<p>I have been researching changing electricity providers off and on for months now. I really need to pull the trigger and I am still paying astronomical amounts to TXU, but I am afraid to make a change for fear of some hidden “catch.” I have pretty much decided I want a 12-month fixed plan, but am open to anything. Do any of you Texans have any experience to share to help me? Thanks.</p>
<p>Super easy - there’s a website called [Power</a> to Choose](<a href=“http://www.powerToChoose.org%5DPower”>http://www.powerToChoose.org). You click “go directly to offers” and enter your zip code for eligible companies and rates. You can set the filters to 12-month fixed.</p>
<p>I think a lot of people (me included) switch every year to the best deal. This past year I stayed with Amigo since they were still the 2nd lowest price, but it’s painless (and free) to switch. Most of them allow complete online signup - no waiting on hold at all.</p>
<p>As far as hidden “catch” goes the terms are clearly detailed on the website. There’s often a cancellation fee and I think once I saw a “minimum”, but nothing to fear.</p>
<p>I have been researching at the ‘power to choose’ web site, and that is where I got confused! I read the “special terms” for several of the companies, and one of them said something to the effect of “no fee for credit card payments,” which made me start to wonder if other companies charged for that. Especially since one of the lower plans required online bill pay.</p>
<p>I’ve had 4 different ones so far and I’ve always had the payment charged to my Discover with no fees. Maybe just call your favorite two and ask them your specific questions.</p>
<p>For bills that charge fees with credit cards I do auto-draft from my bank account. We just renewed for my lowest rate ever .095/kwhr and a friend got .092 yesterday (show-off :-).</p>
<p>There are some very low variable rate plans. Do any of you know how often they change and how big an increase they usually have at one time? I have several friends (but not real close friends) who sell Ambit, but there are other plans with lower rates. I’ll just have to work on it this weekend and make a decision!</p>
<p>Don’t get tricked into the variable rate. Energy rates are all on the move higher – just look how much it costs to fill up your car with gas now. They entice in with a low initial rate, and then bump it up every month. Jeez, I sound jaded…</p>
<p>I suggest using [Compare</a> Electricity Rates](<a href=“http://www.vaultelectricity.com%5DCompare”>http://www.vaultelectricity.com) or a site like it because they list dozens of plans from many providers and they show what the most popular choice has been over the last week. If I were you, I wouldn’t go out longer than a year, because you may decide to move to a new place next after the spring semester. Either way, some of the electric companies have lower termination fees than others. I guess you could call an enregy broker and ask their opinion.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I had a variable rate once. I renewed thinking I was getting the same 12month fixed and instead it was variable. My bill doubled. Not pretty.</p>
<p>OK. I finally took the time to change companies from TXU to Reliant 12-month fixed. Just for your information, I learned that the rate shown at powertochoose.org is substantially less than the rate on the Reliant web site for the same plan. (I did not check the other companies to see if there was a discrepancy.) When I went back and clicked “sign up” from the powertochoose web site, I got the rate it was showing there. So…moral to this story is…sign up directly through the powertochoose web site.</p>
<p>OK. My 12-months is nearly up. Reliant sent me the required written expiration notice and is offering a month-to-month, no contract rate of 11.4 (!!!) or a 12-month fixed at 10.4. I am currently paying 8.5 so I certainly am not going to take them up on these offers. However, they have a much lower rate (about 8.6 but I don’t remember exact) on the power to choose website. I really have liked Reliant, and would like to stay with them. My question is, can I choose them again from the powertochoose or is that just for new customers? I know. I know. I should call them, but I thought maybe someone had some experience with this.</p>
<p>Amigo also has low rates, but I have never heard of them. Is there any company you would recommend I avoid?</p>
<p>I had absolutely no idea what you were talking about. I even went in and put my zip code into that Power to Choose but nothing…no offers. I guess it is because we are rural and part of a rural co-op. Then I looked at the site and then looked at my bill. We have a 3500 square foot house and only pay around 150-175 each month in electricity. Our cost is 7.1 cents. I love my rural co-op…</p>
<p>You are right that rural co-ops don’t have a choice of electrical providers, but it sounds like you’re getting a great deal! Maybe I should move to the country. LOL</p>
<p>Choirfarm – just fyi, rural coops are heavily federally subsidized. Very heavily subsidized. Our tax dollars at work.</p>
<p>musicmom, I have Amigo now and they are fine. I can do everything online and never have to pick up the phone. This is the first year I have ever renewed as I usually just seek out the cheapest vendor, but they were second-cheapest and I decided that was good enough.</p>
<p>The vendor doesn’t matter at ALL because it’s all Centerpoint underneath. You’re just choosing a billing “agent” basically.</p>
<p>Is this restricted to Texas? Talking to my sister (in Lousiana) she had no idea what I was talking about and said Entergy is their only option. I’d love to know if that’s true as my retired parents could certainly use extra money!</p>
<p>A friend who renewed last month got 8.5 cents/kwH and he doesn’t live on a farm :-).</p>
<p>Just switched from Direct to TriEagle at $7.6 c per kWh, customer charge $4.95 per month.
I am glad to know that the vendor doesn’t matter. There are so many to choose from!</p>