Texas electricity suppliers have been issuing numerous warning to their commercial customers concerning likely higher prices this summer in the wholesale electricity market. These prices will trickle down to the retail sector hitting the electric bills of many business customers who are not on a secure fixed electricity rate contract. The Houston grid zone is already experiencing upward pressure on electricity prices as temperatures have been higher than normal in May. Houston zonal pricing for the 12 month strip, which determines the 12 month fixed rate, jumped up 7% in May.

The cause for concern over Texas electricity prices for the summer of 2018 is a result of recent coal fired electricity generation plants being closed over the last year. In an effort to move to a more green energy future, the closure of coal generation plants is likely going to put Texas is a electricity supply shortage that the state has not experienced in decades. If the shortage in electricity gets to close to a break even point to the demand, wholesale electricity prices will skyrocket as retail electricity suppliers bid of prices to meet the demand of their individual customers, many of whom are on variable rate products and won’t be protected by aggressive market increases.

Small and medium commercial electricity customers often let their fixed rate contracts expire without renewing for another fixed contract. When this occurs, electricity providers in Texas will likely place the customer on a monthly variable rate that is tied directly to the wholesale market with a retail adder for the provider. These variable products are the most accessible to the likely price spikes expected this summer in Houston and other parts of Texas. Texas electricity prices have been fairly stable over the last seven years, so keeping up with the electricity contract hasn’t been an issue for many small business owners. The stability in the market has created a moral hazard issue that could hit businesses hard this summer for commercial electricity consumers who are paying a variable rate with their provider. The variable rates have been quite low over the past few years that many customers have come to believe that low variable prices are normal; they are not and can jump up quickly and aggressively.

It is crucially important for all commercial electricity customers in the Houston area to lock in a low fixed electricity rate contract. Luckily in Texas, as opposed to other states who have electricity choice markets, the time it takes to switch providers and rate structures can be as early as the next business day. In some states in can take up to two months, which would leave customers on a variable rate in a bad situation if wholesale prices spiked.

Plano is one of the most affluent cities in America. Located just outside of Dallas, everything Dallas has to offer is very accessible to Plano residences. Plano’s schools rank among the highest in scores in the country. With all the preserves and parks scattered throughout the city, Plano provides a great environment for people who enjoy the outdoors. However the climate can be quite unpleasant in the summer as temperatures often reach above 100 degrees. The hot summer months can make electric bills for Plano residences very high if they have not taken the time to find an electricity provider with a low fixed rate.

Plano grew substantially when huge manufacturers came in and set up their home bases. Familar companies like Frito Lay, Dr. Pepper, Snapple, Cinemark, and Dell Services are all based out of the city. Plano is home to 272,000 residents, making it the 9th largest city in Texas. The climate is what you would expect from a Texas city, it can fare humid and very hot in those intense summer months. The winters can be cold but generally mild in reference to snow and inclement weather.

Finding a Plano electricity provider to service your home is now easier than ever with energy price comparison sites that allow customers to quickly and easily compare offers from multiple providers. There are now over thirty Plano electricity providers competing to gain market share. The success of the Texas electricity choice market has kept electric rates low for those Plano residences who stay on top of their electric bill plans. Customer who haven’t taken the time to review their plan and make sure that their electric rate is still fixed might find that they are substantially over paying from what they could be if they take the time to shop and compare Plano electric rates.

Below is a list of current Plano electric rate offers from providers who are licensed to service Plano homes.

Electricity customers in Dallas are finding ways to reduce their power bills as a result of Texas electricity choice laws that allow consumers to shop for competitive power. States that have deregulated their energy markets are seeing an increase in the number of participating electricity shoppers due to rising wholesale energy prices across the nation. Competitive electricity markets create an abundance of electricity rate options for customers to make personalized choices. Dallas electricity shoppers are becoming more aware of their numerous options as electricity providers have increased their marketing budgets in an attempt to increase their piece of the power pie.

Dallas electricity choice has brought greater flexibility to the residential electricity market. Taking the time to compare Dallas electricity rates can provide a number of benefits to consumers. Customers who have not taken the time to shop and compare electricity providers in over a year will most likely find savings above 20%. Many Dallas consumers who signed electricity contracts years ago and forgot to renew find themselves on high variable rates. These customers often forget to enroll in a new fixed rate plan until one day they get a bill that is unbearably high due to a rise in the wholesale power market which is where variable pricing is formulated. Taking the time to simply compare prices and find the lowest electric rates in Dallas before a contract expires will prevent this scenario from taking place.

Competition in the electricity market also forces energy companies to compete for customers by improving their customer service. For some customers finding a power company who has superior customer service and billing options will be the reason they choose the supplier; they are willing to pay a slightly higher price for power in exchange for a better customer experience. Some energy companies will try to win customers by offering rewards programs and incentives similar to the credit card industry. When comparing Dallas electricity rates, customer service and the quality of the electricity provider’s website should be taken into account.

