DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Time to get a move on? If that move includes relocating to or within the competitive electricity market in Texas, your “to do” list should include choosing a retail electric provider. According to TXU Energy, competition in the Texas retail electricity market provides you with a wide variety of electricity plans, innovative services, and energy saving solutions that give you more control over how much electricity you use – and how much that costs per month, day, and even hour.
If you’re one of those making a move, you’re in pretty good company. According to the Texas state comptroller’s website, Texas is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. Since 2000, the state’s population has increased by 12.7 percent, nearly twice that of the nation (6.4 percent).
TXU Energy is a leading electricity provider in Texas, serving about 2 million customers in the state. The company offers tips for newcomers through the TXU Energy Move Center, a free online tool that provides general tips, details and guidance on moving, descriptions of various cities, towns, and regions of the state, and ways to make your move environmentally friendly. Resources also include tools for planning your move, tips for packing and cleaning, family and child-centric support for moving, and frequently-asked questions relevant to relocating.
Tips for Making the Move to Texas
The company also offers the following tips to help consumers who are new to the state understand their options in choosing an electricity provider:
1. Know that you have more choices than ever before thanks to competition in the retail electricity markets in Texas.
A 1999 state law brought retail electric competition to most of Texas by 2002. Since then, Texans living in areas of the state that are “open” to competition have been able to choose a Retail Electric Provider (REPs), like TXU Energy, who sell electricity and handle customer service and billing. Separate companies generate the power and others distribute it to you. Competition provides many retail plans and price points to choose from in the state, and it has brought about significant innovation, as providers strive to add value to their services to earn your business.
For example, TXU Energy offers a variety of electricity plans, including pre- and post-paid plans, 100-percent wind powered plans, plans indexed to the price of natural gas, and plans that provide cash back or allow customers to earn frequent flyer miles, among others.
2. Understand your plan options and what they mean to your household budget.
In Texas, all competitive electricity plans fall into one of three categories as defined by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT). Fixed rate plans offer you an electricity rate that you lock in for a set amount of time (three months or more). Indexed plans are tied to a predefined pricing formula based on publicly available information, like those tied to the price of natural gas. And, variable rate electricity plans have a price which can vary as determined by the REP. These plans may offer low introductory rates, but they can increase with no advance warning to the customer.
TXU Energy does not offer variable rate plans and provides more information on the risks associated with some of these plans at txu.com/novariable. The company cautions consumers to consider the risks of variable rate electricity plans, which have increased in price by more than 100 percent in some cases as recently as August.
3. Take advantage of innovation that helps you control your consumption and bills.
When you consider different providers, be aware that a number of innovative solutions are on the market today in Texas that give you more control than ever before over how much electricity you use at home. Unlike a number of providers in the state, TXU Energy invests in these value-added services to support customers with conservation tools that are at their fingertips anywhere they have an internet connection or a smartphone signal.
For example, the TXU Energy MyEnergy DashboardSM shows your electricity usage and costs “so far” in a billing cycle; and, if you have a smart meter, it offers an estimated forecast of what your cost will be by the end of the billing cycle. And, the BrightenSM iThermostat, an energy savings solution from TXU Energy, also empowers you with hands-on access to your real-time heating and air conditioning settings from virtually anywhere via an interactive Web portal and a mobile website.
4. Not all providers are alike in terms of your customer experience. Look for those who care about YOUR convenience.
In Texas, you’ll experience not only more choices and more interactive controls with your electricity usage, you’ll also notice that some providers offer services that are more convenient to your needs than others.
For example, TXU Energy offers Texas customers Web- and phone-based self service; 24/7 live customer consultants; click-to-chat support; the first mobile Web and iPhone® app; bill management options such as average monthly billing, recurring payments, and paperless billing; and Spanish-language support.
“Competition in Texas has created a vibrant marketplace that benefits Texas consumers with many choices, competitive prices, and consumer-focused innovation,” said Michael Grasso, chief marketing officer, TXU Energy. “Retail electricity providers strive to tailor their offers, value-added services, and service experiences to their customers’ unique lifestyles. At TXU Energy, we work hard to meet these needs because we’re in this business to earn customers for life.”
About TXU Energy
TXU Energy is a market-leading competitive retailer that provides electricity and related services to approximately 2 million electricity customers in Texas. TXU Energy offers a variety of innovative products and solutions, allowing both its residential and business customers to choose options that best meet their needs, including exceptional customer service, competitively priced electricity service plans, innovative energy efficiency options, renewable energy programs and other electricity-related products and services. Visit txu.com for more information about TXU Energy. REP #10004.