Centerpoint Energy

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: