In today’s world of tightening budgets, we’re all looking for a great deal on the best possible services available. This has even become true in the utilities segment, as deregulated energy markets have led to more competition in some states, giving homeowners, renters, and businesses more options to choose from when it comes to who they get their power from.
In this Energy Ogre vs. Power Wizard comparison, we will give you all the details on these two prominent energy providers to determine which one is the best option for you.
Understanding Energy Providers
Before diving into our Energy Ogre vs. Power Wizard head-to-head showdown, it’s important to understand what an energy provider is and what role they play in the power supply industry.
An energy provider, also known as an energy retailer or supplier, is an intermediary between power generation companies and consumers. They procure electricity from power generation companies and resell it to end consumers. These energy providers also handle all the billing and customer support, and they ensure a steady and reliable power supply.
Energy providers collaborate with power generation companies to ensure there’s ample electricity generation to meet demand. They also negotiate contracts, monitor energy markets, and make strategic decisions to ensure a stable and affordable power supply.
Energy Providers’ Role in Power Supply
Energy providers are crucial in ensuring that the electricity supply to homes and businesses remains reliable and secure. They manage the distribution infrastructure, arrange contracts with power generators, and optimize the delivery of electricity to end-users.
One of an energy provider’s key responsibilities is maintaining and upgrading the distribution infrastructure. This infrastructure includes power lines, transformers, and substations that allow the power to flow from the generation plants to consumers. They’re responsible for investing in necessary infrastructure improvements to ensure the efficiency and reliability of the power supply.
Energy providers also significantly impact consumer energy costs, as they determine pricing structures and offer various plans to suit different needs. The providers analyze market trends, wholesale electricity prices, electricity demand, and regulatory policies to help them develop pricing strategies that balance affordability and profitability.
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Energy providers also actively promote energy conservation and sustainable practices by educating consumers about energy-efficient technologies, offering incentives for reducing energy consumption, and supporting renewable energy initiatives. They aim to minimize environmental impact by encouraging responsible energy usage and contributing to a more sustainable future.
Understanding the role of energy providers is crucial for making informed decisions about energy consumption and choosing the right provider for your needs. With a firmer grasp of what energy providers do and how they fit into the overall power-delivery system, let’s dive into our Energy Ogre vs. Power Wizard comparison.
What Energy Ogre Offers
Energy Ogre is a Houston, Texas-based energy management company that has revolutionized how consumers optimize electricity usage. Since its founding, Energy Ogre has gained recognition for its innovative electricity plans and had Inc. 5,000 name it the in the U.S. in 2019.
The History of Energy Ogre
Founded in 2014, Energy Ogre was established to help consumers navigate the complex energy market and make informed decisions regarding their electricity consumption. Since its inception, Energy Ogre has remained dedicated to delivering a customer-centric service that helps its over 130,000 members in Texas save up to 40% on their electricity rates.
Services Offered by Energy Ogre
Energy Ogre offers a wide range of services to help its members navigate the sometimes confusing world of deregulated energy delivery. After signing up, the Energy Ogre technology sorts through the more than 2,000 energy plans available from over 135 power-generation companies to find the best electricity plan for you. Energy Ogre considers how and when you use electricity to find the best plan.
Once it finds plans that suit your needs and you make your choice, Energy Ogre manages everything from start to finish. It negotiates all the contracts with the electricity companies to ensure you get the best rates, sets up your accounts, and handles all of your customer service issues.
Each month, Energy Ogre sends its members an Ogrecast that outlines their energy usage. It also provides an estimated usage for the next month based on historical data. This allows its members to better plan and budget ahead of time.
The electricity shopping service doesn’t stop once you sign a contract. Energy Ogre’s algorithm will continuously search for better electricity service offerings that will help you save money. While doing so, it takes into account your early termination fees and other costs for switching before your current contract expires.
