CPL Rates, Plans and Reviews

CPL Retail Energy ceased operations in January 2021 when NRG Energy acquired the company. CPL is no longer operational and will not accept new customers. 

As a subsidiary of NRG, Reliant Energy now serves former CPL customers. Former CPL customers can contact Reliant at 866-735-1218 for details on their usage, billing, payment history and other historical information. You can find our full review of Reliant Energy here. 

CPL Plans and Rates in Texas

Unless you opted to choose another provider, Reliant Energy likely now manages your former CPL account. Reliant Energy offers prepaid and traditional electricity plans, as well as month-to-month plans and green energy plans. Below, we provide a quick reference for Reliant Energy’s electricity plan offerings, contact information and customer satisfaction ratings.

Reliant Energy Plan Types

Reliant Energy offers several types of electricity plans with several unique structures and some of the best rates for billing predictability. Plans offered to Texas residents include:

• Fixed-rate plans: Lock in rates for up to 12, 24 or 36 months for more predictable monthly energy bills.
• Time-of-use plans: Enjoy discounted — or free — energy rates during off–peak hours while paying very high rates during peak-demand hours.
• Prepaid plans: Also called no-deposit plans, these plans bypass a credit check and upfront deposit but charge slightly higher energy rates per kilowatt-hour.

Overall, we recommend fixed-rate plans because our research indicates that they are the most straightforward. Additionally, they offer low-cost, predictable monthly energy bills.

Our Take on Reliant Energy

Reliant Energy is one of the largest and most trustworthy electric companies in Texas. It serves over one million residential customers and earned some of the highest scores in our review of nearly 100 energy providers in the State.

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Pros and Cons

Check out the pros and cons of Reliant Energy, the company that now services former CPL customers.

Where Is Reliant Available?

Reliant Energy is available in most Texas ZIP codes and serves major cities, including:

• Fort Worth
• Houston
• Irving
• Laredo
• Lubbock
• McAllen

How To Get Started with Reliant

We can help you sign up for a Reliant Energy plan in just five minutes. Whether you’re signing up online or over the phone, our process is simple, quick and secure. You can compare Reliant Energy plans in your ZIP code, review the rates and plan structures to see which plan best meets your needs, and sign up for your new plan right here.

Contacting Reliant 

You can use the following methods to get in touch with a Reliant Energy customer service representative to get answers to the most commonly asked questions about billing, payments, services and more.

• Phone number: Call 866-735-1218.
• Website: https://www.reliant.com/ 
• Outage reporting: If you experience a power outage, contact your transmission and distribution utility (TDU) directly. You can find the contact info here.

Moving or Transferring Service

If you move to a new home in Texas before your plan ends, you don’t need to cancel it. Reliant Energy can simply transfer your plan to your new address with a quick phone call. However, we recommend giving your provider at least 30 days’ notice to ensure there’s no disruption in service.

Alternatives to CPL or Reliant Energy

Since CPL is no longer operational, if you are interested in pursuing an electric company other than Reliant, we recommend you consider top-rated providers TriEagle Energy or TXU Energy. These are two of our highest-rated light companies in Texas.

NRG is the parent company of Reliant Energy. You could consider another company under the NRG umbrella, including Green Mountain Energy, Cirro Energy, Discount Power, Xoom Energy, Stream Energy and Direct Energy.

Frequently Asked Questions About CPL Energy

What happened to CPL?

In January 2021, NRG Energy bought out CPL’s parent company, Direct Energy, and retired CPL Energy. Reliant Energy now provides electricity service for former CPL Energy customers.

What company should I contact now if I was a CPL customer? 

If you were a CPL customer, you can contact Reliant Energy directly for support or questions. To sign up for a Reliant plan, you can enroll online or call a representative at 866-735-1218.

When was CPL retired?

In 2021, NRG acquired Direct Energy and its other subsidiaries, including CPL and First Choice Power. After the acquisition, NRG announced it was retiring CPL and moving existing customers to other NRG brands. 

How We Rate and Review Texas Electricity Companies

With dozens of providers and hundreds of plans available in the deregulated Texas market, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. We created a comprehensive rating methodology to help you cut through the complexity and find the best electricity plan for your needs, whether you’re moving to Texas or looking to switch providers.

We’ve researched dozens of Texas electricity providers and scored them out of 5 stars based on results from our 2025 energy survey of 1,600 Texans, scoring providers on customer satisfaction, experience and retention. Here’s how these core factors weighed into our ratings:

• Customer satisfaction (30%)
• Customer retention (30%)
• Online experience (20%)
• Customer experience (20%)