In Texas, providers offer a 3-day grace period during which you can cancel the contract without penalty if you change your mind after switching providers. So rest easy – if you feel you’ve made a mistake, just contact your new provider, tell them you’d like to cancel, and come back to ComparePower to find a provider or plan that suits you better.
If you have already passed the grace period and you want to switch back to your previous provider or to a different one, you may be subject to an early termination fee or a cancellation fee, depending on the terms of the contract you have signed. It’s important to check the terms of the contract and to confirm with the new provider regarding any fees that may be applied.
If you are setting up service for the first time (you’re moving in), this “right of rescission” may vary. Check with your provider before signing up to be sure.
You just call and talk directly with your retail provider. The key thing to understand is that your retail provider handles the billing and customer support for your energy services, and the wires company handles the delivery of those services, maintains the delivery system, and handles any outages that may occur. If you have customer service or payment related issues with your bill, you’ll call the company that sends you your bill. If you have an outage, you’ll generally call your “Wire and Poles” company – also known as your Utility Company.
All of the delivery is handled by the local wires company, so give them a call. Your energy provider should give you details on how to contact the wires company on the bills they send you in case you need to report an outage or want to contact them directly for any other reason.
The provider you choose has nothing to do with the delivery of your electricity. Your electricity is delivered by the still-regulated local wires company (your Utility), ensuring for you the same safety and reliability regardless of which provider you choose. Your chosen Provider buys or reserves energy in bulk and hopes to turn a profit by taking on the overhead of attracting and maintaining customers. Your utility is the one delivering your power. Your provider is only responsible for billing you for your usage.
To report a power outage in the Oncor region (Dallas – Fort Worth Area), call ONCOR Delivery Company (DFW area), call 1-888-313-4747.
To report a power outage in Texas, call the number shown here for your Utility Company. Do not call your provider – they don’t fix power outages.
ONCOR Delivery Company (DFW area)
1-888-313-4747
CenterPoint (Houston Area)
1-800-332-7143
AEP North Texas (WTU Service area)
1-866-223-8508
AEP Central (CPL area)
1-866-223-8508
Texas-New Mexico Power Company (TNMP area)
1-888-866-7456
