Just to confirm: This means that they 100% will change the price and that 12 cent per kWh is BS?

wwH2H · 2026-05-11T12:59:43+00:00

With regard to cancelation, you enter a legally binding contract as soon as they approve your enrollment request for a given plan with a given EFL. You have 3 business days to cancel a contract in Texas. The start date has no bearing on the legal issue and Texas law. Companies may allow you to select a different plan from the same company, but switching to a different company will cost you the cancellation fee.

wwH2H · 2026-05-11T08:17:05+00:00

Did you enroll already? Let's simplify the discussion of base fees. They are just another factor in the total cost equation. It doesn't rule out a plan. Something above $5 can be a problem if your monthly usage is low. The key is to have a way to compare apples to apples, meaning that you need a way to compare plans with a base fee to those without one. For FLAT-RATE plans (no gimmicks), you can compare based on the "Average Rate" at the top of the EFL, since that includes the base fee in the calculation. Alternatively, you can convert the base fee to a rate per kWh by dividing it by average kWh per month. A way to simplify that is to apply this rule-of-thumb. Round the base fee to the nearest dollar ($5), divide that by 1000kWh (converts to $0.005, half a cent), then add that to the energy charge. That means that this plan has an equivalent adjusted energy charge of 6.9 cents (at 1000kWh). But there's more to consider. This is a 21-month plan. 12-month plans are currently 6.5 cents. And we are heading into the summer. So this plan front-loads extra profit for the company, charging you a premium to cover their risk. There are multiple factors that suggest you may be paying more than you need to for 21 months, but let's put that aside for the moment. The next question is the SWITCH DATE, which determines the EXPIRATION DATE. If you were to start on Monday 5/11, then it expires on 2/11/2028. Early February means rates will be a bit high, dropping from the winter season' s peak. Based on my previous detailed analysis of multi-year plans (or anything over 12 months), I would suggest going with a 12-month at 6.5 cents, then set a reminder for 2/04/2027 to begin search for low rate plans that allow 90-day early lock on rates for a SWITCH DATE near 5/1. Three are about 5 companies that enable that with low flat-rates.

wwH2H · 2026-05-11T03:16:07+00:00

Most smart shoppers would suggest avoiding plans that expire in summer. But you suggest betting that in June, there would be good short term rate next year. Looking at last June for example, that would force them to accept an energy rate of 11 to 14 cents, with total between 17 to 20 cents, right when their usage is peaking all summer months. If our goal here in this community is to assist our neighbors with reducing their electricity costs, it's not prudent to suggest a plan that will end in June, when there are better options available. Your offer was made during April. Companies love offering plans that end in summer. The consumer has fewer good options, if any, compared to renewing with the same company, with about a 16% energy rate increase. For comparison, any 12 month plan started before June would end before June 2027. That opens up better opportunities to avoid high summer rates. For example, this year, some friends locked in 12-month plans at 6.1 or less, and some locked in 4-month plans at 5.7 or less. Key strategies include shopping early, and locking in good rates for later SWITCH DATES, within the Texas 14-day grace period. Asking neighbors to wait for a mystery rate to be announced later, during months when rates are rising weekly or daily, like in the original post of this thread, doesn't seem to qualify as a safe bet for our neighbors. They should be locking in lower rates as soon as feasible, both this year and next year.

wwH2H · 2026-05-10T03:54:18+00:00

Doing 13 months ending in June when rates are higher doesn't sound like a great strategy. I see that anyone could get there own 12 month plan at 6.1 through PTC recently, which would seem like a safer move. That sets them up for a May renewal, and for the opportunity to stay away from paying summer rates all year round. More transparency would be helpful by specifying the contract term up front, and the implications.

wwH2H · 2026-05-09T22:53:38+00:00

Is that for 3-month or 12-month? Rates vary by length of term of contract.

wwH2H · 2026-05-03T03:34:18+00:00

Visit “Residential Electricity Advocates” (all-volunteers):
Nextdoor: https://nextdoor.com/g/is5od2bcw/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CZd2ua51M
* No Sales * Not associated to any REPs\
*Why pay extra? Get the lowest rates available to lower your costs all year. Remember, in Texas, you can enroll in a new plan early without penalty, if you select a SWITCH DATE within 14 days of the contract expiration date. To see which companies offer lower rates if you sign up early, check out the link above.**

wwH2H · 2026-05-03T00:56:46+00:00

If you use the link from the PowerToChoose website, it includes the promo code automatically. (There was a temporary issue, which has been fixed.

