you a letter to remind you to renew your plan before your contract expires.

Go ahead and give our comparison chart a try and see which East Texas electric company offers the best price for the yearly or monthly term you are interested in.

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Unless you are an energy professional you probably don’t spend a great deal of time paying attention to what electricity rates are doing in your town. Some summers you may have been able to sign up at a very cheap electricity price and then the next summer prices are high again. The same type of price fluctuations happen in the winter as well. Some people spur on the misconception that electricity rates are always higher during the summer. This is not always the case it is just that there is usually more price volatility in the summer time. This price volatility can cause electricity rates to go down dramatically just as much as go up.

Winter months can be just as volatile to electricity prices. Fortunately this winter electricity prices have remained low. Even today as energy prices are up you can still lock in at a very good electricity rate. For the last several weeks prices have been coming down and looking better and better. Electricity can only come down so much and at this time we are experiencing some very good energy price levels. If you are wanting to wait until electricity rates come down even further I do not recommend this strategy. We have a good position right now to lock in for 1 – 2 years on a very good fixed electric rate.

To wait and see if prices come down even further can get you in a delimma as you probably haven’t considered the risk reward of locking in your rate compared to waiting. By waiting you can see energy prices go up 10% per week until all of a sudden only 3 weeks of waiting for electricity rates to come back down your energy prices are 30% higher. Most people eventually become scared as the price seems to be ever increasing and they buy high.

We want to encourage those wondering when to lock in to a fixed electricity price to not wait until electricity rates spike up. Go ahead and get in at a historically low level in electricity prices. You can have a predictable fixed electricity rate that will not change or as long as you decide to sign up for. You can always do a blend and extend contract later on if electricity rates dramatically decrease even further. At this time I think we are close to a bottom in energy price levels.

To begin to sign up for either residential or commercial electricity in Texas you will need to click on the “Compare Electricity Rates” link at the top of this page. For commercial rates you may contact us by clicking here.

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A problem comes in when a customer approaches the Texas energy service shopping process in this way but fails to understand the rate. Another problem can crop up if the customer chooses an electricity company that is new to the market, has undercut almost all established Texas electric providers, and has a small amount of capital backing. A small energy company that comes in and all the sudden is offering the cheapest electricity rate causes some of the larger energy suppliers to salivate. Why is this? The smaller company is in danger of going out of business and having the PUCT take all of their customers away from them and giving them to what is known as, “The Provider Of Last Resort”.

Based on rules created by the PUCT any qualified Texas electricity provider can become a POLR operator. If your electric company goes out of business it doesn’t matter how good your energy price was you will have to go to the POLR. Some ask the question, well will the rate be comprable to the discount rate I had with the cheapest electric provider at the time? The answer is overwhelmingly no. When a small no name electric provider in Texas goes out of business in this situation it is almost always related to a wrong bet on the balancing energy market known as the MCPE index.

Texas electric companies buy their energy as well as sell excess energy on this ERCOT managed energy market. The MCPE market is like a clearing house to allow suppliers and generators to buy and sell energy. Some of the more reputable established electric companies in Texas will buy their energy on this market but will hedge the price. Hedging the price of the energy you sell is considered smart business among retail electric providers. By hedging your energy you are not exposing your capital investment in your provider to risk. If the MCPE market were to double or triple in price a provider who only bought but did not hedge may be subject to releasing all of their customers to the POLR by mandate of the PUCT.

When the balancing energy market doubles in price in a given month it will usually send these smaller electricity companies that did not hedge out of business and their customers over to the POLR provider. The electricity prices for Texas energy consumers during this time will be much higher than what the discount electric company was able to offer them a few months earlier. These customers end up much worse off than when they began.

I am not saying don’t choose the cheapest electric company in Texas I am just encouraging you to do a little check on the company to see who they are and how long they have been in town before deciding for sure. The situation I bring up happened a couple summers ago when Riverway Power and National Power were selling without hedging.

