If you’re planning a move to Texas, you certainly have a long checklist of items to tend to as part of that endeavor. Undoubtedly, starting service for electricity in Texasis on that list. What you may not realize when it comes to electricity in Texas is that you have the power to choose and some important options available to you.
What Should I know About Electricity Providers, Energy Deregulation, and Prepaid Electricity Options?
Over 85 percent of residents of the Lone Star State reside in areas serviced by Texas providers that are part of the deregulated marketplace. If you’ll be moving into a market where electricity providers have been deregulated, you have the opportunity to choose an energy provider from competing companies.
As mentioned, the vast majority of Texans live in deregulated markets and can select from different electricity providers and save money on their energy bills each month in the process. Thus, if you’re moving to a Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, or a myriad of other Texas communities, you will want to consider the advantages of selecting among the energy providers that best meet you budgetary and other needs. Your energy options—including electing a prepaid electricity plan—can prove to be more affordable and highly convenient for you and your family.
As you prepare for your move to Texas and consider the possibility of selecting prepaid electricity options, you undoubtedly have a number of important questions:
How Does a Prepaid Electricity Plan Work?
A prepaid electricity contract is a simple concept. As a consumer, all you do is pay for your electricity in advance. It’s like a prepaid telephone account or any other service that involves payment in advance. In this day and age, you likely already are taking advantage of a range of services that involve advance payment, including any one of the various online streaming providers in operation today.
A prepaid electricity contract is less expensive than the traditional pay-as-you-go option. A prepaid electricity plan rarely requires a credit check or a deposit. In addition, you have considerable flexibility over the length of a prepaid electricity contract.
Activating a prepaid electricity account is simple. Simply select the type of payment you desire(discussed in greater detail in a moment). Then add money to your prepaid account based on the amount of energy you anticipate you’ll use during the coming month.
Because you’re moving to Texas, you will estimate the amount of energy you’re likely to use. If you end up with money left in your account at the end of the month, it will be applied to the next month. If you discover you initially didn’t place quite enough money into your prepaid account, you can increase the amount of money you have on deposit at any time.
How Soon Can My Power Be Turned On?
You can have your power turned on any time you desire. You can open up a prepaid electricity account today and schedule the start date for service at a specific time in the future. Alternatively, you can open a prepaid electricity account right now, have your service turned on immediately and have same-day electricity. The start date is completely in your hands.
Can I Switch Energy Providers in the Future?
An understandable concern you may have may center on switching electric companies in Texas. You can easily switch from one provider to another when a contract comes to an end. In addition, you are free to switch providers during a contract term as well. Bear in mind, you may have to pay a modest early termination fee electricity in Texas when moving to a different provider mid-contract.
What Different Types of Plans Are Available?
There are a number of different prepaid energy plan options available in Texas. A fixed-rate plan establishes a set price each month for electricity service. This type of plan is wellsuited to an energy consumer that appreciates consistency.
A second option is a variable-rate plan. The cost of a variable-rate plan fluctuates from one month to the next. The cost of energy varies because of factors that include global energy prices and prevailing weather conditions.
An ever-increasing number of people moving to Texas or already living in the Lone Star State desire to lower their carbon footprint. Texas prepaid energy plans include renewable energy options. There are plan options that utilize 100% renewable energy.
Some people initially balk at the idea of using renewable energy out of a concern for the perceived cost. The fact is that many renewable energy prepaid plans are competitive with traditional options.
Finally, when it comes to the different types of Texas prepaid energy plans, there is a considerable degree of flexibility in regard to plan or contract length. In Texas, prepaid energy plans are available for periods of three months to three years.
What Do I Do if My Power Goes Out and I’m on a Prepaid Plan?
As a practical consideration, you understandably may wonder what happens if your power goes out and you have a prepaid energy plan. If you experience a power outage, your local electricity utility, technically known as your transmission and delivery utility, addresses the issue.
If you experience a power outage, you contact your local transmission and delivery utility directly. The reality is that you deal with a power outage in the same way with or without a prepaid service plan.
Each month, a growing number of Texans are selecting prepaid plans for their electricity service. The vast majority of these consumers are finding prepaid electricity plans easy to use and more affordable that traditional pay-as-you-go options.
