Powertochoose.org - which energy provider?

[SMKR]

I see a lot of low rates displayed, but how do I know which is legit or not?

Here are the ones with the best rates currently:

Reach
Pennywise
Infinite
Summer
StarTex

Any idea to see the feedback on these providers? 5.9 kwh looks pretty good.

[Ted]

Google is your friend

[The King]

Always open the links under each company to see what their base charge is, i.e. the flat amount you pay each month for the privilege of being their customer, and the minimum kwh you must use to get their advertised rate(s).

[quikag]

I use Amigo and they are awesome. Very easy to use, great website/payment interface, and very good customer service. Good rate too, at least when I signed up a month or so back. Good riddance TXU.

[SVT Lurch]

I've had StarTex for over 2 years per StangGT40's recommendation in an old thread and have had zero issues. They gave me a credit when I renewed as well as a $100 credit when their billing system messed up and drafted some people twice. Their reasoning was to cover overdraft charges for people who pinch pennies, but since mine is charged to a credit card I never even saw the duplicate charge.

[Chili]

There have been a million threads on this.. Please use the search function.

[SMKR]

Google is your friend

Ive done that but on a mobile device it is harder to navigate.

[SMKR]

There have been a million threads on this.. Please use the search function.

Advanced search no workie on tapatalk!

[LS1Goat]

I found Gexa through powertochoose.org a few years back.

Been great thus far.

[Sgt Beavis]

Denton Municipal Electric - $0.056 per kWh

awwww yeah!


A little more seriously, make sure you check on their policy for TDU charges. This is an unregulated charge and some providers are hiding their actual costs with it. When I was using StarTex I was only being charged a little over $3 under the TDU line item but others were being charged as much as $90... Other providers are even higher...

Check out this write up from Ed Wallace for more info: http://insideautomotive.com/document...daysPrices.pdf

[Chili]

Denton Municipal Electric - $0.056 per kWh

awwww yeah!


A little more seriously, make sure you check on their policy for TDU charges. This is an unregulated charge and some providers are hiding their actual costs with it. When I was using StarTex I was only being charged a little over $3 under the TDU line item but others were being charged as much as $90... Other providers are even higher...

Check out this write up from Ed Wallace for more info: http://insideautomotive.com/document...daysPrices.pdf

You have been given incorrect information.

TDU charges are NOT unregulated. They are regulated Tariffs that are vetted through the PUC. Those charges actually originate with the TDSP (Transmission and Distribution Service Provider), like Oncor. That is how they are able to operate. Every deregulated premise in Texas gets these charges, but most residential REPs (Retail Energy Providers), like Reliant, choose to bundle them into the total price, and may add a nominal amount to the bill, but most homes are actually being charged a much higher amount.

The TDSP bills the REP every month, the same time they transmit usage data. Regardless if the customer pays the REP, the REP still must pay the TDSP. So at the end of each service period, the meter is read and 2 electronic transactions are sent from the TDSP to the REP.

One transaction is the 867_03. The 867 contains the meter read information. It contains a good deal of info, but includes the starting read, ending read, and actual consumption. That is what the REP uses to bill you for usage.

The second transaction is the 810. That 810 contains all of the specifics for the TDSP charges, and serves as the "invoice" from the TDSP to the REP. As I said, most Residential / Mass market REPs build that into their per kWh price, but some do pass them through. On the commercial side, most companies pass them through.

Just as an example, here is the complete breakdown of the TDSP charges for my home, for my most recent service period (8/29/2012 - 9/28/2012):

$0.78 - Customer Charge - Basic Customer Charge - EA
$2.28 - Metering Charge - Delivery Point Charge - EA
$41.55 - Distribution System Charge - Distribution Charge - KH
$1.46 - System Benefit Fund (SBF) - KH
$0.38 - Nuclear Decommissioning (NDF) - KH
$1.35 - Distribution System Charge - KH
$2.03 - Transition Charge (TC2) - KH
$2.19 - Advanced Metering Cost Recovery Factor - EA
$0.99 - Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery Factor (EECRF) - EA
$0.08 - Rate Case Expenses Surcharge - KH
$0.07 - Rate Case Expense Surcharge 2 - KH
$23.60 - Transmission Cost Recovery Factor - KH

The charges that say "EA" at the end are flat charges. Those that say "KH" are based on actual usage.

