Compare Energy Texas Vs OhmConnect Energy
How do I know which electricity provider I should choose in Texas? Glad you’ve asked, you’ve come to the right place.
When it comes to comparing different electric companies, many factors should be taken into consideration. One should be the energy and average rate, which can be better analyzed if you know what your monthly average usage is. Another important key element is the term length. Are you searching for a longer term, somewhere around 48 to 60 months long? Or are you on the search for a shorter term, perhaps closer to 12 months? Other items consumers tend to overlook when comparing electricity plans are the cancellation fees (ETF). If you were to cancel your electricity plan before your term is up, how much would you have to pay? Are the plans being offered at a fixed rate or a variable rate? What are an electric retail provider’s customer reviews? Do they offer perks for loyal customers? There are many other questions one should ask, but let’s take a minute to highlight some of the key factors to consider.
If you are looking for an electric provider in Texas to enroll services with, we’re here to help. To better assist you in narrowing down your choices we use data from Power to Choose to provide a head-to-head comparison of what electric companies in Texas are offering.
To start, let’s compare Energy Texas Vs OhmConnect Energy
Energy Texas
Rates are in cents/kWh for 1000kWh usage. The prices may vary depending on the utility. Data is obtained from powertochoose.org (Power to Choose.) The data above is reflecting only English plans. Please refer to the chart below to see all languages plans are provided in by the retail electric provider. Disclaimer: Some plans shown on the table above may not be available through our site.
Vs.
OhmConnect Energy
Rates are in cents/kWh for 1000kWh usage. The prices may vary depending on the utility. Data is obtained from powertochoose.org (Power to Choose.) The data above is reflecting only English plans. Please refer to the chart below to see all languages plans are provided in by the retail electric provider. Disclaimer: Some plans shown on the table above may not be available through our site.
Here’s some other great resources to review when comparing Energy Texas Vs OhmConnect Energy
Summary
According to powertochoose.org the rating is based on the ratio of complaints by customers received in the past 6 months. The more stars a company has, the lower the complaint ratio. 5 stars means lowest complaint ratio versus 1 star being the highest complaint ratio.
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Factors to consider when comparing electric companies in Texas.
While most people search for the cheapest electricity rates in Texas, there is more to consider than meets the eye. To better understand how to compare electricity rates and plans in your area here’s a breakdown of what the fields being compared mean.
The term refers to the length of the contract. People interested in longer term plans may enroll in a 36-, 48-, or 60-month plan. Others may prefer a shorter term and may enroll in plans for 12 months or shorter. If you enroll in a fixed rate product with a great rate, a longer term is recommended to lock in at that specific rate for the contract’s duration. If a consumer terminates the contract before the term is over a fee may apply. The cancellation fee, also known as the Early Termination Fee (ETF), varies from plans and electricity providers.
The energy rate is the price you pay for the electricity supplied per kWh as opposed to the average rate which includes the energy rate as well as TDU charges. Most EFLs and electricity bills do provide a detailed breakdown of the transmission and distribution charges from the utility (unless you enrolled in a bundled plan). Although the rate price is important one should also consider whether the rate is a fixed rate or variable rate. A fixed rate plan is a locked-in rate that will remain the same throughout the duration of your contract. The benefit of enrolling in a long-term electricity plan with a fixed rate is that your rate is protected for the duration of the term despite the current market value. On the other hand, a variable rate can change at any moment due to market value. Some benefits include lower rates if the market value is low and perhaps more flexibility if you plan on switching providers. A pitfall of a variable rate is an unexpected increase in bill if market rates increase.
The delivery area refers to the utility in which your services are provided under. You see, there’s a difference between the utility company and electric provider company in a deregulated market in Texas. A utility company takes care of the transmission and distribution of your electricity. They are also known as your Transmission and Distribution Service Provider (TDSP). The utility company is responsible for measuring the energy consumption that is used in your home or business. They also own the infrastructure such as towers, wires, poles, lines, and more. Some of Texas’ utility companies servicing deregulated areas include AEP Texas Central, AEP Texas North, CenterPoint Energy, Oncor, Texas New Mexico Power, and Lubbock Power & Light. They would also be the ones to contact regarding Power Outages. On the other hand, a retail electric provider (REP), also known as an energy provider, purchases the electricity wholesale from energy producers and then sells electricity to its customers. Customers in a deregulated market have the power to choose which retail electric provider they want to enroll with. When enrolling for services with an energy provider, the provider will also take care of the customer service and billing.
Another factor that could impact enrolling for electric services is whether a deposit needs to be paid. The deposit is an upfront fee that needs to be placed prior to initiating service. The deposit amount varies from electric companies. Some light companies may require no deposit, while others do require a deposit that is fully refundable. We suggest also asking the electric companies if there are any deposit waivers you may qualify for.
Some plans do have renewable energy content which is the energy percentage produced from renewable resources (green energy). This may be an important factor to consider for consumers who want to support green initiatives.
While there are other factors to consider, the items we covered will set you off to a great start. The perks of living in a deregulated energy market are having the power to choose which electricity company you would like to enroll with. Although the choices may seem overwhelming, we’re here to help guide you. With nearly 140 electric providers in Texas, EnergySavings.com is here to provide you with great resources and help you compare electricity rates in Texas.
FAQs
How should I compare electric companies in Texas and what other factors should I consider?
The details provided above are great tools to use when comparing electricity plans, but it does not stop there. Consider searching for some customer reviews and read their experience. Other great factors to consider are the company’s customer service, whether they offer loyalty rewards and if they offer user-friendly online portals. Also, if you’re heavily invested in renewable energy and supporting green initiatives, a company’s renewable energy percentage may be a driving factor in decision making. The benefits of living in a deregulated energy market are that you have the power to choose who will supply your energy for your home and business needs.
What factors make up the PTC rating?
According to the Texas Public Utility Commission’s website powertochoose.org, company ratings are based off of customer complaints per 1,000 customers in a 6-month rolling average. If the rating for a specific electricity provider is concerning to you, you could also refer to customer reviews on Google as well as the Better Business Bureau.
Do I need to pay a deposit to enroll for electricity? If so, how much is the deposit?
The deposit amount an electricity provider may require in order to enroll for services varies from one company to another. It is also helpful to ask questions such as the following:
- Does your company offer deposit waivers?
- Do I qualify for any deposit waivers?
- Is there any way I can bypass the deposit with a credit check?
What are Minimum Usage plans?
Minimum usage electricity plans require a consumer to use a specific amount of electricity in order to qualify for a credit or waiver. For example, a plan may have a $10 minimum usage charge, yet the charge may be waived if the customer uses 1,000 kWh or more on a billing cycle. Some plans also offer a bill credit once a customer hits a specific usage. For example, there are plans that offer customers a $100 credit towards their bill if they used 1,000 kWh or more within a billing cycle. The plan and minimum usage details are all dependent and vary from electric plans and electric providers.
What are Prepaid plans?
Prepaid electricity plans let you use the electricity you need and tend to have no contracts. Usually, to start on a prepaid plan one must load a specific amount of money into their prepaid account. For example, to get started one may need to add $30 to the account and will be notified of their account balance and reminded to add more funds as needed. The drawback of most prepaid plans is that the electricity rates tend to be higher. However, the benefit of prepaid plans is having no contractual agreement and paying for a short time or for the length needed.
What are Time of Use plans?
Time of use plans are electricity plans where customers receive a bill credit for using electricity within a specific time frame. Some of the best-known time of use plans include Nights Free or Weekends Free plan. For example, a person enrolled in a Night Free Plan will not be charged for any electricity used between specific nighttime hours (e.g. 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.) The same applies to Weekends Free plans where consumers are not charged for any electricity used on the weekend. The plan and time of usage details are all dependent and vary from electric plans and electric providers.
Does my location impact my electric bill?
Location does directly and indirectly impact the cost of your electricity bill. One of the factors to consider is the climate where you live. If you live in a city that is hot year-round, chances are you may use the air conditioner much more than other locations which in turn may increase your energy consumption. Thus, resulting in a higher bill.
Another location factor impacting your rate is seeing which utility company your zip code falls under. The utility company oversees the transmission and distribution of services in which certain fees need to be covered. The average rate on most EFLs and electricity bills does provide a detailed breakdown of the transmission and distribution charges from the utility (unless you enrolled in a bundled plan). The main utility companies servicing Texas’ deregulated markets include:
Oncor Electric Delivery (DFW, North and West Texas)
Texas-New Mexico Power Company (Lewisville and North Texas)
CenterPoint Energy (Houston and surrounding areas)
AEP Texas (Abilene and West Texas; Corpus Christi, Rio Grande Valley and South Texas)
If you have any further questions or have a Power Outage, please contact your utility company.
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