How Can I Compare and Trust Electric Rate Plans?

Answer: Check The Electricity Facts Label for an indication it is a fixed electric rate plan. Read the non-negotiable TDSP tariff fee and the “energy only” portion to understand the two components of the electric rate plans. Understand the total rate and perform an electric company comparison to find who has the best rate.

That’s the short answer but there are important details in the search for the best electric rate plans.

Don’t Let Slick Advertising Fool You Into Bad Rate Plans

Take the 3 month fixed rate that gets featured on Powertochoose.org which is the states official comparison website.

The very first “cheapest plan” is a 3 month fixed rate! So what’s so bad about that?

62% of people who sign up on a 3 month fixed electric rate plan let it lapse before renewing to a new plan. Their electric rate goes up anywhere from 8% to 350% and in some cases even more than that.

Notice how they are given one star in this websites rating system? Their main complaints have to do with billing.

Likely people were not happy with how their electric rate went up after the initial very short term contract.

Some customers probably had other issues with billing unrelated to price. Going over the PUCT complaints and categorizing them will get down to the bottom of the matter.

How many providers do you think make their profit after the end of your contract when you end up on a variable price that goes up 25% – 100% and more?

It happens more then people realize and can cause the increase to occur indiscriminately based on their customer data and who they don’t desire to keep as customers.

This 1 star review on Yelp.com by Kim P. makes this exact point about the price she was charged with Frontier Utilities. Kim claims the rate went up 300% and that after only saving pennies compared to the electric company she was using.

They could potentially target the accounts they don’t want anymore due to bad credit and other factors. Take a look at the billing complaints 6 month total.

Only so many people go through the effort to leave a complaint with the Public Utility Commission. If the percentage of those that leave a complaint is 2% you can surmise that this issue can be multiplied by 98% of the number of complaints.

I am assuming out of 6,000 people that had a problem with their electric rate jumping in price only 119 complained.

I write all this to make it clear that these short term fixed rates often lead to a much higher rate you never intended.

I have been selling electric rate plans since 2006 but even I have been tricked by some slick advertising by an energy company. The comparison lists with several other companies on the state of Texas official website, Powertochoose.org are official, so why not blindly trust?

Electric provider comparison sites are useful as long as you come equipped. I’m going to give you tools to make the right choice anytime you need to go shopping for electric service.

Trusting other electric service rate comparison lists or even my own (featured on this site) means first considering a few key points I will talk about below.

So Who Has the Cheapest Plans?

The core revelation is that one electric provider is never consistently the cheapest. Many rates that look like the “cheapest” are actually very expensive. Some of the consistently cheapest newcomer electric companies featured on the state of Texas Powertochoose.org website went out of business when rates spiked.

Consider all those people who ordered “the cheapest” 3 month fixed electric rate and then complained a short while later.

The “cheapest electric provider” could be setting you up unknowingly to soon be on one of the highest electricity prices. One of two ways is usually the way it works out.

• After 3 month contract your off-contract electric rate jumps dramatically in price and it takes a few months to realize that the price changed and not how you use your electric usage. “You didn’t change they did.”

• If they go out of business because of bad execution during market volatility (which happens more then people realize) you will be on the highest electric rate.

Did Your Electric Provider Scam You With a False Rate Plan?

Here is what to do: What to do if you were scammed or suspect you were scammed by an electric company?

Elderly Scams: Stop Elder Fraud (Click on the link to file your scam complaint with the U.S. Government’s “Office for Victims of Crime”)

General Texas Public Scams: Texas Attorney General File a Complaint
(If your not in Texas you can file a complaint with your states attorney general and they will follow up.)

Case in Point, Consider The Average 81¢ per kWh Rate Griddy Energy Averaged in 2021

When your electric company goes out of business like Griddy Energy during a spike in prices on the wholesale electricity market you automatically get on the market rate at that time which is ridiculously high.

So how do you avoid all this and more to just get with a good electric company, on a good rate where the scams will simply leave you alone and you end up saving money?

I am about to explain that so follow on.

Key Takeaways, That Will Keep Your Electric Rate Plan Fixed and Cheap

• A new electric company with super low electric rates outperforming everyone else month after month is often not hedging their energy right. They will be bankrupt soon.
• If the advertised electric rate is super low enough to entice you take a closer look, it’s possible it may not be “fixed”. Read the Electricity Facts Label. We have a video about the EFL that explains this in 60 seconds. Take a look.

What is the EFL or Electricity Facts Label Short Video

• Hybrid rates have a fixed component and sound confusing enough to convince you it’s safe. Don’t fall for it.
• Totally fixed energy agreements are the way to go. This means your rate will not change (at least not by the provider) although the state of Texas can force a change on everyone if they deem it necessary.

What do you do when your electric company goes out of business? Often new on the scene electric companies depart just as fast as they came. We will be talking about that soon. What happens when they go out of business? I will get into that below.

Energy Companies That Go Out of Business and What This Means for You

POLR Event

In Texas they call this a “POLR event”. During market volatility the electric company should have a commodity trader properly hedging the blocks of wholesale electricity they purchase from the wholesale power generation market.

Some Texas electric companies kind of wing it during energy trades and hope for the best…sounds like 98 % of traders who lose money trying to day trade.

When these electric companies are exposed to extreme market volatility in the wholesale electricity markets they very quickly do not have the capital requirements required by ERCOT.

ERCOT is the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and they insure every electric company is running responsibly and able to meet the needs of Texas electric service customers.

You’re Given to a New Electric Company with a New Electric Rate Plan

Essentially when an electric company stops paying ERCOT, in return ERCOT takes all their customers and gives them to a solvent electric company that will keep paying ERCOT.

Bankrupt retail energy providers in Texas whose customers were shifted to a POLR (Provider of Last Resort) were not paying ERCOT. At this point They have to give their customers away whether they want to or not.

You as the electric service customer get to move to a new electric company you did not choose. ERCOT chooses your electric provider for you and at the most volatile time in the energy market.

Your electric rate will be ridiculously high and if you go shopping for a cheaper electric rate they will all be high as well because the market is high during volatile losses in the Texas wholesale electricity market.

How Often Do Texas Electric Companies Actually Become Insolvent?

Just this last winter it happened to many electric companies. Just Energy escaped a POLR Event by being a Canadian company where they were able to keep paying ERCOT with help from their umbrella company. Take a look at all the companies that triggered a POLR Event or went bankrupt just in 2021. Liberty Power is owned by some very large parent companies which have the financial resources to have allowed them to continue servicing their customers but based on their website a POLR event was initiated with them as well. Every year a new electric company in Texas triggers a POLR event.

• Brazos Electric Power Cooperative Inc. Might be giving away their customers.
  • Throughout Texas there are $6.7 billion in bonds that are being paid back via surcharges to customer bills in places like San Antonio and Austin. $3 billion is being withheld by ERCOT from Cooperatives such as Brazos to pay back debt owed.
• Griddy Energy,
  • POLR event initiates, customers switched to a new electric company during volatility (meaning their customers were switched to a high priced agreement with new energy company.)
• Just Energy
  • Because they are owned by a large Canadian energy company they were allowed to continue servicing their customers. The Texas wholesale electricity market completed $55 billion in transactions in just a week during winter storm 2021 which would have normally taken 4 years. Prices jumped 400 times what they would normally be during this event.
• Hudson Energy
  • They are a subsidiary of the Just Energy companies, they were allowed to continue servicing their customers because of large financial resources of parent company.
• Entrust Energy
  • POLR event initiates, customers switched to a Houston Texas electric company named, Rhythm Energy during price volatility, fixed rates not honored. New high priced energy agreement.
• Liberty Power
  • Their website indicates a POLR event was initiated and Texas is moving their customers to a solvent electric company. It also says they are, “no longer servicing their customers.”

How Do I Choose a Good Electric Company That Won’t Go POLR?

Some of these companies such as Brazos Electric Cooperative are very old companies. Not many would have guessed such a large established Texas electric Cooperative would be facing bankruptcy and the likely prospect of being broken up to only being a poles and wires company.

16 of their member Cooperatives faced major debt as well because of Brazos Cooperatives failure to hedge their prices when wholesale electricity spiked.

Their member Cooperatives had to finance their debt caused by Brazos Electric Cooperative and pass on these higher charges to their customers.

You can’t always determine which electric company is going to go bankrupt and trigger a POLR event but there are some tale tale signs to consider I will go over with you.

• The number one sign a POLR event is about to kick off is when Texas energy commodities (specifically natural gas) become volatile in price. Any electric company that did not hedge their bets may be going bankrupt and POLR. You will see electric rate plans skyrocket in price as natural gas becomes very expensive.

• They may be offering fixed electric rate plans that consistently beat everyone else on a fixed agreement. Fixed agreements must be hedged and that is costly. These fixed agreements are highly sought after by electric service customers because the price will not change. If the electric provider bought a block of wholesale electricity and insured it through hedging to make it a fixed rate that likely was an expensive endeavor. If they offer these fixed rates consistently lower (month after month) than everyone else they may be taking some shortcuts. During market volatility your great electric rate with this company may disappear as they are likely to go bankrupt and initiate a POLR event.
• A brand new electric company with management that does not have a clear track record of having done well in the energy industry.
• The energy company has just enough capital to meet the basic requirements of ERCOT but nothing more.
  • If they have just barely enough assets to meet the ERCOT requirements their execution must be spot on. They have no room for risk but energy trading is a difficult task and if not executed right the electric company will go under and trigger a POLR event.

Don’t Have Time To Research All Those Electricity Service Plans?

This is where energy consulting and energy management companies can be a great help. They make their money by building up a clientele of customers with energy companies they recommend. They also do things like aggregations (combining multiple accounts together to save on the electric rate) and energy demand curtailment (using automated systems to turn on and off the electricity during high demand periods while utilizing generator power).

Energy Consultants Require picking Solid Electric Companies to Stay in Business

If they recommend customers order electric service with electric companies likely to become insolvent they will lose money and be out of business. Energy consulting companies have small margins and cannot afford to trust just any fly by night electric company.

Here are the five main things to consider when choosing a new energy supplier:

• Check that the energy supplier serves, and it’s licensed, in your state with a strong record with the Public Utility Commission.
• Analyze your current costs.
• Consider the supplier’s history with the Public Utility Commission and Attorney General.
• Look for reputable customer service (Review sites help with finding this)
• Exercise your power to choose on your own or with an energy consultant that has vetted the energy providers for you.

For instance, I am a registered Texas electricity broker and energy consultant for commercial businesses and residential accounts. I have never made a quick decision about who to recommend my customers to. It would not make sense for my customers or me to send them to an electric company that may soon initiate a POLR event and then have to see all my customers go to a new electric provider that ERCOT sent them off too. That new electric provider has no obligation to continue paying me commission and of course they wouldn’t.

Vetting Process Energy Consultants Use Can Be Your Vetting Process

Take a shortcut and allow an established energy consulting company that has already vetted their electric companies recommend a good strong electric company.

Get Contract Renewal Reminders Without Fail

An energy consultant takes on the task to make sure your contract is renewed each and every time it is up for renewal.

I recommend using an energy consulting company that offers vetted electric companies likely to stick around for the long term. The prices will be good but may not always beat everybody out there but that is to be expected.

Here is a short list of some of the energy consulting companies and comparison sites that offer a great service and will keep you in the loop when your energy contract comes up for renewal.

The last thing you want to happen is for your rate to expire and your price to jump much higher as we will go into in the next section.

Long List of Comparison Websites for Residential Rates

For a residential electricity comparison showing vetted electric companies in side by side comparisons there are several companies with websites displaying electric rates to compare and order online.

Some are better than others and we did our best to categorize them from most favorable to least favorable in our table below.

Where most people really lose big money in shopping for the best electric provider in Texas and elsewhere is by forgetting about their energy contract.

I will explain further in the section below. You would think the initial shopping process of finding the cheapest electric rate would be where the savings occurs but for most it is actually a bit different than that. Read on to learn how this works

140%, 250%, and even 500% Increases in Electric Rate at End of Energy Agreement

When looking through many fake 5 star reviews of electric companies you start finding the real ones scattered about showing 1 star reviews. You will begin to see a pattern.

Customer after customer explain that they initially signed up for the cheapest electric rate in Texas but eventually got an electric bill that was higher in price.

A lack of proper communication that the electric agreement was going to change causes electric service customers to lose track of what the rate is doing.

My Thought Process as Electric Rate Boils Over

The electric rate starts going up like a frog being boiled slowly or am I the one being boiled slowly and raked over coals?

The first bill coming from my electric bill company with the increased rate looks bad but not too bad for me to do anything.

I might decide that the rate is higher because I possibly was running the A/C a little cooler than I would normally. I don’t see that my electric rate has changed in price.

The next bill comes in the mail a month later showing a bill that is double what I normally pay. I’m concerned at this point but busy with all the things going on at work and household. I notice the rate seems higher but can’t figure out why and put down on my schedule to be sure and call my electric company to find out.

I forget to call the electric company right away and before you know it, it’s another month and a 3rd electric bill has arrived with an electricity billed amount triple what I have ever paid before.

Not Another Mortgage Payment, It’s Just an Electric Bill

At this point I have no choice, my electric bills have totaled an additional mortgage payment. I call and my electric company, I was initially very happy with, tells me they sent 3 notices saying, “if you don’t lock in to another fixed electricity agreement your rate will go up.”

I never received these notices and if I did they likely came in my mail and I throw junk mail away like normal human beings often do.

It would have been nice to get a text message or text and email explaining the situation in plain English so I could make it a priority. That notification that would have paved the way for me to lock-in to a fixed agreement never came.

The electric company gets their 150% – 500% profit margin on the back of my energy agreement and now it all makes sense. I see how this energy scam works. They got me when I was least expecting it and now I have to pay up.

Scathing Review Shows She Was Led Down a Primrose Path to a Higher Electric Rate

Take this review for instance, it’s a perfect example of what often happens with many energy consumers. In this case she actually spoke with her chosen electric provider and even signed up on a new electric rate plan but they still got her on something that would cause her electric rate to dramatically jump in price. Tricky right?!

Do not sign up with Infinite! Their customer service agents are set up to mislead you into thinking their deals are better than they are. Their supervisors are also horrible. Please don’t let anyone trick you into signing up with them.

I made my first mistake signing up with them in July 2019. They have a semi-decent “base pay” (~$58-68 per 1000 kwh) but their surcharge is ridiculous (20 cents per kwh after 1000). It’s super easy to go over 1000 in Texas in the summer months so it drives up your bill significantly!

I called to renew my contract with them under the impression I was going with a new plan. (5.8c per kwh flat) I had called customer service to ask if it was 5.8 cents per flat and they had a ROUNDABOUT WAY OF ANSWERING. I literally asked “Is this 5.8 cents per kwh no matter how much” before I got cut off with her answering “Yes, so this is going to be the same plan as you currently have just locked in at a cheaper rate for 4 years.” Notice how the customer service said “yes” to my question but then switched to saying it was my same plan! TLDR; They still are charging 20 cents per KWH after 1000.

Talking to their customer service is even worse than dealing with their horrible rates. I literally would have been satisfied with continuing my contract as is if they had helped alleviate my bill for ONE MONTH (out of a 48 month contract) but it was so hard talking to them. Please don’t sign up with them!L.,

CONNIE. “INFINITE ENERGY – 28 REVIEWS – UTILITIES – 1010 W MOCKINGBIRD LN … – YELP.” YELP.COM – INFINITE ENERGY, YELP.COM, 24 AUG. 2020, HTTPS://WWW.YELP.COM/BIZ/INFINITE-ENERGY-DALLAS.

Your Provider Can Rope You in To A Bad Plan Later So Consider Energy Consultants to Keep Your Rate Stable

As seen in the case above, your trusted electric provider can attempt to renew your contract and tell you what you want to hear so stay vigilant or use an energy consulting company to handle this work for you.

That Infinite Energy electric rate plan was one of those hybrid plans. It had a low “base, fixed component” and a much higher “fixed” component.

They can call the whole thing a fixed rate plan even though it can change from one fixed price over to the much higher fixed price based on your kilowatt hour usage. Tricky right?

As you order electric service with a trusted electric provider it may happen that you do so on a website that shows comparisons of multiple electric providers and their many rate plans.

Keep in mind that they want to filter you into a short term fixed contract even if it’s 12 months and then attempt to make their margins at the end as your contract expires.

They accomplish this trick much easier the shorter the term your fixed agreement is for as it sneaks up on you more easily.

The sales people are gifted on the phone to funnel you into a much worse plan after you end on that initial introductory rate plan.

Below we tell you in a more comprehensive way what you need to know when shopping on an electric rate plan comparison site.

What About Consumer Friendly Compare Websites, There Not “Scammy” Are They?

Energy “consumer friendly” websites often can be tricky in their own right. Even the states PowerToChoose.org website is a major problem as every electric plan and their dog is on there to compare.

The prices are worthy of being skeptical of especially as you wade into the Terms of Service and Electricity Facts Label. The Facts label reveals many of these rates are not stable fixed prices but very much susceptible to changing drastically in price.

Most people sign up for these good sounding electric rate plans because it “sounds” stable not that it is stable in price.

Why are the electric rate plans unstable? How does this scam work and what do you need to know to avoid the ripoff?

Never Choose a 3 Month Fixed Rate

The 3 month “fixed rates” are especially dangerous as they get their profit after it rolls off that 3rd month when your not paying attention.

The facts label doesn’t scream “danger, beware” so the little detail that the price is not completely fixed and stable can be missed.

Three months will be here before you know it and 78% of people on these 3 month electricity plans fail to renew in time.

• 62% of people on 6 month fixed electricity plans do not renew in time
• 56% of people on a 12 month fixed electricity plan do not renew in time.
• 51% on 2 – 4 year electricity rate plans fail to renew in time.

There are several energy comparison websites for residential electric service. They differ dramatically from commercial energy comparisons as they can spit out real time data and you can order online without ever having to talk to a person.

“Featured providers” and umbrella companies comparing their own smaller electric companies under that umbrella are some of the tricks and gimmicks you will see. Read on to learn about these issues and more.

Contrasting Residential Comparisons With Business Electricity Comparison Websites?

The commercial energy comparison websites many times act more like a teaser to get your interest. They are actually pretty straightforward with a lot more structured regulation by the PUCT.

The commercial electric rate plans have to provide the actual formula on how the rate goes up or down in price if it is an indexed price. In contrast, residential rate formulas for electric rate increases do not have to be disclosed.

It is completely indiscriminate on how the residential provider lowers and raises your price even if they say there is an index it follows.

They can play loose with the index!

“Featured Providers” or “Best Rated Provider” is Often Used to Direct You to Their Strategic Partner

Residential electric provider comparison sites often give real time electric rates and each has an agenda to show you their “favorite”.

Some of these websites are genuinely helpful and others seem to be fashioned to direct you to the company website they would like you to choose.

At the end of the day picking the cheapest fixed electric rate from a company that has a solid history in the state for several years is the game plan for getting the cheapest Texas electric rate and provider.

In the end always pay attention that many of these sales funnels desire to send you to an electric rate plan that will eventually expire leaving you in the hands of a sales person ready to renew you at nice sounding but not necessarily favorable electric rate.

Just how far these sales funnels go is quite remarkable as can be seen with some large Umbrella Energy companies that own several retail electric provider brands appearing to compete with each other.

Read on to see what I mean.

Quirky Trick Umbrella Energy Companies Try

In a few cases I saw what appeared to be a residential electric rate comparison website but in reality it was a large umbrella energy company showing their smaller owned retail electric providers compared with each other.

These comparison websites give the impression you are shopping but in reality you are ordering electric service with the same company with one of their many smaller brands.

While all this is happening these electric companies have schemes going on at the many review websites like Yelp and many others. Take a look at the crazy examples below.

The Gaming of Reviews and Star Ratings

There are also the reviews and star ratings. Sometimes the ratings seem a bit skewed as if purposefully giving a false positive. You won’t find every rating system incorrect but it is a real problem. The rating systems on the internet are pretty bad overall.

You can see an issue with these on Amazon, Netflix, Google and many other popular services. Some of these companies have practically deactivated their rating systems as they were being so overly manipulated it was causing more harm than good.

Yelp provides some good Texas energy company reviews but they are becoming less effective as well as you will see in our example below.

The PUCT of the Texas government offers a Retail Electric Provider average rate comparison. This site doesn’t have a problem with fake reviews but an issue with listing all energy companies whether they are in the process of self destructing or not. We explain in the following paragraph why the Texas government practically has their hands tied on fixing this issue.

Being Unbiased Creates Its Own Unique Issue

The Texas government PUCT has to be as unbiased as possible which can be a problem as every provider no matter how unscrupulous offers a rate plan on the Power to Choose website. The comparison of plans gets bogged down by offers that look good but are disguised by their variable rate component.

Residential electric providers are not required to explain the variable component of their rate formula. The many providers on the power to choose PUCT website take advantage of this.

Fixed Electric Rate Plans Handle Most of the Potential Headache

Practically you can do something to help yourself by choosing a 12 month fixed contract to stabilize your price for at least a year, just don’t forget to renew when it expires.

We go into reasons why 12 months or longer is the best plan of action and practical considerations as you are established in your energy contract below.

Follow some of the guidelines we laid out above to renew without being funneled into a worse rate later. Follow the course of action below to handle yourself once your in your fixed electric rate agreement.

Using an energy consulting company to assist is always recommended as they work on small margins and need you to remain happy and on a consistent affordable electricity price that saves you money year after year.

Only Choose a 12 Month or Longer Rate Plan

These comparison sites do allow you to sort by fixed rate or variable rate, as long as you focus on the fixed rates you will be good as gold. Sort through the fixed rates and choose among the rates that are 12 months or longer.

When Your Rate Plan Expires That’s When They Get You

Many of these electric companies make a handsome profit when your electric plan expires. Avoid the consistent predicament many energy consumers find themselves in by locking into a long term fixed agreement.

If 3 or 4 year electricity plans are affordable just do it, sign up and throw those worries away for years. Worry about something more important than your energy bill, it’s not worth it.

Do keep track of your energy contract expiration, and we explain the best way to do that below.

Keep Track of Your Contract Expiration So You Avoid The Most Common Money Losing Situation

The fixed rate plans are all good provided your happy with the price but the 200 % rate increases happen when you forget to renew in time. Many people have complained over the years about how high prepaid electricity prices are but not much is said about what happens to so many when their rate plan expires.

There are support centers all over the country helping the elderly and low-income routinely deal with 200 % price increases to their electric bills. These energy consumers ordered a fixed electric rate plan but because they were not communicated with properly they were moved to a variable price that kept going up each month.

Comparison Sites Should Show Fixed Plans Side by Side for the Same Time

The comparison sites are geared to showing rates that look competitive but not all of the rates that look competitive necessarily are. It must be a fixed rate to make an accurate comparison with other electric company offers.

Many of these Texas electric companies play the long game of getting you in a good fixed rate only to allow you to lapse on your energy contract and get the profit margin they need on the month to month portion you are with them.

I recommend using this article to send to friends and family that need help shopping. You can send them straight to this link on energy consulting companies to use to help them compare electric providers.

Use an Energy Consultant for Effective Reminders About Renewing Each Year

Energy consultants remind you without fail before your contract expires. Many will call, text and email you before your contract ends as a part of their routine business practice. I know personally that ElectricRates.com has this business practice in place.

What About Green Electric Rate Plans

Don’t be fooled by 100 % green energy. Putting a Texas renewable energy credit on the power you sale does not make it truly 100 % renewable as these companies and the government want you to believe. They call it “green washing” and the green energy credits give a small subsidy to keep solar and wind farms in business but this is practically not ever actually giving you anywhere close to 100% green energy.

TerraChoice had a report that 95% of products claiming to be green in Canada and the USA committed at least one of the frauds of greenwashing, from the fraud of the hidden trade-off to the fraud of worshiping false labels.

The green marketing is giving renewable energy farmers great profits on something people believe in but that is the game. If you want to save the environment that’s great but in reality you are being played with these 100% renewable energy plans.

What About Checking Review Websites for The Best Electric Rate Plans and Providers?

The electric company review websites are becoming increasingly spam ridden and unreliable. 5 star ratings are not what they are cracked up to be.

I sifted through countless self promotional Champion Energy reviews from people trying to make some money off of promotional codes just to get to this one authentic review. I can’t blame Champion Energy so much as the review websites are just becoming more and more ineffective.

Champion’s Great! Now Use My Promo Code So I Can Make a Buck

However, the people leaving the Champion Energy reviews were telling people to use their Champion Energy promo code which means they had a monetary incentive to leave a 5 star review. The Amigo Energy Review and star rating on Yelp was much lower compared to Champion Energy but they did not have people with Promo codes taking over the Amigo review page.

Jeffrey K. left a 1 star review over a minor billing issue that I am sure Champion has resolved by now. All electric companies go through billing issues especially when they buy electric companies and add their customer base into their billing system.

However, there are plenty of 1 star reviews for various reasons, not just billing, and the fake 5 star reviews have made it skewed enough to give Champion Energy an undeserved higher positive rating.

Sounds like they recently went thru a “system migration” which has caused me issues in simply paying my bill.  I have been paying my bill via their site for months with no issues.  Now, issues are apparently the new norm. – Jeffrey K. regarding Champion Energy Services

This Champion Energy Review Straight Up Points Out The Fake Promo Code 5 Star Ratings

As you can see even review websites devoted to giving a clear transparent understanding of what electric provider customers think of the company are faulty.

How to Make Shopping Electric Rate Plans Easy

1. You can wade through the below electric provider comparison sites. Some of these compare charts are devoted to just showing Texas electric providers and others also show energy companies throughout the U.S. in places like Pennsylvania, Illinois, and New York.
   
   Use the tools we gave you in this article to make a good electric service choice.
   
2. You can also choose one of the energy consulting companies in our recommended list to help you choose a vetted residential electric provider. They will also make sure you stay informed about your contract and that it gets renewed with who they deem to be the best electric provider at the time of renewal.

Below are the retail electric provider comparison websites (Some come and go but we try and keep this updated). The first two are what we recommend using:

Comparison Websites Feature Many Rate Plans

Those Moving to Texas From California, Arizona, Oregon, New Mexico And Other States, Welcome!

Many here in Texas are independent, entrepreneurial, conservative, with a desire to be responsible for ourselves, keep government small, and help our neighbor all at the same time.

I have many friends now that have moved to Texas from California and they were completely lost about a deregulated electricity market.

The concept of having electric choice and why this is even an option was a foreign idea.

Enron was their first introduction to electric choice in California and it was a very corrupt backwards introduction so getting reintroduced to it in Texas is a shocker.

We hope this article especially helps people in our neighboring states properly choose a residential electric company and avoid any pitfalls in the process.

People unfamiliar with energy deregulation are very susceptible to getting hooked into a bad Texas electric rate plan. We hope this guide saved you from that possibility and if it did please let us know.

There is a lot of value in getting reviews from people on how this guide has helped them avoid an electricity service disaster. Comment below and let us know if this guide has been of help finding an electric company. Also be sure to join our Facebook group: Electric Rates Supplier Reviews, Rants, and Raves