In most states in the US, you have no choice about where you get the electricity that powers your home. You have no choice about what you pay either. But, as in many things, that doesn’t apply to the state of Texas. Texas is the largest deregulated electricity market in the United States. This is not the case in all of Texas, but it is in many large cities such as Dallas, Ft. Worth, Houston, and surrounding areas. In fact, 85% of the population of Texas lives in a place where they can select their electricity company.
Is this a good thing for your family?
The majority of the electricity in Texas comes from natural gas. When electricity companies are put in a position where they no longer are they only game in town, and they have to compete for your business, you come out the winner. They have to offer you the best deal possible or you will go somewhere else. This is a relief for people who are living on fixed incomes or for folks who must get by on less income during the winter months. Let’s look at the options you have to choose from.
Note: The options we are speaking of in this article are for residential customers. Commercial customers also have deregulated power options and should speak with the electric companies in your area concerning the best way to ensure you have the most effective service for your business in the most economical way.
Types of electric plans
There are several types of electricity plans. These are the basics. You should talk to your power company of none of them fit your situation perfectly. They may not have a perfect plan, but as suggested, they have an incentive to try. They want your business and they will try to make you happy. Before you go, look up the different plans and see what the rates are at the time of your visit.
- Fixed-Rate Plan
A fixed-rate plan is a plan in which you pay a set amount for every kW of fuel you use, every month. You should watch your bill and have a good idea of how many kW you actually use per month, and do not wait until you have no fuel to shop for this plan. If you do, you will automatically get their highest price. Go in informed at least a month in advance and be sure to take the name of whoever you spoke to for a quote.
- Indexed plans
This plan offers to change rates that follow the fluctuating price of natural gas. You will pay more when the price of natural gas is higher, but you are betting that more often than not gas prices will be on the lower end of the spectrum, saving you big bucks.
- Variable Rate
This plan is probably the most confusing and a lot like the old “guess what your bill is” plan of old. It offers rats that change each month based on electricity demands. This usually means lower bills in the Spring and Fall when consumption is lower and higher bills in the winter and summer when consumption is higher.
- Pre-paid plans
It has only been a short while since masses of people out West lost their homes in the housing crisis. The floods, fires, and unemployment problems have hurt a lot of good people. So, there are people who are trying to rebuild their lives and that includes their credit scores. These people may not want to be bothered with credit reports to get electricity. The prepaid plan works fine for them. No credit check, no deposit. Just pay for what you want in advance and pay again when the month is running out. This is also a lot easier for renters. It is easy and it works.
It is about time that people had a choice about something as important as how they power their homes. People sometimes struggle to get through the winter months. Like it is in Irving, TX, for example. But being able to plan your electricity rates over there, according to texaselectricityplans.com, makes all the difference in the world. The other states have a close eye on Texas, and we hope we are right behind you!
