Just as they're facing peak summer electricity bills - due to soaring summer temperatures and price increases of more than 180 percent since the beginning of deregulation - electricity customers in deregulated areas of Texas have something to be excited about.
The launch of the first, true energy savings portal, www.ChooseEnergy.com, gives Texas consumers more information and capabilities than they have ever had to manage their energy expenditures. This unique energy marketplace, www.ChooseEnergy.com, is made available by Choose Energy, a division of Priority Power Management.
More than 70 percent of Texas consumers have not taken advantage of competitive electricity prices made available through deregulation and they continue to be served by their incumbent utilities. Choose Energy's "compare and buy" neutral energy marketplace will enable these customers to more easily and confidently evaluate options for selecting a new Retail Electric Provider (REP) based on lower rates, the use of "greener" power sources, different contract lengths or other offers. For consumers, using www.ChooseEnergy.com is free and may be used without risk or obligation. If consumers see an attractive offer they want to accept, they can make the switch to a new REP without leaving the site.
"Just as the Internet has made it easier for people to compare mortgages, travel rates and other services, Choose Energy has developed a ‘compare and buy' site that offers a trusted and objective comparison of available electricity providers for residential and small commercial customers," General Manager Jerry Dyess said.
"Before today, comparing and switching electricity providers was a very frustrating, confusing and time consuming process for Texas residents and businesses. With the launch of ChooseEnergy.com, consumers and business owners now get direct access to real-time pricing and the ability to switch providers, through an easy-to-use electricity services portal."
"Priority Power Management(PPM) believes its new division, Choose Energy, delivers true value to Texas small business and residential electricity customers," noted John Bick, president of Choose Energy and managing principal of PPM. "PPM is a recognized leader in helping large, Texas-based energy users manage their energy needs. We believe our new ChooseEnergy.com portal will equip small commercial and residential users to take charge of their energy usage."
Consumers enter their zip code into the Choose Energy portal and within seconds can compare side-by-side electricity offers from more than 10 retail providers, including several incumbent utilities as well as nine commercial and six residential competitive retail electricity providers. When users are ready to place an order to select a new electricity company, they submit a request directly through the ChooseEnergy.com site which connects to service providers.
To keep consumers informed about status of their orders, the portal sends emails and allows order tracking on its website's personal account summary. Helpful information about providers, energy deregulation, energy saving tips and related links are also available on www.ChooseEnergy.com For retail electric providers, Choose Energy offers the beneficial opportunity to place real-time bids on customers' electricity business, personalize their bids to each customer and modify their offers and terms as often as they wish. For instance, electricity retailers may offer exceptionally competitive rates tied to longer term contracts or intended to attract customers in a targeted geographic area.
The list of retail electricity providers appearing on ChooseEnergy.com is expected to increase after the portal's launch and will change from time to time. Even though listed on ChooseEnergy.com, some retailers may not always bid to supply electricity to all customers, zip codes and/or sizes of accounts. As of July 7, 2006 the companies included on the site are Accent Energy, Champion Energy Services, Commerce Energy, First Choice Power, Green Mountain Energy, Mpower Energy Services, Spark Energy, StarTex Power and W Power and Light.
"ChooseEnergy.com is a powerful tool, built on sound technology to provide a simple, positive consumer experience," Dyess said. "It is a much-needed service in our industry." Choose Energy's launch was preceded by many months of development, perfecting the advanced, complex technology required to deliver a simple, real time bidding process to consumers.
About Choose Energy
Choose Energy was founded in 2005 by Priority Power Management (PPM.) Priority Power Management is a leading Texas-based independent energy management and consulting services firm to large commercial and industrial clients. PPM's management has more than 150 years of combined experience in regulated and deregulated energy markets. PPM has over 800 large commercial clients utilizing more than 3.5 TWh of power annually which is enough to power 200,000 residential homes a year.