Beyond operating an electricity company in an unprofessional manner like this you may also find that a new recent start up is not able to bill you correctly. You may have some initial billing problems as the electricity provider attempts to work out the kinks in their new system. If you do go with a recent energy service company start up pay close attention to your electricity bill each month and make sure it is accurate. One way to do this is to contact the poles and wires company in your area and ask for your usage data file every 3 to 6 months. Use this file and compare it with what you were being billed during those same months. ALso compare the TDSP charges in the file with the TDSP charge line item on your bill. Make sure the dollar amounts line up.

Beyond billing and the danger of being sent over to POLR you will receive a cheap electricity rate if you choose the cheapest electric company and it will be just like the energy that passes through the wires from TXU Energy to the house next door. Hopefully your billing will be accurate and the company will stick around.

One last problem, there is still usually a trade off when it comes to customer service. You may have difficulty reaching a live person in a reasonable amount of time to ask a question of your electricity service company. In this case be sure to check their website for a customer service support email address. Smaller electricity companies usually are good about responding quickly to email requests while their phone lines are tied up. If this is your only problem you are in good hands. Sure you might not be able to talk to a customer service person every time you would like but you do have the cheapest Texas electricity rate.

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Residential electricity rates in comparison to commercial electricity are generally the same although there are some differences that usually confuse consumers. One of the main differences between residential and commercial energy prices in Tyler TX has to do with the TDSP Charges. The Transmission and Distribution Service Provider charges are left off of a quoted commercial electric rate because the charges are determined based on historical usage. For residential Tyler electricity prices the energy provider can estimate them based on the average home owners electric bill and charge the same for everyone. So although a large chemical plant or refinery in Tyler may pay very little for their TDSP charges a small franchise like a Curves fitness studio will pay a lot more for their TDSP charges. Businesses and churches will pay much more for TDSP charges in general than a residential home unless you are a large facility like a manufacturing facility or refinery.

Residential Energy Rates Are Bundled But Commercial Prices Are Not

So now that we have the question of whether or not you can do anything about your TDSP charges which you can’t we can move on to comparing residential electricity rates. In Tyler there are up to 30 different competing electric companies. Some of these companies like Gexa Energy were not known by most people only a few years ago but now many know brand names like Gexa and Green Mountain Energy. Tyler TX residents are able to compare these familiar energy brands with the old monopoly companies like TXU Energy and Reliant Energy. Keep in mind that your residential TDSP charges are already figured and bundled into your advertised rate so their is no question of what your electric bill and charges will look like.

Big Brand Energy Companies Charge A Little More Than The Smaller Companies

For some reason over the past few years TXU and Reliant have seemed to be able to find a sweet price spot on what to charge their customers. This price is a little higher than some of our discount electricity companies in our comparison chart which means you can save money by comparing TXU Energy with several electricity providers in our comparison chart above.

An Up and Coming Texas Electricity Company Offering Service in Tyler TX

Gexa Energy was a no name brand in Texas that many people were not familiar with but they became a success and were bought out by Florida Power and Light. Gexa Energy is now one of the largest electricity providers in Tyler Texas and the state. Gexa offers green energy choices, fixed, and variable electricity prices. You can compare Gexa Electric rates with several other energy suppliers by using our Tyler Texas zip code tool at the top of this page. If you live in 75701, 75702, 75703, or 75704 you will simply need to type that in the box in the chart and a detailed comparison box will appear showing you all our available offers.

Easy To Understand Comparison Chart For Tyler TX Energy Consumers

We have worked to make sure you receive the same and sometimes discounted price off of what the electric companies in Tyler TX normally charge. We have some exclusive offers in our chart that are only available from this site. You will never pay more with the same energy company when using our comparison chart and you will usually pay less than you would with the familiar big energy brands in Texas like TXU and Reliant Energy.

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Oct 2009 Texas Electricity Company Complaints Scorecard

The PUCT is not allowed to disclose exactly how many customers an electric provider has accumulated during the year or a given month. Since we do not know the volume of customers being signed up it makes the scorecard a little skewed for larger or smaller energy companies. If an electricity company in Texas is not signing up electric customers on any given month it could make their scorecard look very good.

You can look at the PUCT filings to see how many complaints a particular Texas electric company has received to give you an idea about the volume of customers they sign up on a monthly basis. Hopefully this complaint scorecard will give you some idea on what energy companies are worth switching to. Thankfully several of the electricity providers in our comparison chart have decent complaint records with the Texas PUCT.

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The PUCT of Texas has written some new rules for the public to review about if prepaid electricity companies in Texas should begin transitioning their customers over to a HAN device (Home Area Network). This is typically a ZigBee Smart Energy chip on the meter that allows a home electric meter to send back real time prepaid electricity data to the electric utility. As of June 2009 there were no commercially available in-home devices for checking your real time prepaid electricity meter data however the PUCT has made it available on their portal but you have to wait one day before you can see it. Start looking out for the smart meter Texas portal which will be available for anyone with a smart meter as well as those prepaid electricity customers using a smart meter and Zigbee smart meter chip to allow prepaid information to transfer over to the electric utility. At this time this smart meter payment system is not available for prepaid electricity customers in Texas. You will need to continue to use Ace Cash, telephone payment, and other arrangements.

How Often Can Prepaid Electricity Payments be Made?

A prepaid pay as you go electric company in Texas must allow you to make payment weekly. So if you want to prepay for your electric service every week they cannot decline your payment. The prepaid electric company must let you know atleast every two weeks what your estimated current balance is, the time and date, and estimated number of days of remaining electric service on your account.

A prepaid electric company must respond to your request to what your remaining prepaid balance is by atleast the following day prior to 5 p.m.

How To Qualify For An Electric Rate Discount?

If you qualify for an electric rate discount from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Texas Lite Up program then the prepaid electric provider must assist with working with these agencies. The pay as you go electric company must assist with provisioning energy assistance that comes from DHHS or Texas Lite Up.


It should be noted that a prepaid electricity company is not responsible for making sure your information is accurate with the DHHS. If there is even a difference with a phone number or date of birth you will be declined by Texas Lite Up. Unfortunately Texas Lite Up does not communicate this to the electric company so you will want to call and find out from both the provider and Texas Lite Up what information they have on file for you is. Everything must match or your assistance will be declined.

If you qualify for food stamps or other government assistance you will automatically qualify for energy assistance provided your information is the same at both places. Be sure to check!

Why Not Use a Traditional Electricity Company in Texas?

Considering that prepaid electricity companies in Texas charge the highest energy prices among all providers why not pay a deposit and save several hundred dollars? If you are considering a pay as you go Texas electric company you are likely a low-income electric service customer. The department of health and human service and Lite-Up Texas already have a rate assistance program for you. Texas electric companies are required to work with DHHS low income residents in working out arrangements to lower deposit amounts as well as your per kWh electric rate. Prepaid electric companies will end up costing you a fortune but a traditional electric company will give you a cheap price for energy and you can avoid the deposit. Try some of these traditional electricity companies in Texas first before going with a pay as you go energy company. You can try Champion Energy, Bounce Energy, Ambit Energy, TXU Energy, Startex Power, Green Mountain Energy, Reliant Energy, and the list goes on. Some will be easier to work with than others but ultimately your price per kWh and customer experience will be better served with one of these electric companies than by using a pay as you go provider.

Required Notifications To Help Avoid Being Disconnected

At the time you enroll with a prepaid electricity company you should be notified by them about how and when payments should be made. How and when account statements will be made available to you. How is electric service usage estimated. If you will receive a notice to pay for more service prior to being disconnected. When will these statements be delivered and how long after delivery do you have to prepay before disconnection. How and when you will be told of your remaining electric usage balance including time and date, and estimated number of days left.

Understand Your Fixed Electricity Rate

If your pay as you go electric company is offering you a fixed electricity rate they are required to disclose: price per kWh, number of kWh the fixed cost is based on, a statement about whether the price will change and why. Some electricity companies are advertising a fixed price based on teh current market prices but when your electric switch occurs charging you a different price. Be sure to watch out and ask about this practice before choosing a prepaid electric company.

