Texas Electricity Ratings

[caption id="attachment_4114" align="alignright" width="369"] Can’t go Trick or Treat this year? Not to worry! We’ve got lots of fun way to help celebrate Halloween with your family at home! [/caption] What Are Family-Friendly Alternatives to Trick or Treating? Ghouls, ghosts, goblins and more, if you’re excited about the upcoming holiday, you’re not alone. An estimated 175 million Americans will celebrate Halloween this year. But not everyone who loves Halloween enjoys trick-or-treating. Whether it’s simply not your thing, the weather’s bad, the kids have colds, or you want to kick back and relax this year, then you need some fun alternatives to trick-or-treating with your family. Here are five ways you can celebrate Halloween with your family in the comfort of your own Dallas home. Halloween Hunt Take miniature pumpkins and have the family decorate them with either watercolors or paints before the holiday. Once they’ve had time to dry, you ca...

[caption id="attachment_3831" align="alignright" width="354"] Volterra Energy Holdings customers —read what to expect from NRG"s buyout before your contracts end! Now is a great time to shop for a new Texas electricity provider! [/caption] NRG Buys Volterra Energy Holdings NRG energy, the biggest electricity seller in Texas and parent company of Houston-based Reliant Energy , is reported to have agreed to purchase the customers and brand assets of the three retailers owned by Houston-based Volterra Energy Holdings LLC (VEH). Will NRG"s Deal Affect My Electricity? According to EnergyChoiceMatters.Com , NRG will be acquiring Discount Power, Power Express, and Volterra for an as yet undisclosed amount. Customers will come under NRG control in November, 2018. Power Express customers began transitioning to Cirro Energy in August. Volterra customers will begin transitioning to join Cirro Energy in November. Discount Power customers will be transition...

[caption id="attachment_4111" align="alignright" width="379"] Texans not only love their favorite candy but lots of places to buy some of the best sweets in the country! [/caption] Which candies do Texas trick-or-treaters want this year? There’s a new sheriff in town when it comes to Texans’ favorite trick-or-treat candy , according to Candystore.com . The bulk candy retailer studied sales trends in the months leading up to Halloween between the years 2007 and 2017. The rankings were determined by pounds of candy sold. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups electrified Texas candy-literatti by claming the top spot and knocking previous favorite Starburst to second place. During the studied time period, Texans purchased 1,101,040 pounds of Reese"s Peanut Butter Cups. Coming in a close second, Starburst sold 1,082,409 pounds. Coming in a distant third is Almond Joy at 470,571 pounds. One pound of Reese’s Peanut Butter cups has about 2,321 calories. That’s equal to ...

[caption id="attachment_4108" align="alignright" width="333"] For Texas generating plants, both natural gas and steam turbines (like this) work by forcing gasses past multiple blades to spin the turbine to create electricity. [/caption] What Is the Problem with GE’s Turbine Blades? GE’s financial difficulties continue as a recent discovery has shown that the blades in its flagship turbine have an oxidization issue . Oxidization exposes the blades to the possibility of rust and rapid deterioration. Currently, four natural gas generator units in Texas have been forced to pause operations until technicians from GE can amend the problem. For the moment, these shut downs are not effecting the price of Texas electricity rates or reliability of service. The blades affected four of the HA-class combine cycle turbines, but more units are expected to be affected as well including older FB turbines as well. GE argues that they can fix the problem and believes that ...

[caption id="attachment_4090" align="alignright" width="313"] When it comes down to the price of Texas electricity, it’s basically about the cost of the fuel. [/caption] Why Are Coal Plants Closing All Over Texas? A coal plant based in Vernon, Texas announced that it will shut down operations in 2020. It’s the fifth plant that has closed or announced its closure this year. The 700-megawatt plant stated that the reason behind its decision to close was due to its inability to compete in the energy market. This follows a nationwide trend of coal-fired power plants shutting down across the nation. Will It Affect Reliability in ERCOT? With a trend of coal power closures, some may worry about whether or not the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) will be able to keep up with energy demands. These five coal plants made up 22 percent of the state’s coal capacity , after all. However, the reason for these closures has more to do with profitability as ch...

[caption id="attachment_4014" align="alignright" width="375"] Electricity rates are low! Use your power to choose to find a better, lower-priced plan now! Save money and shield yourself from next year’s high summer rates! [/caption] Which retail electricity providers offer the best price? Price is a big consideration for Texans switching retail electricity providers . A company’s reputation for reliability and customer service are important as well; however, price often trumps all other factors. Now is an excellent time to shop for electricity. The summer surge in retail electricity prices is tailing off as cooler temperatures signal football, hayrides, and pumpkin spice everything. Demand for electricity declines after the summer, and so do prices. But demand can also tick up a bit in the winter, so locking in a 12-month rate now can save you a good chunk of change each month. Not only are prices low right now, they’re also very competitive among compani...