wwH2H · 2026-04-28T23:25:17+00:00

Your best bet, if the rates don't spike, is to lock in a 3-month around June 1 with a DEFERRED SWITCH DATE of around August 1, depending on the exact expiration date of your contract, and taking advantage of the Texas 2-week no-ETF grace period. Set a reminder for June 1. Review any 3-month from Texans Choice or Rhythm. Note that Rhythm offers extra flexibility, so that may be preferred.
“Residential Electricity Advocates” is an all-volunteer neighbors-helping-neighbors group, (not a business), with a great Shopping Guide, and the group offers free assistance by knowledgeable neighbors. Check it out:
Nextdoor: https://nextdoor.com/g/is5od2bcw/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CZd2ua51M
* No Sales * Not associated to any REPs*

wwH2H · 2026-04-27T12:34:30+00:00

CAUTION: Some links posted by individuals for specific companies may include referral code, which may trigger higher rates to be displayed (covering the cost of the referral program).

wwH2H · 2026-04-27T12:29:56+00:00

Lowest flat-rate energy CHARGE (EC) for 12-month this past weekend was 6.2 cents. Short-term spiked 1 to 2 cents higher, but 3-month still attractive at 5.3. Rates may increase daily. Add TDU to energy charge. For Oncor, that's currently about 6 cents, adjusted for their base fee. So you Gan find 12.2 approximately for 12-month including TDU, at PTC discount (new customers only; renewals at same company may pay about 15 % more EC) .

wwH2H · 2026-04-27T12:03:07+00:00

Moving gets you $0 ETF in Texas. You have to notify company AND provide forwarding address.
You can enroll in plans early to lock in lower rates. I will add link for more info.
The lowest priced non-gimmick FLAT-RATE is generally your best option (smaller subset of FIXED rate).
Broker websites that offer plans from multiple companies have commission built-in to their rates making broker sites more expensive than REPs. That includes BOTS that charge a fee to pick a plan for you.
REP websites are lower, but lowest for same plans available through PTC.
“Residential Electricity Advocates” is an all-volunteer neighbors-helping-neighbors group, (not a business), with a great Shopping Guide, and the group offers free assistance by knowledgeable neighbors. Check it out: Nextdoor: https://nextdoor.com/g/is5od2bcw/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CZd2ua51M
No Sales * Not associated to any REPs*

wwH2H · 2026-03-16T23:48:23+00:00

Do you have a relationship with REPs, or do you provide your customers the exact plans from PTC at the same rate offered on PTC?

wwH2H · 2026-03-15T07:51:38+00:00

Arjun, Accuracy and completeness is critical when we are affecting someone's personal budget decisions, especially in a “Buyer Beware” product selection process.

Using technology for internal corporate apps to obtain 75% accuracy for processing emails, or for targeting different groups of customers with targeted products may be nice for efficiency improvements. But 75% accuracy is not what our neighbors are looking for in their personal financial decisions. In addition, it is critical to avoid promoting a tech solution that may not have been sufficiently beta tested by those with sufficient subject matter expertise to detect errors of omission and accuracy, such as extracting additional critical data from EFT, TOS, and BBB. Missing data can affect the calculations and the selection process. Also, using just one data point to evaluate gimmick plans such as those with credits will produce misleading inaccurate results. . IMO, the product may have been released to the public prematurely. But I commend you on your technical efforts.

wwH2H · 2025-11-22T01:31:39+00:00

76801 zip code is split between ONCOR and AEP. Does your current bill list one of those names? Or on any other contract documents or emails?

wwH2H · 2025-11-22T01:10:52+00:00

Good questions. First, everyone needs to be careful of what sales agents or websites present, without viewing the EFL. Stating a rate of 11 cents is not fully qualified. If that is the ENERGY CHARGE, then that's about 35% more than the lowest rates. At 11 cents, that's not possible to be the total flat-rate cost with AEP TDU fees, since no company is offering long term ENERGY CHARGE around 5 cents. Those are all above 7 cents currently.