A Facts Label Clearly Identifies What Makes Up Your Electric Rate

An electricity facts label is required by the PUCT to be offered to a pay as you go electricity customer. The facts label is like a food label on a can of food and should spell everything out for you. Some providers however will quote one price on the Facts Label and charge you something different. They get away with this practice because they say the price on the Electricity Facts Label was based on that date and not the date of the electric switch. Be sure to ask about this before choosing an energy company.

How Long Do I have To Change My Mind?

You have 3 days to change your mind about signing up with your prepaid electric company. The 3 days starts when your electric service is officially switched and turned on and not when they receive the contract from you.

Is The Advertised Electric Rate What Your Are Paying Now?

A prepaid electric company cannot charge more per kWh than what the provider of last resort is charging. You will have to contact the PUCT to see what the POLR rate currently is.

Somewhere on the electricity bill you should see something that says, “the average price you paid for electric service is”. This will be the electric rate per kWh you are paying. Make sure this rate matches what they advertised to you.

Pay As You Go Electricity Usage Estimates

The prepaid electricity provider should use historical electricity usage data that you have accumulated to revise their usage estimates. If your prepaid electricity company is using estimated usage from the previous tenant even though they have several months of your usage data they could be overcharging you by a lot.

Prepaid Electricity Bill Due Dates

A payment due date should be listed on the electric bill you receive from your pay as you go electric company. Be sure to look out for this.

If the Texas prepaid electric company has a 24 x 7 call center or payment center receive payments than they can make the bill due no later than 5 days after you receive it. Make sure you send in payment or you could risk a disconnection. I would try making payment late in the night to test whether or not they have a 24×7 payment center as this 5 day due date can be a little difficult especially if there are times when you cannot pay.

If the pay as you go electricity provider does not have a 24 x 7 payment center than the due date cannot be less than 10 days after the customer receives the bill.

If your bill is sent by email then according to the PUCT you received it the day the electric provider emailed it to you.

When Is A Prepaid Electric Bill Considered Late?

Your electricity service payment is considered late if it is not received before close of business on the payments due date. During holidays the electric bill due date is extended to the next business day after the holiday.

Prepaid Electricity Facts Label

Your electricity facts label should indicate the number of days a payment of $20, $50, $100, and $200 can be expected to last at monthly usahe levels of 500 kWh, 1,000 kWh, and 2,000 kWh.

The Proper Disconnection Notice You May Receive From A Prepaid Company

The disconnection notice can be sent along with your electric bill or request for a deposit. “Disconnection Notice” should be prominently displayed on the notice. The disconnection date cannot be a holiday, weekend day, or day that the REP is not available to take payment. The disconnection cannot occur less than 5 days after the notice is issued if they have a 24×7 payment center. If the prepaid electric company is not open all hours to take payments then you have a full7 days to make your late payment before being disconnected.

Being Underbilled For Several Months

If you were underbilled for several months and then all of a sudden you receive a gigantic electric bill you have some options. The PUCT allows for you to be put on a deferred billing arrangement with your pay as you go electric supplier. You can pay in $50 installments until you have paid back the underbilled amount without being disconnected for non-payment.

Electric Service For Critical Care Customers

If you have a serious illness and tell the electric provider that if they were to disconnect you it could cause serious harm to yourself and even death than they must send you a waiver. The waiver basically states that you agree to be disconnected if you make a late payment. If you choose not to sign this waiver the REP must switch you to another product or electric provider that avoids a disconnection in electric service.

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Most people know this by now but it is the raw natural resource of coal that makes a lot of the electricity in Texas. The primary issue with creating new coal power plants in Texas has to do with the mercury pollution a coal power plant can give off in a community where the power plant is located. No. U.S. stream is uncontaminated by mercury pollution, according to a new analysis by the U.S. Geologic Survey. That means wild fish caught in even the most pristine streams in Texas may be tainted with unsafe levels of a potent neurotoxin that can attack the developing brains of children, leading to permanent damage.

Although coal power plants make our electricity in Texas at very cheap prices we can afford we still need to be careful that the coal technology we use is updated. We can’t continue to spread airborne neurotoxins like mercury into our air that pollute our Texas water. Mercury can have devastating effects on our children in small doses and it only gets worse as a child who has been effected ages.