[caption id="attachment_4099" align="alignright" width="400"] Texas electricity prices are heading back down from summer highs —but they won’t stay low for long! [/caption] Should I Shop Now For A New Texas Electricity Plan? When you click on the graph showing Texas historical electricity rates , you"ll see those high Texas retail electricity prices from the summer are settling back down to normal. That’s all because since the summer cooling crisis gone, Texas electricity providers are now bringing down their prices. That’s great news for homeowners in Dallas and residential electricity customers in Houston as well as the rest of the Lone Star state. Nicer still is that electricity prices are at their lowest rates now since last February. Not surprisingly, lots of folks are asking if whether they should be shopping for a new Texas electricity provider. The answer is an emphatic YES! In fact, you do it sooner than later. EIA market analysts predict ...

[caption id="attachment_3484" align="alignright" width="375"] Wireless power distribution in Texas might become a reality. Mobile charging could some day expand the range of electric cars. [/caption] Will Texas electricity come without power lines? Researchers in Texas and beyond are exploring innovation in electricity delivery. They have been successful transmitting small amounts of power over short distances. Though you won’t see power lines being dismantled any time soon, companies are investing in new technologies that could drastically change how Texas retail power travels from power plants to homes and businesses. Ultimately, this could change how electricity is delivered, starting with small electronic devices like cell phones and eventually powering larger items like batteries in electric cars. Mobile charging for electric cars? Wireless charging for cell phones has been available to customers for several years now. When electricity moves through ...

[caption id="attachment_4081" align="alignright" width="375"] Texas doesn’t have net metering —but there are ways to sell your solar power to the grid and save money with green electricity. [/caption] Are investors buying green energy? As green energy occupies a larger and larger share of the mix of energy sources powering Texas homes, investors are taking note. This industry, worth $15 billion nationally, is on the rise because the technology harvesting solar energy is getting better and better. Solar panels are coming down in price, and batteries that hold solar energy are increasing in efficiency. Solar is also attracting more investment, especially because energy investments tend to be more stable than the overall market. Solar energy powers about 30 percent of US electricity consumption. It makes sense, therefore, that investors of all sorts -- including banks, investment companies, public retirement systems, and insurance corporations -- are funnel...

[caption id="attachment_4077" align="alignright" width="375"] Short-term energy plans can be a real convenience if your situation needs one. And with summer heat gone, they’ve come back! [/caption] What Are the Best Rates for 6- and 9-Month Plans? Now that summer in Texas has finally ended, short-term fixed-rate plans are back. If you’re looking to switch energy providers in Dallas and you’re in the market for the best 6- or 9-month fixed-rate plan, then you should know that there are a few options. But for the best plans, you should take a look at Constellation ’s 9 Month Usage Bill Credit plan and Entrust 6 from Entrust Energy .  What Is the Best 9-Month Fixed Rate Plan for Oncor Customers? If you’re looking for a plan that averages out to a low rate for the medium family home, then you want 9 Month Usage Bill Credit . This plan has an energy charge of 6.3 cents per kWh and offers bill credits that help keep the rates low. At 1000 kWh of usage, y...

[caption id="attachment_4073" align="alignright" width="333"] No matter the weather, wind power costs are dropping further and reducing the price of your Texas electricity bill even more! [/caption] Why Does the Cost for Renewables Continue to Decline? All around the nation, states are pushing for more and more renewable generation. Thanks in part to federal subsidies and tax breaks, the costs of building wind farms has dropped significantly over the years. And now, the Department of Energy (DOE) has recently released three reports on how the cost of wind generation continues to decline. What’s the Nationwide Trend for Wind Energy? The nation’s investment in wind energy continues to expand. The U.S. was second only to China in 2017 regarding wind farm installation with $11 billion invested into the market by the end of the year. In total, 41 states have wind energy projects supporting the 6.3 percent of the nation’s energy supply, according to the report...

[caption id="attachment_3719" align="alignright" width="375"] Shop and compare the most popular Houston electricity plans. See how they fit your needs with our plan comparision tools! [/caption] What are the most popular Houston electricity plans right now? When it comes to power plans, knowing what is popular with other Houston electricity customers can help you narrow down the retail electricity providers and electricity plans you want to give serious consideration. Most Texas residential electricity customers use an average of about1,000 kWh of electricity each month. Using that figure as a comparison point, you can evaluate the most popular Houston electricity plans to see which might fit your needs. Three Texas Power Plans, Different Price Points Your first instinct is to think the most popular Houston power plans are the cheapest, but that isn’t the case. Yes, the Gexa True Saver Green 12 plan from Gexa Energy and the 12 Month Usage Bill Credit ...