The Distribution System Charge for Resi is based on kWh usage, but for larger commercial meters that is typically based on the KW (demand).

The TDSP Tariffs vary by several factors. Your TDSP, Zone, meter profile, consumption, demand and several other variables dictate what TDSP charges are billed. Very rarely will one person's TDSP charges be equal to anothers.

That link you provided does have some good information but much of the specifics are simply wrong. That doesn't suprise me though, because even "experts" can get confused with the way the Texas market is structured. Hell, there are well over 1,000 approved and active Tariffs in Texas, as it relates to TDSP charges.

[jluv]

You have been given incorrect information.

TDU charges are NOT unregulated. They are regulated Tariffs that are vetted through the PUC. Those charges actually originate with the TDSP (Transmission and Distribution Service Provider), like Oncor. That is how they are able to operate. Every deregulated premise in Texas gets these charges, but most residential REPs (Retail Energy Providers), like Reliant, choose to bundle them into the total price, and may add a nominal amount to the bill, but most homes are actually being charged a much higher amount.

The TDSP bills the REP every month, the same time they transmit usage data. Regardless if the customer pays the REP, the REP still must pay the TDSP. So at the end of each service period, the meter is read and 2 electronic transactions are sent from the TDSP to the REP.

One transaction is the 867_03. The 867 contains the meter read information. It contains a good deal of info, but includes the starting read, ending read, and actual consumption. That is what the REP uses to bill you for usage.

The second transaction is the 810. That 810 contains all of the specifics for the TDSP charges, and serves as the "invoice" from the TDSP to the REP. As I said, most Residential / Mass market REPs build that into their per kWh price, but some do pass them through. On the commercial side, most companies pass them through.

Just as an example, here is the complete breakdown of the TDSP charges for my home, for my most recent service period (8/29/2012 - 9/28/2012):

$0.78 - Customer Charge - Basic Customer Charge - EA
$2.28 - Metering Charge - Delivery Point Charge - EA
$41.55 - Distribution System Charge - Distribution Charge - KH
$1.46 - System Benefit Fund (SBF) - KH
$0.38 - Nuclear Decommissioning (NDF) - KH
$1.35 - Distribution System Charge - KH
$2.03 - Transition Charge (TC2) - KH
$2.19 - Advanced Metering Cost Recovery Factor - EA
$0.99 - Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery Factor (EECRF) - EA
$0.08 - Rate Case Expenses Surcharge - KH
$0.07 - Rate Case Expense Surcharge 2 - KH
$23.60 - Transmission Cost Recovery Factor - KH

The charges that say "EA" at the end are flat charges. Those that say "KH" are based on actual usage.

The Distribution System Charge for Resi is based on kWh usage, but for larger commercial meters that is typically based on the KW (demand).

The TDSP Tariffs vary by several factors. Your TDSP, Zone, meter profile, consumption, demand and several other variables dictate what TDSP charges are billed. Very rarely will one person's TDSP charges be equal to anothers.

That link you provided does have some good information but much of the specifics are simply wrong. That doesn't suprise me though, because even "experts" can get confused with the way the Texas market is structured. Hell, there are well over 1,000 approved and active Tariffs in Texas, as it relates to TDSP charges.

All I can get from that is "blah blah jiggawatt blah".

[Chili]

All I can get from that is "blah blah jiggawatt blah".

I only deal in Kilowatts and Megawatts.

But I have also driven through Watts in CA.. With my doors locked and windows up!

[Rreemo]

Chili - I know that you do this stuff for a living...are there certain geographies where you cannot choose your own provider?....like outside of the city limits? I've been thinking about shopping for a better rate b/c we use a hellofa lot of electricity out here, especially in the winter, but one of my neighbors was telling me that Coserv is our only choice where we live.

I know I just need to pick up the phone and call and ask, but wondering what your experience is on this?

Currently Coserv is charging us $0.129 May-Oct, the same Nov-Apr until 300Kwh, then it drops to $0.119....over 1000Kwh it drops to $0.114. Looking at someone like StarTex, I can lock in for 2-years at $0.097....1-year is more like $0.085. This could equal $100+ per month savings for as much energy as we use in the winter.

Edit - it's because we are in a Co Op....but I'm wondering if there is a way to get out of the Co Op?

[musclestang89]

I use pennywise, have used them for almost 2 years. They are legit, and there customer service is ok. they have saved me alot from switching from txu .