Electric Bills Too High

Thank you for asking this question. After reading the responses, I just realized that Reliant has gone up so much that I paid roughly $200/month more this summer than Cirro would have charged. So, my recommendation - don't go with Reliant!

I am suprised no one has mentioned Direct Energy. They give you fixed rates. I think it's a good providor... i've been with them for 3 years + before i was with TXU and they are outrageous!

Go to powertochoose.org and see who has the best rates/terms for you. We were with Amigo at .10 per kwh which was GREAT over the summer, but when it was time to renew, the best rate was .13, so I shopped around and have changed to starttex (I think?) at .11 per kwh. All of the electircity comes from the same lines, if there is an outage, they are all repaired, not big companies first and then small companies, so go with whichever deal you like best!

I have TXU and haven't experienced any rate increase (I'll double check my bills to make sure). Are you sure you're not just using more electricity?

My mom uses Relient and the rates were low for the first two years now they have jumped up. I use TXU and pay aroun $.13 per kw my mom is not paytin $.16. It might be worth it to stay with TXU until winter time then change hopefully there will be some good rates by then.

If anyone is considering switching from a higher priced electric company, my husband is a sales member of IGNITE/Stream Energy, which has consistently lower prices than the others. If you'd like to consider this, check out his website at www.ChocksPower.igniteinc.biz for more info about Stream Energy including what the local media has to say about one of the fastest growing companies in Texas history, actual electric rate comparisons, and even how you too could make money helping friends same money on their electric bill. You can also e-mail him at ____@____.com. Stream is a good value compared to the other companies, and your electric delivery doesn't change. . . only your billing company.

A. in Grapevine

First here is a website www.powertochoose.org if that is not right google power to choose in texas it will bring up all electric companys and there prices I am this year with Ambit I always change in the winter or fall when the prices are lower I pay 10.9 right now I would be in huge trouble if not able to move around for the best deal.. That is the best time to move and you can lock in for a year most of the time good luck I feel your pain on that please shop around Reliant right now on there website is like 12. something but I think if you wait you will find a better deal....

are you on there market edge plan? i was what a rip off one month my bill was almost 500.00 with no one home all day i switched to reliant and my bill was cut in half. good luck i was with txu for 26 yrs plus and they could just care less.

shelley s

I switched from TXU to Cirro several years ago and couldn't be happier (unless I didn't have to pay for electric at all :) )

Be careful when you are comparing rates, because you can't just look at the kilowatt charge . . . every company has their own formula to get to your actual bill.

When I was thinking about changing, I took my last TXU bill and called the companies I was thinking of changing to and asked them if I had been their customer last month and used that amount of kilowatt hours what would my bill have been.

Oddly enough Reliant couldn't tell me and didn't seem interested in gaining me as a customer.

A friend who had worked for TXU for many years and is now an electrical consultant steered me toward Cirro. They told me to the penny what my bill would have been and it was almost a $100 difference so I switched to them.

Call around and compare.

check out www.powertochoose.com they will give you all the CURRENT rates for your area, weather they are fixed or variable, deposit, and contract length....
Word to the Wise...if you have been with TXU (or anyone else) for a while and are in good standing most other companies will waive the deposit, sometimes they resist at first, but usually if you push the issue and offer to get them a letter (available on the TXU site) of credit they will back down.
Good luck.

N., I was in the same boat. Check out www.powertochoose.com It's a great site to help compare options. It will take some time to determine who and what option is best for you but well worth it.

HI N. , Sorry to hear that. you do have a choice of who your provider is. There are cheaper options other than TXU out there. Please go to www.freeelectricitybills.com
YOu saw it right FREE electricity bills. Unheard of isn't it? If you have any questions call me on my 800 number 8009612664. Thanks W. Pannell.

I saw some Ambit reps on the responses. My husband was also a rep. until we found out they run your rate up if you are late or get a shut off notice. Our rate went from 11.9 to 19.9! Charged me 20 dollars to make a payment arrangement,also took me 95 minutes to talk to a customer service rep and after talking to him setting up an arrangement, they failed to tell me I owed 62.50 for a deposit and they came and shut me off for 62.50!!! I also have a good friend they did the same thing to with her rate. Her bills were already 800.00(large home) and went to 1800 because of the rate increase.