If switching to a new electricity contract makes financial sense, Energy Ogre will give you plan recommendations and help you switch to a new plan if you choose to. And if you move to a different home, Energy Ogre will handle the disconnection or transfer of your electricity service.
For all these services, Energy Ogre will charge you $10 per month .
What Power Wizard Offers
Power Wizard is another Houston-based energy provider aiming to simplify energy deregulation for consumers. Power Wizard has a strong presence in the industry and has many services to help Texans find the best Texas electricity plans.
The Story Behind Power Wizard
Founded in 2019, Power Wizard aims to empower consumers with greater control over their electricity bills by negotiating great rates and eliminating the cost spike created by gimmicky variable rate plans.
Services Offered by Power Wizard
Power Wizard, like Energy Ogre, aims to be the buffer between the consumers and electricity generation companies, shielding its clients from unstable prices and new, too-good-to-be-true Texas power plans.
Unlike Energy Ogre, though, Power Wizard has two membership options. The base plan is the Silver DIY, which has a one-time $14.95 fee that gives you 60-day access to its electricity plan interface. This interface analyzes all the available electricity plans, filters out any bad plans, and presents consumers with their best options. The consumer then chooses the plan they prefer and handles the account setup themselves.
The second Power Wizard plan is the Gold VIP. This plan costs $10 monthly, which matches Energy Ogre’s pricing. It gives you the same access to the electricity plan interface, but Power Wizard handles all enrollment, account transfers, and account cancellation processes for you, making it a truly hands-off option.
On top of this, Power Wizard’s ongoing monitoring will continuously scan the market for better plans. If it finds a better plan, Power Wizard will review your savings and send you an alert if it makes financial sense to pay the early termination fee to cancel your current contract and sign a new one.
Energy Ogre and Power Wizard Comparison
These retail electricity providers have fairly similar offerings in terms of service, but that’s only part of what to consider when choosing your new provider. Let’s look deeper into each company to help you make an informed decision.
Conflicts of Interest
A big concern for customers in deregulated energy markets is a conflict of interest that can lead to an energy provider offering dishonest or inflated pricing schemes.
Power Wizard is owned by NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, one of the country’s largest wholesale generators of electric power. This means it has direct ties with the power generation companies, which could lead to dishonest pricing. However, Power Wizard maintains that it works for its customers, not the power companies.
Energy Ogre, on the other hand, has zero connections to retail electricity providers. It is paid only by its members and works only on their behalf.
Does this make Energy Ogre a better option than Power Wizard? Not necessarily, but it’s something to consider while researching these companies.
Customer Service and Ratings
Both Energy Ogre and Power Wizard emphasize providing excellent customer support. They also each have contact phone numbers and email addresses available for customers to get in touch with them. On top of these, each has a robust website with informative FAQ sections where customers can find answers to common questions and concerns.
As for customer ratings, Energy Ogre has a disappointing 2.3-star rating on Yelp and a 2.47-star rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website. That outshines Power Wizard’s 1.8-star BBB rating, but the provider has a strong counterbalance with a 4.4-star TrustPilot rating.
Making a Choice: Energy Ogre vs. Power Wizard
Ultimately, both Energy Ogre and Power Wizard are reputable energy providers ready to help Texans save on their monthly electric bills. Each offers great monthly programs that continually monitor pricing updates and allow you to cancel your contract with an electricity generator and switch to another if the lower pricing outweighs the early termination fee. This helps ensure you continually have the best possible deal on electric service, but it also comes with a monthly fee.
If you’re just looking for help finding the best electricity deal and don’t want ongoing help for a continued cost, Power Wizard may be a better option. Its Silver DIY package gives you 60 days of access to its system that reviews energy provider fees and outlines your best offers without any further payments to Power Wizard after the period ends.
Fortunately, these providers are not your only options for finding the best deal on electricity service. EnergySavings can also help you save on your electricity costs by comparing various electricity plans in your area. Check out energy plans in your area and get services started today.
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