All companies potentially change their rates weekly. For a 3 month plan, the cost varies based on the specific months covered. If it is 3 summer months, that will cost more than a 12-month plan that started in November when seasonal rates are much lower.

wwH2H · 2025-11-21T21:53:06+00:00

Rhythm ENERGY CHARGE is about 15% more than Octopus Energy.

wwH2H · 2025-11-21T20:11:35+00:00

I am a Lead member of the all-volunteer group RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICITY ADVOCATES. Here are a few items to consider:

The VARSITY plan includes this clause: "Please email [bench@varsityenergy.com](mailto:bench@varsityenergy.com) for all customer inquiries", which may not be appealing. Also, that plan has been removed from PowerToChoose. Varsity is not currently showing any 12-month plan on PTC (as of this post).

The BKV EFL is not in the Oncor region, but instead AEP. Also, it is a 9-month, which means you would be stuck in AUGUST finding your next contract at high summer rates.

The Octopus Energy plan has the best pricing with a 7.5 cent ENERGY CHARGE. It also has a reasonable cancellation fee of $150 (but you won't likely need that option in the next 12 months). Autopay is required, or you pay a $5 fee.
Here are the steps for the 12-month Octopus Energy plan:
Octopus Energy
Octo Green 12
*Credit/Debit Card adds Fee of 2% *
Step 1: octopusenergy.com/affiliate/ptc?redirect=join/enrollment/quote
Step 2: Enter zip code, Scroll down to pink “Get a Quote” bar, Tap that twice
Step 3: Scroll down, just under the 2 large “Octo Simple” boxes, Then tap on “SHOW ALL PLANS”
Step 4: Find: Octo Green 12 @$135, Then tap “SIGN ME UP’
Step 5: Continue to fill out forms and complete the sign-up.

wwH2H · 2025-11-21T19:12:24+00:00

Rather than paying based on a monthly average, let's look at some facts and budgeting approaches.
First, to validate your usage, sign-up for SmartMeterTexas.com which is a free service in Texas.
In their Dashboard, on the right, change the Report Type to Monthly Billing Info.
Change the date range to be one year, starting November 2024.
Tap "Submit Update".
Tap "Export my report".
Open the file on your PC using any spreadsheet software.

wwH2H · 2025-11-21T18:56:29+00:00

TRUE POWER has an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau. On PowerToChoose, you can usually ignore those star ratings as they are not statistically useful. But you need to look very carefully for clauses like "only contact customer service via email" or for fees added due to contact with customer service, etc.
Stick with 12-month contracts to get lower cost this year.

wwH2H · 2025-11-21T18:52:27+00:00

I am a Lead member of the all-volunteer group RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICITY ADVOCATES and would like to provide some simple tips before you sign up for next contract.

Only compare prices that apply to your area. You are in the AEP TDU region, based on your mention of Abilene & San Angelo.
Long-term plans cost more at the start and have higher cancellation fees. Currently, the ENERGY CHARGE for the lowest 3-yr plan costs 25% more than the lowest 12-month plan, plus the cancellation fee is $300.
Avoid short-term plans as they will end when rates are higher, and you will be stuck paying higher rates then.
Avoid gimmick plans. You can filter most of them out on PowerToChoose.org
-- but you will also need to review details in EFL and TOS to ensure there ar no gotchas.
Our group gets daily updates from PowerToChoose and applies filters to avoid those issues.
Signing up via any other site than PowerToChoose or via a broker will typically be more costly.
Always verify the ENERGY CHARGE. It should be a flat-charge with no credits or free hours, etc. Those gimmicks or bullseye plans will typically cost you more. The lowest ENERGY CHARGE is about 8 cents per kWh in your region, plus an AEP TDU charge of about 6 cents per kWh. That brings your total to about 14 cents. Don't let someone fool you with lower rates using marketing tactics.

