Electricity deregulation allows you to choose Texas power and electric companies (light companies) and energy plans for your home. The State of Texas PUC launched its PowerToChoose Texas website to help customers shop electricity rates.
HomeEnergyClub.com is the best alternative to Power to Choose in Texas. The site carefully vets each energy plan to help you cut bill surprises, making Home Energy Club (HEC) a superior alternative to Power to Choose, which lacks quality control.
To compare trustworthy HEC vetted plans to the plans of Power to Choose that have not undergone a quality assurance process, carefully go to the Power to Choose Texas org website to review the Electricity Facts Label (EFL) for each plan. Then review the no-gimmick EFLs for the same brands on Home Energy Club.
You can call the Power to Choose phone number 512-936-7000 to learn more about their processes, and discuss the site directly with the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
Scores of citizens have experienced serious bill surprises from providers displaying deceptive energy plans on the state site. If you continue to find gimmicky rate structures in energy plans on Power to Choose, we believe you’ll conclude that the state site may no longer be a viable option for comparing energy plans.
Members of the Texas State Legislature have even seriously considered closing the site due to the volume of complaints (see quotes from government leaders below). While the PUC has good motivations for offering a comparison site, ethical private companies such as Home Energy Club are perhaps better positioned to meet consumer demand and deliver a service which consistently offers high quality vetted plans to protect citizens from bill surprises.
Compare Power to Choose Rates with No-Gimmick Energy Rates
Speak with a top-rated Reliant operator about additional plans in English or Spanish at 833-339-0416.
Call Reliant (English/Spanish)
Speak with a Gexa Energy operator directly in English or Spanish at 855-639-8212.
Speak with 4Change Energy about their trusted no-gimmick plans in English or Spanish at 888-366-7291.
Call 4Change (English/Spanish)
Speak with a Payless Power “No Deposit” operator in English or Spanish at 833-926-9776.
Call Payless “No Deposit” (English/Spanish)
*Enter your zip code to view rates for your area.
The Truth About Power to Choose Electricity Texas
You may have heard of Power to Choose electricity, which is a state-owned website set up to help Texans find the best electricity rates. However, the reality is that while many people use powertochoose.org to find cheap energy plans, they are later disappointed and angry about unexpected, hidden charges and ugly billing surprises from providers on the site. The main issue is that the state has allowed many providers to game their rankings with gimmick plans that trick consumers.
The problem with PowertoChoose.org is that any energy provider in Texas can display their information on the site regardless of its BBB rating, PUC violations, reputation, and complaints. The website was initially created to help customers compare electric rates on an apples-to-apples basis, but it has proven to be unreliable.
As consumers opted for ultra-low rates displayed on the site, they later discovered hidden charges and unfair fees, and when they attempted to switch to another electricity provider, they paid a hefty contract termination fee.
If you have questions, call the Public Utility Commission of Texas. In a website search, the terms used are Power to Choose Texas, Power to Choose Dallas and sometimes Power2Choose.
Power to Choose Texas Comments
Here are some quotes from Texas officials about the government-owned site:
- “People are misled with the rates they are signing up for.” – state Rep. Jared Patterson, Dallas News, Feb. 15, 2019
- “If two years from now none of these things work, then I think we need to reconsider the wisdom of a government agency running a commercial website.” PUC of Texas Chairman DeAnn Walker, Dallas News blog, Aug. 16, 2018
- “The data I’ve seen, it just doesn’t reflect any economic reality,” he said. “It’s obviously intended to mislead.”PUC of Texas Commissioner Arthur C. D’Andrea, Dallas News, June 29, 2018, regarding energy plans on the Power to Choose Texas website.
Why Home Energy Club is the Best Alternative to Choose Texas Power
We at Home Energy Club aim to help our valued customers choose energy plans with the lowest rates that best suit their home, and actively help them avoid bill surprises by manually vetting each energy plan considered for the site.
Since 2011, we’ve studied the structures of energy plans and use a system that lets us look under the hood of each plan to determine if it includes gimmicks that cause billing surprises. We call it TrustPlan ™. If we believe that a plan is likely to cause billing surprises, we don’t show it on our website.
The bottom line is that we are different from Power to Choose website, which allows virtually any electricity provider to display its information.
How Do I Get the Best Deal on Electricity?
