Moving

Energy Made Easy, Moving
TXU Reviewed: Free Nights & Weekends Anything but Free? Let's explore whether TXU as an energy supplier for your home is a good idea.

TXU Reviewed: Free Nights & Weekends Anything but Free? Let’s explore whether TXU as an energy supplier for your home is a good idea.

Let’s take a closer look at TXU.  As one of the longest standing energy companies in Texas, TXU has seen better days.

In recent months, the utility company has been discussing a potential bankruptcy filing in order to clear $32 billion of debt from its books.

Since selling out to a handful of massive corporations (like Goldman Sachs) in 2007, the company has tried its hardest to create a new company image, even changing names to the Energy Future Holdings Corporation.

But there’s a reason the company still struggles. With consistently negative reviews and a notoriously bad customer service program, most of TXU’s promises are too good to be true.

It’s time to reevaluate the real costs of “cheap electricity” from the struggling corporation.

Deal or Delusion?

One reason that customers are consistently drawn to the energy giant is the countless promotions they offer.

Between cash-back loyalty reward programs, self-adjusting “energy-saver” plans, and promotional discounts, customers are drawn like moths to a flame by the savings they assume they’re getting.

But they all get burnt. Taking a closer look at each program shows that the only people getting any benefit from these “deals” are the salesmen who invented them.

“Total Satisfaction Guarantee”

The power to choose your energy provider in Texas is what keeps the deregulated market geared towards the interests of the buyers.

With so many choices, energy companies have to compete for customer loyalty. Leaving one provider for another is a common way to get the best bang for your buck, and TXU knows that its customers are aware of this. They capitalize on this freedom, making energy deals more attractive by saying the customer can choose to drop it at any time.

“Free Nights” or “Free Weekends” end up being anything but free, despite the phrasing the company uses.  The rates you pay for the time it’s not free can add up quickly, and in many cases end up averaging out to be much higher than a no-gimmick plan offered by another provider.

Another examples is their Energy Auto-saver plan, where the cost of electricity is guaranteed below a specific rate.  So when energy prices drop, you save money and if they increase, you’re safe at the initial rate.  According to the company website, total satisfaction is guaranteed and customers can switch for free if unsatisfied.

But according to actual customer experiences in Corpus Christi, leaving this already pricey plan can be shockingly expensive.

On top of the expensive service rate, the hefty cancellation fee, and the inconvenience of dealing with a careless corporation, customers had to repay the hundreds of dollars they saved through the plan! The fine print reveals that it’s only free to leave before your first bill. So much for “guaranteed satisfaction.”

Simply put: ignore the gimmicks.

The only way to guarantee satisfaction is to get informed and find the perfect plan for you, where it’s clear exactly what you’re signing up for.

The power to choose gives every individual the freedom to make their own decision, and one company is helping consumers do just that.

People visit ComparePower to instantly compare electric plans with our unbiased shopping tool that presents all the information you need to make an informed choice.

With easy to use charts for comparison, you can compare any plans you want side-by-side. ComparePower sorts everything for you and puts the most crucial information all in one place.

With just your zip code and a few clicks, you can easily find the perfect energy plan from the hundreds being offered.

Don’t waste your time at a site that’s trying to sell you a specific product – ComparePower is honest and unbiased. Get informed on all the options and fine print, and guarantee satisfaction for yourself.

Energy Made Easy, Moving

Deregulation is a Game Changer.  Do you really want to gamble with the price you’ll pay for your electricity?

Are you rolling the dice when it comes to getting a Cheap Electric Rate in the newly deregulated Sharyland Service area?

Some Sharyland electricity service areas (specifically Brady, Celeste, Colorado City, and Stanton service areas) have been deregulated and that’s left you with a lot of questions…

“Do I have to go with a retail provider?”

“How can I find the cheapest electricity rates in my area?”

Deregulation does involve a learning curve.  It means you will need to be more proactive and involved in your billing management because it’s not just the one company any more.

As the saying goes, “When there’s only one dealer, it’s house rules.”  That meant you got the bill, you paid the bill, and that’s all there was to it.  A regulated industry meant Sharyland Utilities did the controlling.  You had no say in anything, much less over how much you paid.

Deregulating certain Sharyland electricity service areas means a huge amount of upheaval at the beginning while everybody gets themselves sorted out but, ultimately, Sharyland electricity providers that provide a superior service at an excellent rate will rise while those who don’t,  won’t.

It also means that you have more power as a customer to choose:

  • a company based on how much green energy they use
  • a company that does not import power from outside the state or the company
  • a fixed-rate plan that sets the rate for a period of time regardless how the industry is performing as a whole.
  • a short-term or month-to-month plan so you’re not locked in

In the end, Sharyland electricity will be available to all residents of the deregulated Sharyland electricity service area at a rate they can afford.

Here’s where you gamble with Sharyland electricity rates

Las Vegas, Nevada, is famous for its electricity: the energy, the excitement, the entertainment, and naturally the gambling.  When you go to Vegas, you bring along a budget specifically for gambling, ideally money you can afford to lose, and you go rarely, as a special trip.

Home in Texas, “electricity” is something else entirely: it’s your favorite TV show, a home-cooked meal, and a cool home on a hot day.  Are you really okay gambling with your household budget each and every month?   Now that you live in a Sharyland electricity service area that has been deregulated, you just might be doing that!

Up to now, you’ve been dealing with one company for all your power-generating and distribution needs. Under deregulation, Sharyland Utilities, while still around, is more in the back seat:

  • Problem with the electricity coming to your home?   Call Sharyland Utilities.
  • Problem with the bill?   Call your Retail Electric Provider (also called an “REP”).
  • Problem with the electricity inside your home?  Well, that’s when you call an electrician.

Under the rules of deregulation, staying with Sharyland Utilities isn’t an option.  If you fail to choose an REP, then one will be chosen for you. This is like you in a Las Vegas casino handing your cards over to the dealer for play. Maybe you’ll benefit… probably you won’t.

The available pool of default electric providers consists of seven candidates, ranging from Champion, who topped J D Power and Associates’ 2013 Customer Satisfaction poll for Texas energy providers (that’s the fourth year running!) down to TXU, currently down near the bottom and notorious for their high prices.

When you are assigned to a default REP, you’re put on a month-to-month plan, meaning that your rate will go up and down and you won’t actually know how much you’re being charged per kilowatt-hour until you open the bill.  You won’t know if there is a charge for not having autopay on your account, for using telephone customer service, for paying by credit or debit card, all kinds of fun things could show up on the bill  – “Ladies and gentlemen, faites vos jours!”

So, how do you find the cheapest electricity rates in the Sharyland electricity service area?

But how would you even go about finding the cheapest electricity rates in Brady, Celeste, Colorado City, Stanton, Mission, McAllen, etc?

  • You could get the list of default REPs.
  • You could take time out of your day to call each and every one
  • You could put up with high-pressure sales tactics, customer services agents still fresh on the job, and misleading information
  • You could hope that you’ve covered all the information you need to know
  • You could hope you’re making the right choice.

On the other hand, you could enter your zip code, make a couple of quick clicks, and immediately see the REPs that are available in your area and that will suit your needs.

You’ll have access to the Terms of Service and the Facts Label.  Read them carefully and you’ll have all the information you need to know.  Better yet, you’ll see clearly where you need to question them more closely (hint:  look for phrases like “other fees or charges may apply”).  The cheapest electricity rates in the Sharyland electricity service area will be a lot quicker to find if you know how to avoid wasting time calling those who simply will not suit.

Don’t let someone else make your play for you. Enter your zip code to get the pricing and plan details you need for a winning strategy.