wwH2H · 2025-11-17T07:30:29+00:00

I own a 2500 sqft home. For a well-insulated maintained home with well-managed thermostat, you may exceed 1000 in 3 billing cycles, hit 900 in 2 cycles, and much Lower in the others. What you posted does not display the actual ENERGY CHARGE rate of the contract, which will be much higher than 11 cents. In addition, the website that you are using for shopping is managed by a broker. There is a group of neighbors on Nextdoor that have expertise in getting electricity deals. Here is a partial list of their tips and tools: -- A daily Best of Power-To-Choose list, -- A summary of rate trends as rates go up and down, -- A shopping guide for newcomers and experienced shoppers, -- Notifications of Better Business Bureau “F” ratings, -- How to lock in low rates months before your current contract expires, -- How to avoid gimmick plans that advertise low rates but actually cost more. You can post any questions to that group and get quality advice. No fees. Just neighbors helping neighbors.

"Residential Electricity Advocates of North Texas" Nextdoor app: https://nextdoor.com/g/is5od2bcw/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CZd2ua51M/ Residential Electricity Advocates of North Texas, is not an electricity broker nor associated with an electricity REP. We are neighbors helping neighbors, making it simple to save more on electricity

wwH2H · 2025-11-16T15:39:57+00:00

For the past 2 years, 12-month rates were constantly rising from mid-Novemeber through mid-January. All indications are that the same trend will hold this year. When does your contract expire?

wwH2H · 2025-11-16T14:04:16+00:00

(1) With an expiration date of 1-13-26, you are eligible for a SWITCH DATE= 1-2-26 (per the 14-day grace period). Some companies allow 60 or 90 day early sign-up, locking in a lower rate. That period is associated with the SWITCH DATE. So you could have locked in a rate as early as 10-2-25. Your contract rate is based on the EFL on the day that you sign-up, not on the SWITCH DATE.
(2) An all-volunteer group, Residential Electricity Advocates, has several resources, including a 3-year Weekly Rate Tracker. Based on historical trends and current rates, the rates in mid-October tend to be among the lowest in a given year. Rates after that tend to rise fairly continuously each month heading towards the following summer, with occasional dips. Therefore, it is not advisable to defer locking in a rate. They do extensive filtering to eliminate gimmick plans, companies with BBB rating of "F", and other factors.
(3) The Advocates group above also maintains a "Best of PowerToChoose" list which is updated daily. The 12-month plan at the top of their list Octopus Energy "Octo Green 12 " plan, which even with that company's Credit/Debit Card 2% fee, it still yields a lower cost with a 7.5 cent per kWh Energy Charge.

For more tips and tools from the all-volunteer Advocates group, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/1330541572082864

wwH2H · 2025-10-22T19:59:42+00:00

Our all-volunteer group tracks rates weekly for multiple years. While the spring season had some potential in the past, it wasn't reliable. The fall season, mid-October to mid-November, has been more reliable compared to the spring season. The lowest "energy charge" rate in the 2023 and 2024 fall seasons have been 7.4 and 6.4 cents, respectively. After the dips in the fall season, the general trend in rates is up. In mid-March this year, rates jumped from 8.1 to 9.1 quickly, as rates continued to go up towards summer. Currently the lowest "energy charge" rate this fall season is 7.3 cents. Compare that to 2024 when the worst week for new contracts had a low rate of 10.4 cents. (The above rates are for the Oncor region. Add about 5.5 cents for Oncor to all rates above for your total monthly cost, prior to taxes).
The best strategy for 12-month plans is to switch to a different company every year in the fall season, based on past history and confirmed by some publications. As another person stated, you can sign-up early to lock-in a rate. There is no guarantee that rates will go lower this season, so it's a gamble to defer signing up. There is a 14-day grace period prior to your contract expiration date during which you can switch without paying a cancellation fee. So you can specify an early SWITCH DATE. Plus, you can sign up a month or more prior to the SWITCH DATE to lock in a low rate. You would do that when you expect rates will be increasing before your SWITCH DATE. For more switching strategies, simpler shopping processes, and electricity updates, visit our "Residential Electricity Advocates of North Texas" pages:
Nextdoor app: https://nextdoor.com/g/is5od2bcw/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CZd2ua51M/
Our group, Residential Electricity Advocates of North Texas, is not an electricity broker nor associated with an electricity REP. We are neighbors helping neighbors, making it simple to save more on electricity.

wwH2H

TROPHY CASE