The way a coal power plant makes electricity is by having some kind of rotating machinery used to convert the heat energy of combustion into mechanical energy, which then operate an electrical generator. This rotating machinery is known as a turbine. Some of the less harmful pollutants or potentially not harmful at all are excess heat and carbon (CO2). The harmful pollutants we need to continue to reduce and get rid of completely come from the flue gas from combustion of the coal. When the flue gas is discharged to the air the plant pollutes it with nitrogen, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and (in the case of coal-fired plants) fly ash and mercury.

Until the US government, senators, and state representatives can make a clear case about how coal fired power plants can be safe to the public it will be hard for people in Texas to accept new coal power plants to make our electricity. We all want cheap electric power and I know of no other cheaper way other than nuclear power to create it than coal power. Until the scientists figure out a good solution lets continue to press for upgrades and retrofits to old coal power plants or the creation of new ones in order to take offline old outdated plants. Wind energy and solar panels are insignificant in offering another primary source for our electricity power so we need to keep looking at ways to make coal and natural gas power safer for the state of Texas.

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Last year we saw residential electricity prices in Houston go up to as high as 31 cents per kWh during the summer energy crisis. Right now as of Dec 12 2009 a 1 year fixed rate is going for 10.86 cents per kWh for a residential rate and even cheaper for commercial businesses. The ERCOT balancing energy market went off the charts in 2008 and several electric providers in Houston could no longer honor their fixed energy prices. Fortunately none of the Houston electricity companies we recommend were in the bunch that hiked up their promised fixed rates. The fact that our comparison chart shows only reputable Houston electric providers that have clear straightforward electricity prices and easy to compare terms gives Houston residents an easy way to pick a Houston energy company.

Comparison of Residential Houston Electricity Prices

Check out our straight forward electricity comparison chart below of multiple reputable electric providers in Houston. All fees and charges are bundled into the rate so there is no question left about what you will be paying. You will need to enter your zip code in Houston and click on “continue”.

For a commercial electric rate snapshot click here.

How Can Electricity Bid Help Lower Energy Rates?

Electricity Bid isn’t trying to be slick in their advertising and marketing language as we are about clear easy to understand layman type lingo without the hidden fees and charges. Our energy consultants are not coached in avoiding certain topics when customers ask interrogating questions. Our consultants do not need to make the electricity rates look better because we are not representing one brand. Instead of having several used car salesmen that are pulled off a car lot we have seasoned energy professionals that work for us because they can be a customer advocate instead of selling a brand. We have old TXU guys, and people from other familiar Houston electricity brands here to find the cheapest Houston energy rate among up to 10 – 15 electricity suppliers.

The Difference Between An Energy Consultant and Energy Broker

Based on your situation you may need to find a residential or commercial electric rate without having to pay a deposit. We have information on ways to lower or avoid deposit amounts altogether for those with no established credit or with less than perfect credit. Sometimes there is no way to avoid the deposit but we can atleast work with you. When you call a big brand energy company it sounds more like one way or no way to get electricity turned on in your name. When you call Electricity Bid you are offered some energy choices that fit your requirements rather than a set of rules you have to meet based on one providers rate plans.

Lowest Electricity Rate Wins The Bid

We are not obliged to work for a particular Houston electricity company which is why we are a true energy consultant instead of a shil company representing one or two brands. Our business model is based on representing you our client as your energy consultant rather than the electricity companies in Houston. We work so that Houston energy suppliers fight to win your commercial energy business or residential electric usage. By operating an integrity based business model where the customer is represented rather than the provider you are given excellence in price, terms and conditions in your energy contract, and a personal customer service experience. You don’t have to worry about a coached sales person strategically telling you things in a way that makes a horrible electricity rate sound good. We are your consultant in the Houston electricity market and that is why we continue to have a very high customer retention rate and earn the respect of our competition and clients.

You can call Electricity Bid at 1-800-971-4020

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The internet is fast becoming a consumer location for people to find customer reviews and comparisons on contractors, essential services like electricity, telephone, internet, and television. You can now go on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo and find information on the cheapest Grand Prairie Texas electricity company and reviews from customers on which electric provider in Grand Prairie they have good experience with.

