Power to choose energy in Texas

About 85 percent of Texans enjoy energy deregulation. This means they live an area where they have the power to choose their electricity provider. Texans should take advantage of energy choice by shopping around for an electricity provider. Switching suppliers can help residents save money on their monthly energy bills.

Choose Energy® helps Texans choose an electricity provider through its marketplace, which shows rates from trusted providers. Users can check rates in their area and sort by price, term, rate type, and more to narrow their search.

To start a search for cheap electricity rates in Texas, shoppers should enter their ZIP code to see whether their home or business is in a deregulated energy zone.

The Public Utilities Commission of Texas runs a website called Power to Choose. It shows electricity plans and rates across the state. Choose Energy also allows residents to compare electricity rates to exercise their Texas power to choose. But the easy-to use online marketplace offers additional benefits. Enter a ZIP code above to get rates in a particular location.

Many Texans find the official Power to Choose site confusing. Our marketplace allows shoppers to compare plans, see real-time rates, and make a switch all in one place! With PowertoChoose.org, consumers can compare plans, but that’s about it.

State residents have the power to choose Texas electricity plans because lawmakers authorized energy deregulation beginning in 2002. Energy deregulation is just a fancy term for energy choice – meaning consumers can compare rates and plans and select a provider most suited to their needs.

About 85 percent of residents across the state have the power to choose. TX electricity providers that work with ChooseEnergy.com include TXU Energy, Gexa Energy, Frontier Utilities, and many more.

The power to choose isn’t just for the larger cities such as Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, and Houston. It extends to cities of all sizes, including the following:

• Arlington
• Corpus Christi
• Dallas
• Fort Worth
• Houston
• Irving
• Katy
• Midland
• Round Rock
• Waco

For a larger list of deregulated cities, click here. One thing to remember: Regardless of which provider customers choose, the utility company for the area is in charge of getting the electricity to their home and maintaining the infrastructure to deliver power.

Houston residents are among those with the power to choose an electricity provider. The city is the largest in Texas and the fourth-largest in the U.S. There are great temperature extremes in Houston, with temperatures occasionally hitting triple figures during the summer and dipping to the low 30s in winter, though they can go lower. That was proven during the February 2021 winter storm.

Those extremes mean it’s a good idea to exercise power choice. Heating and cooling a home account for about 30 percent of a typical home’s electricity use, according to the Energy Information Administration. Houston power to choose means residents can find a plan that suits their usage throughout the year.

The 1.3 million residents of Dallas experience similar temperature extremes as those in Houston. That means they have familiar reasons to be happy about the power to choose an energy provider.

Some providers are great for plans in which the customer uses less than 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month. Others are great for consumers who use more than 2,000 kWh each month. Choose Energy can help electricity shoppers figure out the sweet spot between those two levels, which is where typical users fall. That’s why power choice is so important in Dallas and other cities.

Fort Worth and Dallas are only about 33 miles apart, but residents of each city pride themselves on the differences between the two. Dallas says it has more of a big-city feel, and it is the larger of the two. Fort Worth says it has more charm. Both, of course, are great places and both benefit from the power to choose electricity providers.

Power choice allows consumers to sign up with electricity providers that offer plans to meet their specific needs. Among the needs that ChooseEnergy.com help with is the desire to purchase a renewable energy plan in Fort Worth. Power to choose expands options for Texans.

The power to choose a Texas electricity provider is a great opportunity, but only if it is exercised properly. At ChooseEnergy.com, we don’t just show what the rates and plans are in a specific area. We provide the tools to make a good choice, including the following:

•       A guide to selecting a plan.
•       No deposit electricity.
•       A switching guide.
•       A mover’s guide.
•       And more.

We allow shoppers to sort plans by rate, term, rate type, and more. They can customize usage, plus we’ll show estimates for monthly bills, and ratings for every provider.

We make the power to choose electricity providers work for consumers.

Exercising the power to choose with Choose Energy couldn’t be easier. There are just three simple steps:

1. Enter a ZIP code. We’ll show plans from top providers serving that area.
2. Find the right plan. Sort by rate, rate type, term length, green energy availability, and more. Call one of our power pros to clear up any confusion.
3. Exercise the power to choose. Customers may sign up online or over the phone. Either way takes only minutes. The new provider will handle the switch.  

Start now by entering a ZIP code. There’s no cost to use our marketplace.

The Public Utility Commission of Texas authorizes licenses for electricity suppliers to ensure they have met strict requirements for doing business in Texas.

Need to contact Texas’ electricity watchdog? Here are three ways:

Mail: PO Box 13326, Austin, TX 78711-3326

Phone: 512-936-7000

Email: customer@puc.texas.gov

Regardless of which electric company supplies electricity to a home, the power will continue to be delivered by the local utility, which is regulated by the PUCT. When residents experience a power outage, they should call their utility company.

Disclaimer: ChooseEnergy.com® is operated by Choose Energy Inc. and is not affiliated with Power To Choose, powertochoose.org or the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT).

updated 3/25/2021