I switched to Texas Power. Cirro is good too. No Ambit! Good Luck.

N.,

When you get ready to switch, make sure to read the fine print! There are many low rates out there with several companies, but you want to make sure you're going to get them for the long run. Good Luck!

I'm a Stream/Ignite Rep and their customer also. I have been pleased with the customer service as well as their rates. One thing about Stream, is they don't do seasonal billing. TXU is bad about going up in the summer months and down in the winter months. As a Rep I have seen the seasonal billing even on a contract when your rates are suppose to be the same. Other companies have additional charges(Gexa) that are not neccessary, so this makes your rate higher when you really think they are lower. Since derregulation of electricity there has been a lot of fly by night companies that offer lower rates but they don't last very long and your looking for another provider again. Stream has been the best company for lower dependable rates since I started with them. I would love to help you if you decide to give us a try. Go to my website www.shardee.igniteinc.biz.and click on SAVE MORE, then click on TEXAS. On the left hand side you will find a tab that says RATE COMPARISON. Here you will find the comparison of other companies. If I can help in any way or answer any question please let me know. Hope this helps and I wish you luck.

I've been using an independent electrical company called Stream since 2006. I live in an 850 square foot apartment,my rates have been only $45 per month, and I only pay .12 per kw/hour. My unit faces the inside of the complex, I do not get much direct sun exposure and I'm on the first floor which may help contribute to my overall lower bill.

For best results with your bill lock your rate in for one year only. Go online and connect with an independent sales rep. to see if it will meet your needs.

Try this website. It compares companies and rates. You can get on a fixed plan. Ours is 100% renewable with Spark.

http://www.electricitytexas.com/index.html?mrc=G-E-texas+...

I just switched back to TXU from Stream Energy who had nearlyDOUBLED my rate per kwh since April--from .11 to .199--I got a $600 electric bill for a 1600 sf house! The key is to 'lock in' your rate. My rate now is between 13.9 and 15.2, depending on usage and season. Good luck working your way through the maze of all this--just pay attention to the kwh rate and watch it on your bill regularly. Also, get on average billing as soon as possible--helps you know what to expect.

I don't know if you do this already or not, but I argued w/my neighbor one day because she told me her cousin who works for TXU told her it cost more to turn up your thermostat in the morning when you leave for work and back down again in the evening when you get home. I would believe thats true if your only gone for a few hours. But her and I both leave in the morning around 7am and get home at 6pm So I always turn my thermostat up to 85 when i leave. Then at 6pm when I get home I turn it down to around 80 then before I go to bed I turn it down to 77...so I gradually do it. And I always seem to have a MUCH cheaper bill than she does. And we are both married w/one child and our houses are the exact same floor plan! But My highest bill was $156 (I use TXU) this summer for 1500 sq/ft and hers was close to $300! So I think it makes a huge differnce. Although I have yet to ever try leaving my air turned down for a month to see what my bill would be like. So I could be wrong..it just seems like a waste to me!

Try Stream Energy. I've had a lot of success with them and switching was a breeze.

Cirro, Cirro, Cirro!!!!! The highest bill I ever had with them was about $180. And that was in the middle of winter, heater going nonstop, xmas lights all over the place, etc... The customer service is great too!

In addition to shopping for price, be sure to check out customer service. Google the company to see if any issues are out there. Check with BBB to see if there are a lot of complaints. It's hard to find out information besides price, because that's all the Public Utility Commission really requires. But I got burned earlier this year. I was with Reliant for many years and switched to a company that ended up going out of business. That threw me to a Provider of Last Resort and now I'm now on my 4th provider this year. I would have been better off if I had stayed with Reliant.

I can't recommend a good company, but I can say from personal experience that I do NOT recommend Amigo. Simply put, their customer service is terrible.

www.whitefence.com

You can check out rates on this website. They comparison shop for you.