Compare Grand Prairie Rates Below

Good Customer Service and a Cheap Energy Rate

Finding an energy service provider that has good customer service and a cheap price on their electricity service is what most energy consumers are looking for. By using a comparison service like Electricity Bid an energy consumer can find the right electric company for their needs. I remember back when Texas first deregulated the energy market I was looking for an alternate electric supplier for the electricity at my apartment in the Grand Prairie Texas area. There wasn’t a whole lot of information out there. I heard Gexa Energy was good so I signed up with them. I had to pay a deposit because I had never had a utility in my name before. Everything went great at first. After my energy contract was up so was my lease agreement at my apartment. I moved out and discontinued my electric service with Gexa. Gexa had just sold their business to Florida Power and Light and I soon received some inaccurate billing.

Gexa Energy Is A Reputable Electricity Provider With Many Rate Choices

Gexa Energy is in good shape now but things like providers selling out to other companies and merging their billing systems can cause some billing issues. This has all been straightened out now but things like this can be reported on consumer websites to help keep Grand Prairies consumers informed about which Texas electricity company is offering the best service and electric rate.

When picking an electricity company in Grand Prairie we would like to point out that Gexa is a good electricity provider and the small billing issue I had was just an example of what types of consumer problems occur out there. One of the main things I like about Gexa is their straightforward electricity rates and products. Gexa does not trick their customers into prices that look cheap but end up having additional charges and fees that were not disclosed.

Sometimes Gexa has some of the cheapest rates in Grand Prairie and at other times you will find cheaper rates with a different electric provider like Bounce Energy or Green Mountain. During the year electricity companies will come and go on who has the cheapest price. Because cheapest price is not always consistent with one energy service company we have a detailed electric rate comparison chart. You can compare several reputable energy suppliers in Grand Prairie by using this chart. The chart allows you to compare fixed rates, variable prices, and Green Energy choices.

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In Laredo you can compare electricity rates with energy service providers that specialize in offering low deposit amounts. All energy service companies in Laredo are going to want to check your credit before signing you up with few exceptions. There are a couple of no deposit energy providers in Texas and at this time they are DPI Energy and Freedom Power. The problem with a prepaid pay as you go electric provider is that you end up paying the same or more in your first two months as what a typical electric company deposit would be. You also do not get back the additional money you hand over to a pay as you go company but you will get back your electricity service deposit at the end of your contract term. Many electricity companies will refund you your deposit half way through your energy service agreement. Check cheaper Laredo electricity companies in the zip code box above. A detailed energy service comparison will display after clicking on the button.

The Way You Can Get Hooked in To A Laredo No Deposit Energy Company

I have seen many ads on newspaper publications like the Greensheet where these no deposit electric companies in Laredo will advertise things like $99 to start service and other low cost choices. The problem is that they do not tell you that they will ask you for an additional $200 – $500 more a few weeks later to keep your prepaid electric service on. In Laredo lets say you move in to a new apartment. Once in that apartment you sign up for $99 with a pay as you go energy provider. Yo may not have noticed that the electricity rate is 17 cents per kWh. That means that if you use 1500 kWh a month then your energy cost for the month would be $255. If you use closer to 3,000 kWh a month then you would pay $510 a month for Texas electricity service.

As you can see a pay as you go electric company in Laredo doesn’t make much sense. If you are one of those people using 3,000 kWh a month and you have to shell out $500 you really didn’t help your situation anymore then paying a deposit. What we recommend is signing up on a cheap electricity rate that might require a deposit. For instance, there are rates around 8 – 9 cents per kWh. This is about half the cost of what you would pay a no deposit electric company. You might have to put down $400 as a deposit but you will get that back. Instead of paying $500 a month you would be paying $240 a month if you use 3,000 kWh a month in electric usage. By paying a deposit you will save a few thousand dollars during the year and you will get that deposit money back.

We recommend shopping electricity prices in the Laredo Texas area by using the Texas energy service comparison chart above. Just type in your zip code for your Laredo TX area of town. Click on the button and a detailed list of energy service providers and rates will appear for your area of Laredo.

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