Texas Electricity Ratings

Which Houston Green Energy Plans Are Best? Texas has more green power to choose from in the U.S. than any other state! Go green and help keep our air and water cleaner! Texas burns natural gas to make cheap electricity in massive quantities. However, the state also has a healthy dose of renewable energy. In fact, green sources are responsible for more Texas power than natural gas. That translates to an abundance of 100% green energy plans to supply your home.  Green Energy Plans Beat The Average In years past, customers had to pay a premium for any product that advertised itself as environmentally friendly. Remember those compact fluorescent bulbs that looked like curly fries? But a higher price for environmentalism isn’t the case with home energy plans. The cheapest green energy plans cost less than the average 12-month plan from July, which was 14.3 cents per kWh.  The GridPlus 12 plan from Chariot Energy boasts the lowest rate at 5.9 cents per kWh. This low rate...

How Do You Plan a Labor Day Cookout? Keep your end of summer celebration fun and affordable with these smart suggestions for your Labor Day Cookout. A Texas Labor Day cookout does not have to cost a lot. With local produce, cheaper cuts of meat, and a few smart swaps, you can feed a crowd without blowing your budget. It can also be a greener way to celebrate the end of a hot summer. Cook outside, use seasonal foods, and skip the extra Texas power use that comes with cooking and cooling your home. This year, though, keep an eye on the weather. Current forecasts show much of Texas could still be hot on Labor Day, with some areas near or above 100 degrees. That makes outdoor cooking a good way to save on your electric bill , but you will still need a plan to keep your guests cool. Shop Local For Your Labor Day Cookout Late summer is a great time to visit a farmers market. Tomatoes, peppers, chilies, herbs and other fresh produce are still easy to find. Buying local food can also cut the ...

Will Texas Muni Electric Utilities Break Up? Austin and San Antonio are pushing back on Gov. Abbott's call to break up their muni electric utilities. But are the savings real? Texans like doing things their own way, and that includes electricity. Most Texans can choose among competing light companies . However, more than 5 million people in Austin and San Antonio get power from city-owned utilities. Gov. Greg Abbott now wants to change that. He says opening these muni electric utilities to competition could lower bills and give customers the power to choose . Abbott says Austin and San Antonio customers could save up to 13% if they could shop for their power. He also says commercial users could save nearly 22%. He has not provided much detail on how he reached those figures. But, power retailers say the plan could have the opposite effect. What Does Abbott Want To Change? Abbott wants state lawmakers to let customers in cities with muni utilities choose their power provider. His p...

Did Texas Data Centers Derail Batch Zero? State officials plan to audit Texas data centers in the Batch Zero process to learn more details about their energy use. Texas data centers have hit a roadblock. ERCOT has paused its Batch Zero process while state officials take a closer look at the huge number of projects seeking to connect to the grid. The review could affect future electricity prices , grid costs, and the pace of data center growth across Texas. The pause comes after ERCOT received an eye-popping amount of large-load requests. The queue now includes about 474 gigawatts of requests , most of them tied to data centers. That is more than five times ERCOT's record peak demand. However, a request to connect does not mean a project will actually get built. Why Did ERCOT Pause Batch Zero? Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Public Utility Commission of Texas and ERCOT to conduct a full review of data centers moving through the interconnection process. Until that work is done, new...

Do You Want a No Gimmick Fixed Rate? Learn how no gimmick fixed rate plans may save you more depending on your yearly usuage habits. A no gimmick fixed rate plan can make it easier to understand your electric company bill. Instead of tracking bill credits or usage tiers, you simply pay the advertised energy rate plus delivery charges. Since Oncor delivers power across much of North Texas, customers in its service area have many fixed rate plans to choose from. The key, then, is just finding one with a low price and features that fit your needs. Many shoppers focus on the cheapest electricity advertised rate. However, that number does not always tell the whole story. Some plans include bill credits that only apply at certain usage levels. Others have pricing tiers that make your bill change from month to month. But, a true fixed rate plan avoids those surprises and gives you more predictable costs.   Why Fixed Rate Plans Are Easier To Understand A fixed rate plan keeps the energy...

Are You Ready For The El Niño? El Niño is here! Learn what to look out for with Texas bill credit plans and how you can save more on your energy bills. An El Niño alert could affect more than just the weather this winter. It could also affect your Texas electricity bill. Many of the cheapest 12-month plans in Fort Worth offer large bill credits once you use 1,000 kWh in a month. Since Oncor delivers power across the area, many customers can choose from these plans. However, if a mild winter keeps your usage below that mark, those savings could disappear. El Niño and Your Winter Usage Texas often sees cooler and wetter weather during El Niño years. However, every El Niño is different. The powerful 2015–2016 " Godzilla El Niño ” brought above-average temps to much of Texas along with heavy rainfall and flooding. Some experts say this year's event will become another very strong El Niño, making it harder to predict exactly how winter wi...