Finally, the terms of the contract are equally as important as the actual price. Is there a monthly fee? What is the early termination fee? How long will this rate be locked in for? Depending on the consumer’s individual desires, the answers to these questions can help determine the right electricity rate plan. Competition in the Dallas electricity market has produced the right plan for almost anyone. Compare Dallas electricity rates below from a variety of providers and plans.

Electricity choice in the city of Dallas provides the 1.2 million consumers residing in the area many options of who to purchase their power from, how the power is generated, as well as the terms and conditions associated with the plan. Due to the Texas electricity restructuring act that went into full effect in 2002, dozens of Dallas electricity companies compete for customers by offering lower prices, reward programs, renewable energy, and superb customer service. Taking the time to compare Dallas electricity rates can provide a substantial savings on the monthly electric bill for consumers. If you are able to find a competitive electricity rate that is lower than your current electricity rate you will achieve instant savings.

Many Dallas electricity consumers do not stay on top of the market and simply get into a routine of automatically paying their monthly electric bill without taking notice to the price for electricity that they are paying. This of course is a common practice in power market that are still regulated. Some Dallas citizens never took the time to learn about energy choice or may have shopped for competitive rates early on but then forgot to keep their company honest by searching for a lower Dallas electricity rate. Also, being the ninth largest city in the United States, many current Dallas residences are new to the area and moved from cities where the electricity market was regulated. These customers might have been directed to a specific electricity company by their landlord who in turn received a referral payment. It is important for all Dallas electricity customers to understand their options surrounding electricity choice.

In 2006, Carrollton, Texas was named one of America’s Top 100 Places to live by Relocate America and the 19th best place to live in the United States by Money magazine. In 2008, it achieved the honor again by Money as the 15th best place among small cities. Forbes rated Carrollton 12th among the 25 top places to move. The city is technically found in Dallas, Denton and Collin counties. The entire city is found within the Oncor electric utility territory, which is part of the Texas Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

ERCOT is recognized as many industry experts as the most successful electricity choice market in the World. Oncor is the largest utility within ERCOT, and is in charge of delivering power to all customers in the Dallas and Forth Worth area, reaching as far west as Odessa, and going all the way south to Round Rock located 15 miles North of Austin. While Carrollton electricity customers can choose between over 40 electricity companies to supply their electrity, Oncor is still solely responsible for power delivery in the city.

Carrollton, Texas owes much of its early success as a community to mills and railroads. The Dallas-Wichita Railroad came first, then was purchased by the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. Then the St. Louis Southwestern Railway crossed the Missouri-Kansas-Texas making Carrollton a shipping center for agricultural products. After World War II the city began to boom. Then the city grew more rapidly in the 1970s when the suburban growth from North Dallas spilled into the town.

Carrollton, Texas has a humid subtropical climate. The warmest month on average is July where Carrolton residences often see their electric bills double from the mild spring months. The highest recorded temperature was 112F in 1980, the lowest was 1F in 1989. The most precipitation happens in May.

People ranging in age from 25 to 44 make up the highest demographic in the city, with ages 45 to 64 following close behind. Over 5,000 businesses call Carrollton home. In general, people working in Carrollton are working in industrial, medical/pharmaceutical and energy jobs. Halliburton employs over 1,300 people with the North American operations for Easywell. McKesson pharmaceutical company has over 800 employees. Thomson Reuters also has an office in Carrollton. The city also has the home offices of Motel 6, FASTSIGNS International, and Sandy Lake Amusement Park. The city plays host to over 1,000 acres of developed park land for all to enjoy.

Unlike the majority of cities in the United States, Houston residences have the luxury of living in an electric choice market. The PUCT oversees the competitive energy market in Texas. The benefits of having multiple energy companies offering you service boils down to better customer service, green energy options, multiple rate products and terms, and above all cheaper electricity prices.

When shopping for the cheapest electricity rates in Houston it is important to look at the whole offer which includes the rate and monthly charge. Many electricity comparison sites list rate offers that are merely estimates if you use a certain amount of electricity per month. If you use less than this amount then you end up paying a higher rate than what was advertised.

Houston electricity customers should also be careful of variable rate options that advertise a low introductory rate. These month to month floating prices are almost sure to increase substantially after the first month. Look below for an easy comparison of some of the cheapest electricity prices in Houston. Prices are updated daily.

Electricity customers living in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area who were not locked into a low fixed electric rate saw their electric bills increase substantially in August and September. Due to the record high heat experienced in Dallas, power prices skyrocketed which caused consumers, on a variable rate structure, to have to pay up to three times more than normal. Consumers who were locked in with fixed rate contracts did not have to worry about the increases.

The market for power in Dallas is deregulated which allows consumers to shop among multiple electricity companies for the best deal. Consumers who choose variable rate contracts often benefit from a low introductory rate in return for the risk that prices will go high. Often these customers feel that if prices get too high they will just leave and sign with someone else. However, as was seen with Dallas power prices in the summer of 2008 and 2011, this strategy can often backfire. We recommend that all residential power customers find a low fixed electric rate to protect themselves from market spikes.

The electric utility company in Dallas is Oncor. Oncor is responsible for delivery power to Dallas homes and businesses. Even though the Oncor charges are included in the electric rate, it is important for Dallas customers to know their utility company becauses prices in Texas are offered by utility area, and the utility company is who you should call in case of an emergency relating to power failure.

Here are some low electric rates in Dallas and other Oncor areas:

Texas electric companies are constantly competing for the market share of electricity customers throughout the state.  Electricity choice is more apparent in Texas than any other state as dozens of suppliers compete for customers in every city that is part of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.  The electricity companies are always adjusting their buying strategies so that they can lower their electricity rate offerings to customers.

Electricity customers living in Texas can choose to purchase a variety of electricity rate products.  Gone are the days when someone living in Houston or Dallas moves into an apartment and is given the local utility to call who is the sole company responsible for turning on the power.  Customers can choose fixed rates that are as short as three months to as long as three years.  They can choose an electric company who is offering a low introductory variable rate or take part in reducing their carbon footprint by choosing to purchase green energy in the form of wind power.

In addition to the many electric rate offers available, customers who take the time to shop and compare Texas electric companies can find great bonus promotions including gift cards and cash back awards.  For many Texas consumers, the ability to choose who  supplies your electricity hasn’t fully settled in.  Customers who do not shop for electricity are likely to be paying electricity rates that are anyway from 10 to 100 percent more than they can find in the competitive electric market.

When electric rate contracts expire, the customers go on a month to month rate with the electricity company they chose.  Over time these electric rates tend to creep up.  The electric companies no that there are a large number of power customers who are just going to pay their electric bill and not take the time to shop for lower electric rates.  It is important for customers to stay on top of their electric bills and keep track of when their contracts expire.  Leaving it unattended for too long can result in a much higher electricity bill than is necessary.

If you haven’t compared the Texas electric companies in awhile in your area, take the time and see how much you can save.  Find the electric rate that was charged on your last electric bill and compare it to some of these rates:

Texas Residential Electricity Prices:
All Texas Electricity Prices
	$0.067 /Kwh	Introductory rate with Promos
	$0.099 /Kwh	Low Rate
	$0.085/Kwh	Lowest 6 Month Rate
	$0.0997/Kwh	Wind Power

In Houston Texas, where the electricity market is deregulated, customers have dozens of choices when it comes to who will provide their service for power.  Residential electricity customers in Houston can choose to pay a low variable rate that gives the flexibility to leave the company at any time, or they can choose a number of fixed rate options with different sets of terms ranging from 3 months to 3 years.  In recent years green power choices such as wind power have become more popular among Houston energy customers.

Choosing a wind power option is not different than choosing any other type of electricity rate product.  All of the electricity that is generated from sources such as wind, coal, and natural gas, go into the same grid.  Choosing wind power for your home means that your retail electric provider of choice will buy the power from the wind power company generating the electricity, and then sell it to you at the retail level.  When you buy wind power you are voting with your dollars to support clean energy.

The electricity rate that an Houston energy customer ends up paying depends on the electricity product that they choose. Here are the some of the best electric offers in Houston updated daily:

Centerpoint Energy is the electric delivery company in the Houston metro area.  They are responsible for the management and maintenance of the electric lines and wires, and charge fees that are regulated by the state utility commission and passed through the customer’s electric supplier charge.

The electricity market in Houston is deregulated so residential customers have the power to choose who supplies their electricity.  Many electric rate options exist for Houston energy users including fixed rates, variable rates, long term, short term, and green energy options.

The actual reliability of the power is the responsibility of Centerpoint Energy.  The Texas electricity suppliers are retail electric companies who merely buy the power on the wholesale market and sell it to consumers and retail prices.  If one of these companies were to go out of business and default on their energy requirements, the customers serviced by the defaulting supplier would be transferred onto Centerpoint’s provider of last resort (POLR).  In other words, Centerpoint would continue to deliver power to your home, but the rate would change to a default supplier at a regulated rate.  At this point the customer would still have the power to choose and shop again for competitive electricity pricing.

Residential electricity customer in the Houston area should really focus on finding the lowest electricity rate when shopping for competitive electric suppliers.  Promotional offers found at electricity companies like this that offer free movie tickets and even airplane tickets with time can also weigh into the decision.

Here are some current electricity pricing options in Houston: