Living in Texas is great, but dealing with the exceptionally hot summers could be tricky not just for your cooling systems, but for your savings, too. When those hot months start rolling in, you also have to brace yourself for sky-high power bills.
If only there was a way to be charged less for all the power you consume, right?
Well, in Texas, there is.
Why It’s Possible to Switch Providers in Texas
In many parts of the world, your energy provider is not a matter of choice. It is automatically assigned based on your county or district of residence. However, in Texas, a 2002 deregulation law granted residents the freedom to choose a power provider and an electricity plan that fits their needs and lifestyle.
This freedom of choice is protected by none other than the Public Utility Commission. You cannot be forced to subscribe to an energy provider if you’re no longer happy with their services — and their rates. However, you do have to check if your current service contract has a lock-in period that prevents you from making the switch without paying hefty fees.
We will discuss this in detail later on in the article, but first, let’s take a look at the benefits of taking the time to look around and find a power provider that’s potentially better than the one you’re subscribed to right now.
Benefits of Shopping for The Best Energy Provider in Texas
When you move into a house or a flat in Texas, it would already come with a pre-setup electric connection, so you might be thinking that shopping for a different provider is nothing but an additional, unnecessary chore.
Well, these benefits might convince you that doing your research (and possibly shifting energy providers) is actually worth it:
1. Lower rates
Believe it or not, these energy providers do not all charge the same. By looking at your options and the kind of rates they can offer you, you can make sure that you’re getting the lowest rate for the level of power consumption you hit at home.
2. A plan that meets your needs
Of course, price is not the only major consideration when shopping for a new energy provider. Another benefit you can derive when you compare Texas electricity plans is finding a plan that perfectly fits your specific needs. For instance, if you’re trying to start a business with limited hours of operations weekly, you could sign a prepaid plan instead of a postpaid one. Alternatively, you might be on the lookout for a fixed-term plan that your current provider does not offer.
3. Better customer service experience
Again, price is not the only major consideration when choosing service providers. If you’re unhappy with the kind of customer service you’ve been getting from your current provider, it might be time to search online for a provider with better reviews and a plethora of satisfied customers. Life is literally too short to be dealing with service providers that stress you out, so as long as there is a choice to go contract a better provider, you should definitely grab it.
4. Chance to go green
The availability of green energy is another factor that should affect your decision to stay with your current provider or to jump to a different one. It would be a shame to live in Texas, which ranks fifth in the nation when it comes to solar energy production, and miss out on the wonders of using clean energy at home just because your current provider does not offer it as part of your plan.
By going green and helping the environment, it will become a great opportunity for you to inspire others to become environmentally conscious.
How to Make the Switch
Now that you’ve seen the benefits of shopping around at least considering other options when it comes to your power provider, it’s time to nail down the details on how you can actually make the switch:
1. Check your current contract
As mentioned earlier, your contract with your current energy provider might have a lock-in period that you would have to wait out before you can ask them to end it so you can sign a new one. You might have to pay a small fee for the cancellation of this contract.
2. Call your chosen provider
Once your old contract has been canceled, all that’s left to do is call the provider you’ve chosen and ask them to take you in as a customer. You don’t have to worry about setting up new power lines or wires, because you’d still be using the same ones regardless of your energy provider.
Other Ways of Lowering Your Power Bill in Texas
After successfully shifting to an energy provider that offers better rates, a personalized plan, and more improved customer service, you can expect to see lower power bills and stress levels in the future.
However, if getting a new provider still did not solve your hefty power bills problem, then you might want to explore the following solutions that could further reduce what you pay for electricity:
- Replace your appliances with energy-saving models
- Get LED lights
- Check for air leaks and blocked vents
- Wait for full loads before you run the dishwasher/washing machine
- Install an automated, programmable thermostat
Now you have all the information you need on how to take better control of your power bills while living in Texas. Good luck!