Compare your energy usage patterns to get the best deal on electricity. Carefully read the Electricity Facts Label of any plan that you consider in order to make sure that it’s a fit for your home.
You should compare electricity rates based on your home size and make sure that all the terms meet your approval. Also, it’s important not to choose a new energy plan during the summer, as the electricity rates are higher due to the high demand for electricity. You may end up locking in a high rate for a long period. But, if you believe that rates will climb in the future, a long-term fixed rate may be a good option.
We’ve created two guides to quickly help you become a better energy buyer to save money, including one that teaches you how to read and use an Electricity Facts Label and our Savvy Shopper’s Texas energy guide. Also, check out our Texas cities electricity guide. We even have info on plans that provide free electricity at night. Use our guides to determine the best plan for your home.
Who Is the Cheapest Electricity provider?
The best way to avoid bill surprises is to choose a vetted plan from one of the trusted electricity providers on Home Energy Club, and use our guides on the site to help in your choice of plans and rates. You can find electricity plans for Houston, Dallas and over 150 Texas cities.
See our tips for finding the lowest electricity rates in Texas. There are many electricity providers in Texas, and some of them may not have energy plans available in your zip code. Also, check out our Texas electricity company reviews for comparisons.
It’s smart to consider a multi-year electricity plan so you can lock in a good rate for up to 60 months without having to worry about rate increases. All you need to do is enter your zip code, and the website will show you all the plans available in your area from the electric companies allowed to display on the site.
With the above-mentioned information, it’s now easier for you to come up with the best energy plan that fits your monthly electricity usage.
Why You Should Carefully Read the Electricity Facts Label (EFL)
It’s important to understand the information that each Electricity Facts Label (EFL) provides so you can choose the correct plan depending on your energy usage. An EFL is a state-mandated label that has the rates per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for three usage levels: 500 kWh, 1,000 kWh, and 2,000 kWh. In addition, it includes information about each plan’s term length, TDU charges, termination fees, and whether your rate will be variable or fixed.
Power to Choose Texas Frequently Asked Questions
What is Power to Choose Texas?
Power to Choose is a government website that provides rate comparison information for electricity plans in Texas, and is controlled by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Energy providers list their electricity plans, and Power to Choose ranks their offers based on pricing. But the site has had severe credibility problems:
- Energy plans are not vetted for quality on Power to Choose, and energy providers have learned how to “game” the rankings with deceptive plans that cause bill surprises, causing Texas citizens to complain to state leaders.
- State leaders have considered shutting the site down due to the impact on citizens. “People are misled with the rates they are signing up for,” said Texas Rep. Jared Patterson (Dallas News, Feb. 15, 2019).
HomeEnergyClub.com is a quality-focused comparison site created by experienced energy professionals to solve the problem of deceptive electricity plans. The website:
- Vets each plan to eliminate the ones that are deceptive.
- Provides step-by-step guides that help Texans choose the correct energy plan based on their home’s energy usage level, which reduces bill surprises and saves money.
- Displays plans with customer guarantees, such as the Gexa Energy 60-day “Happiness Guarantee”.
Enter your zip code to view rates in your area at HomeEnergyClub.com.
Where to compare the best electricity rates in Texas?
HomeEnergyClub.com and the state’s Power to Choose site offer many of the lowest electricity rates in Texas, but there’s a major difference in their approach.
- Home Energy Club vets each energy plan to help customers avoid bill surprises, and assists you in choosing the correct plan for your home with side-by-side plan comparison tables and helpful guides.
- Home Energy Club uses its bargaining power to offer the cheapest electricity rates from the most trusted energy providers, including such brands as Gexa Energy, Pulse Power, TriEagle Energy, Amigo Energy, Reliant Energy and others. Discount rates on the comparison site are often lower than the ones you’ll find on the electric company sites for the same brand and term length.
- Home Energy Club provides you with special promo codes you can share which deliver instant rate reductions from top providers.
Power to Choose, a website operated by the government:
- Displays low electricity rates, but the energy plans are unvetted, so there’s no serious quality control.
- Has had a history of unwittingly displaying deceptive plans that have caused large numbers of Texans to experience high energy bills.
- Been threatened by state leaders with a shutdown due to consumer complaints, as described by state government leaders in news stories.
While the intent of the state to create a robust competitive market was sound, the government site is not considered to have the most consumer-friendly shopping experience that protects consumers.
What is the best Power to Choose Alternative?
When choosing power in Texas, Power to Choose may not be the best option to compare energy rates. Power to Choose often displays gimmicky plans that may cause bill surprises.
Instead of considering Power to Choose plans for Houston or Power to Choose plans for Dallas, take a look at plans for Houston, Dallas and other Texas cities on HomeEnergyClub.com
Home Energy Club is a leading quality-focused energy comparison site. The website vets each plan to eliminate the deceptive ones that are prone to cause bill shocks, using its TrustPlan process. The site uses its bargaining power to offer special discounted energy rates from energy providers, such as Gexa Energy, Reliant Energy, Flagship Power and more.
There is no membership fee, and Home Energy Club is a free service.
How do I choose a good energy plan?
HomeEnergyClub.com helps you to choose a good energy plan for your home based on your usage level, and also vets each plan using its TrustPlan ™ process to help you avoid bill surprises. Learning about electricity providers, energy plans and rates, begins with simply entering your zip code on the site.
HomeEnergyClub.com offers step by step guides to help Texans choose the best plan for their home, including its Savvy Shopper’s Guide to Choosing the Best Energy Plans in Texas, and its How to Read an Electricity Facts Label Guide. Home Energy Club is a comprehensive, authoritative source of information about Texas electricity companies, with thousands of verified reviews and consumer complaint statistics from objective sources such as the BBB, Public Utility Commission, Google, Yelp and others.
Are free nights and weekends worth it?
Electricity plans offering free nights and weekends (and other “time of usage” plans), which can be found on Power to Choose, are sometimes worth it, but only if the plan is not too restrictive in its definition of “free” time periods, and if your home’s energy usage patterns match such a plan’s rate structure.
The HomeEnergyClub.com comparison website is a superior alternative to Power to Choose because it vets each energy plan to help protect you from bill surprises, and will not display plans with unreasonable rate structure specifications.
It’s helpful to note the following about “free” electricity plans:
- If your “non-free” energy time periods are too short and don’t coincide with the times you use a relatively small percentage of your energy, you may unnecessarily pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars more for electricity per year.
- To offset free weekends and nights, electric company charges at other days and hours are much higher than they would be in a standard fixed-rate plan.
Always read an electricity plan’s Electricity Facts Label (EFL) for details on the “free” and “non-free” periods. You can learn how to decipher an EFL with the How to Read an Electricity Facts Label guide from Home Energy Club. In the EFL, you may find that these types of “free” plans come with lengthy contract commitments and steep cancellation fees.
Is free electricity at night worth it?
If you are wondering if an electricity plan offering free nights is worth it, the answer depends on the plan’s specified “free” time periods, and whether the time you use the vast majority of your energy corresponds with the times in which the provider doesn’t charge for energy. HomeEnergyClub.com vets each plan to help you avoid the ones with gimmick traps, such as those that don’t offer a reasonable time range for “free” energy to offset the “non-free” times in which the electric company will charge a steep premium.
Comparison sites such as Power to Choose, a government-sponsored enterprise, do not have such quality control processes, which has caused large numbers of bill complaints from angry customers. Home Energy Club provides transparency and helpful resources to assist Texans in choosing the best plans for their homes with legitimate discount energy rates. Some decision-making resources include:
- Electricity Facts Label guide
- Savvy Shopper’s guide
- Links to sites such as Smart Meter Texas, where you can conveniently obtain your history of electricity usage to assist in your selection of the correct plan
Visit HomeEnergyClub.com and enter your zip code to compare electricity rates.
How do I use my smart meter to determine if a free nights and weekends plan is good?
If you have a smart meter, your details are available that let you know the hours and days in which you consume the least and greatest amounts of energy. With those insights, you can determine, for example, whether an electricity plan offering free nights and weekends would be a good option for you based on the times specified as “free” in the plan’s details and Electricity Facts Label.
A bit of “homework” is needed to choose the best energy plan for your household. A smart meter report gives you readily accessible historic usage data for your home at SmartMeterTexas.com. Use your usage information to narrow down your options and choose the best money-saving energy plan.
Learn more about smart meters from our Smart Meter Texas Guide at HomeEnergyClub.com, where you will find discount rates from the top brand electric companies in the state.
