How To Get Electricity

You’re moving! Congratulations! Need to know how to get electricity in your new home?

Amid the chaos of boxes and never quite knowing if you’ve packed something yet, you realize… You haven’t set up the electricity. This realization is particularly horrifying in Texas where there are over 130 Retail Electric Providers (REPs). That makes finding the best price on electricity near impossible!

You still have a chance to turn this nightmare into a lovely dream though. With Power Wizard’s Shopping Tool, you can sort through all of the REPs and their plans to find the perfect plan for your needs. 

Go find your perfect plan and then come back here for all of the steps to turn on your electricity.

How To Get Electricity In Texas Is A Little Different Because of Deregulation

Texas is known for many things: delicious BBQ, hot summers, the Alamo, and is the second-largest state in the U.S.

But, did you know that Texas is also one of the 16 states that have deregulated electricity?

Texas joined the open energy market in 2002 when the Texas Senate Bill 7 was passed.

This bill allows nearly 85% of Texas residents to choose a Retail Electric Provider (REP).

Some cities in Texas do not offer deregulated electricity.

Those include:

• San Antonio
• Austin
• Lubbock
• El Paso
• Amarillo

Nearly 40% of residential consumers in Texas have taken advantage of deregulation by switching to a competitive REP.

How can you take advantage of the deregulated energy market in Texas?

By shopping, comparing, and searching for the best electricity plan for your unique needs.

Keep reading to find out how you can save money while discovering how to get electricity for your home or business.

The Step-By-Step Process To Getting Electricity in Texas:

Electricity is a necessity.

One we often don’t think about much–unless the power goes out, your power bill goes up, or you need to have service turned on.

So, what is electricity and how do we make electricity?

Electricity is a form of energy; the flow of electrons.

Electricity is made or generated through many sources such as:

• Steam Turbines
• Combustion Turbines
• Hydroelectric Turbines
• Wind Turbines
• Solar Turbines
• Internal Combustion Engines

Now that we got the science out of the way, let’s talk about the process of getting electricity in Texas.

The first step is choosing a Retail Electric Provider. It seems simple enough, right?

Texas has over 130 REPs to choose from- Yes, 130. Each provider offers a variety of individual plans, giving you a multitude of choices.

In the following section, we give you an in-depth step-by-step guide to finding an energy provider so you can get the electricity turned on in your home or business.

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Step 1: Find Out The Electricity Companies That Service Your Zip Code

As we mentioned above, there are over 130 Retail Electric Providers in Texas. With so many options, how will you find the best company for you?

If you live in Dallas or Houston, you may have more REPs to choose from than if you live in Killeen or Corpus Christi.

Regardless of which city you live in, you want to find out how to get electricity in your city.

You have two choices: you can manually search for electricity companies, or you can have Power Wizard do the work for you.

How To Do This (Option 1): Manually Search For Electricity Suppliers That Service Your Zip Code

You begin the process of manually searching for a Retail Electric Provider that services your area.

To find the best electricity plan for your home, you decide to manually search for a retail electric provider on your own.

The first thing you do is a quick internet search for power companies near you.

Depending on your location, your results list may be anywhere from 4 or 5 companies to 20-30 companies.

Not all REPs service each Texas city. However, every city in Texas that offers deregulated electricity has a variety of electricity plans.

Each plan offers different electricity rates per kilowatt-hour (kWh), optional perks, and additional benefits.

You research all the available electricity plans that service your zip code. You create a spreadsheet comparing each plan. Then you must read each contract and the terms of service for every single REP in your area.

That is a lot of time and energy invested.

You can spend hours, if not days comparing plans, rates, and perks of each electricity plan. But there is no guarantee that you will not overspend and that you will get the best plan.

You do not have to spend hours manually searching through this enormous amount of information which ends in frustration and uncertainty.

There is another option: spend less than 5 minutes using Power Wizard’s unbiased algorithm.

Let us do all the work crunching the numbers to find the best electricity plan for your specific electricity needs.

How To Do This (Option 2): Let Power Wizard Automatically Find The Best Provider And Plan For You

Save time and ultimately save money by letting Power Wizard automatically find the best electricity plan for your needs.

Power Wizard’s unbiased algorithm scans through EVERY available plan in your zip code to determine which plan is best for you and your usage.

We review 100s of plans side by side and examine each factor that affects energy usage.

These factors include:

• Home size
• Age of home
• Energy Usage
• Contract length
• Fees
• Location

Why does this matter when it comes to finding an electricity plan?

Consider this:

Carole has a home in Houston. She loves her home, but she got a great job offer in Fort Worth so she is packing up and moving across the state.

As she begins to coordinate her move, she puts her house in Houston on the market and begins searching for a new home in FortWorth. She has decided that she wants a larger home to accommodate her large extended family who will be visiting often. She also wants an older home with character and charm.

Carole’s exceptional realtor finds the perfect home.

It was built in 1959 and offers tons of room for visitors at nearly 2500 sq ft of living space. As she prepares to move in, she contacts the water company, gets the internet set up, and transfers her current electric company to her new home.

Since Carole did not shop and compare electricity plans in Fort Worth, she is most likely overpaying for electricity.

Here is why.

Her electricity plan in Houston had a rate of 8.0¢ per kWh, and her average usage was 800 kWh per month. The fine print in the terms of service states that energy usage up to 1,000 kWh per month is billed at 8.0¢, however, the rate increases to 11.0¢ for usage over 1,000 kWh.

Carole’s new home is larger and less energy efficient than her Houston home. She uses nearly double the amount of energy in Fort Worth, meaning her bill jumps from approximately $80 per month to $190 a month.

Power Wizard’s algorithm factors in the size and age of a home along with fine print contract details. This ensures you are always on the best available electricity plan for your needs.

Step 2: Find And Compare Electricity Plans

There are several types of electricity plans available in Texas.

Fixed-Rate Plans

This plan locks in the price you pay per kilowatt-hour for a specific contracted term. These rates are steady because the REP purchases energy on the market at an average price.

Variable Plans

These plans fluctuate based on the cost of wholesale electricity. This means rates vary depending on the current price of kWh, which can change every 15 minutes based on supply and demand.

Indexed Rate Plans

This type of plan prices electricity based on another underlying variable. These variables can differ but most often are dependent on the energy market. The rates for indexed electricity plans can vary month to month or be fixed for a specific contracted amount of time.

Prepaid Plans

These plans generally require no credit check or deposit because they allow you to pay as you go for your electricity usage. They often require a minimum account balance and have manual refill policies. Since you pay for only the electricity you use, there are no surprise bills. The rates per kWh are based on variable rates.

Green Plans

Also known as renewable energy plans, these use mostly clean, environmentally friendly energy. Some sources include wind, solar, and hydropower.

To recap, there are over 130 Retail Electric Providers in Texas, each offering a variety of plans including the ones mentioned above.

This means there are easily hundreds of combinations of REPs and electricity plans available to you.

Seemingly limitless choices can feel overwhelming.

You just want to get electricity, but how can you choose an electricity provider and a plan when there are so many options?

Keep reading to learn how to make the best choice for your energy needs.

How To Do This (Option 1): Manually With A Mile Long Spreadsheet

You want to know how to get the electricity turned on on the same day, but you don’t want to overpay for electricity.

So you set out to discover the cheapest and best electricity plan.

1. You Google electric companies near you.
2. Select the first company and request a quote. Most REP websites have an option to plug in your zip code to get current electricity rates for your area.
3. After you enter your zip code, let’s say you get 10 plan options with different rates per kWh, free electricity options, different contract lengths, and many more options.
4. You log each plan and option into a spreadsheet (Hope you have brushed up on your Excel skills).
5. Repeat steps 1-4 over and over for each and every REP in your area.

You have now spent hours searching and recording data. Your eyes are red and dry. Your brain is tired.

The numbers, plans, and companies all start to blend together and you still haven’t figured out what the best electricity plan is.

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Don’t be too hard on yourself.

No individual can analyze the hundreds of available electricity plans available and determine the right one for their unique needs.

You can get the best electric plan for your needs while keeping your sanity. Keep reading to find out how.

How To Do This (Option 2): Automatically Find The Best Plan For You

Energy usage is like a thumbprint – everyone’s is unique. Gathering your smart meter data can help determine your energy usage thumbprint.

What data does a smart meter collect?

Smart meters collect accurate and detailed electricity usage data. Some meters can collect usage information every 15 minutes.

Finding the best electricity plan for your unique needs requires:

• Your energy usage
• Location
• Size and age of your home

Power Wizard’s proprietary technology is designed to scan hundreds of available plans using your home’s unique electricity usage profile.

Think of all the time and hassle you will save by letting Power Wizard do the heavy lifting.

Step 3: Choose The Best Plan For Your Needs

We talked about REPs in Texas, we discussed different types of plans, and now we’ll explain how to choose the best electricity plan for your needs.

There are several factors that need to be considered when choosing an electricity plan.

We will go into more detail in the section below, but here is a quick overview:

• Size
• Age
• Location
• Energy Usage

Keep reading to see how these affect your electric bill.

How To Do This (Option 1): Manually Analyze The Options

Size of Your Home: Size matters when it comes to powering your home. But why? The larger a home, the more energy it uses to heat and cool the entire square footage.

Age of Your Home: Homes built after 2000 are more energy-efficient than those built before 2000. Energy-efficient technology is constantly growing and evolving which means newer homes and appliances are made to use less and less energy.

Location: It’s all about location. We discussed deregulation above, so you know this is the reason many Texans can choose their electricity providers. In some Texas cities, the price of energy is higher than in others. For example, in Houston, the average rate per kWh is 10.98¢/ kWh, while Van Horn’s average rate is 11.11¢/kWh and Texahoma’s is 9.21¢/kWh. These rates only vary by a few cents, but those cents add up quickly.

Energy Usage: How you use energy matters. Do you use more energy during the day or at night? Are you home all weekend and at night? Are there five people living in your home, or is it just you and your fur baby? Texas electricity plans are based on your usage per month. Common plans are for 500 kWh, 1000 kWh, and 2000 kWh per month.

To create your unique energy profile, you must consider all of these things to get the best available plan.

Before you break out the Excel spreadsheet and aspirin, there is an easier way to find the best energy plan for you with just a few clicks of a mouse.

How To Do This (Option 2): Automatically Get Matched With The Best Plan For Your Needs

Imagine that there is a tool that takes into account all the factors that make up your unique energy profile.

Then using your profile, it predicts the electricity usage forecast for your home and matches your projected usage to the market rates available to calculate an estimated “best” annual cost.

There is no need to imagine because the Savings Calculator Tool does, in fact, exist.

In addition to the Savings Calculator, our proprietary algorithm scans 100s of energy rates and plans to match you with the best one.

Instead of spending hours analyzing energy plans, let Power Wizard find the best available plan that suits your unique electricity usage profile.

Step 4: Contact The Supplier To Start Service

We have talked about finding an electricity provider, we have detailed energy plans, and we went through the steps to find the best electricity plans for your needs.

But what you really want to know is how to get electricity.

There are two ways to get the electricity turned on:

1. Do all the work yourself
2. Have someone else do the work for you

How To Do This (Option 1): Call The Supplier

You have picked an electric company and found a plan that you think is the best plan.

Now you will have to take these steps to get electricity turned on on your own:

• Call the electric provider
• Wait on hold for what feels like hours
• Press 0 for the operator a zillion times
• Finally, get a live person on the line
• Give them all of your personal information
• Wait on hold again while they check your credit
• Then wait on hold while the operator sets up your account
• Search for a pen and paper to write down your account number
• Go online to set up automated payments and check your monthly statements

Wow, that is a lot of work. Maybe getting electricity online is easier and

quicker.

How To Do This (Option 2): Start The Plan Online

Getting electricity online has got to be easier than calling, right? At least you do not have to sit on hold.

To turn on electricity, go to the REP’s website, select a plan and complete the enrollment process. You will also have to choose how you want to receive statements as well as select a payment option.

Be sure to write down your user name, password, and account number.

How To Do This (Option 3): Let Power Wizard Sign You Up For The Plan

You don’t have time to set up your electricity account over the phone or online?

There is an effortless way to set up your new account in as little as 5 minutes.

The entire sign-up process can be managed by Power Wizard- from relaying your service information to your new provider, to enrolling you in auto-pay.

We also ensure there is no gap in electricity service between providers.

Let us do the work of setting up your new electricity plan so you can spend more time enjoying your home and family.

Step 5: How To Get Electricity Once You Already Have It (Wait, What?…..)

Once you have electricity turned on, you probably quit thinking about it. Most people do, but forgetting about your electricity could be costing you hundreds of dollars.

Once you have electricity, the search should NEVER stop. A better plan for your needs could open up in your zip code and if you are not searching, you might miss it.

You should always be thinking “How can I get electricity that is the best for my current needs?”

But who wants to constantly think about electricity?

Electricity rates can change every 15 minutes and Retail Electric Providers are always adding new plans. This means a better plan for your needs might be right around the corner.

So how can you ensure you are always on the best available electricity plan for your needs?

You can either go through each step detail above every 15 minutes of each day

-or-

You can let Power Wizard do it for you.

Our all-seeing technology regularly scans the energy market to ensure your current rate can’t be beaten.

We regularly monitor your usage and calculate your costs based on your contract.

We alert you when your plan is about to expire, search for your renewal plan, and switch you to that new plan so you won’t roll into an expensive one.

If we discover a better electricity plan for you, Power Wizard notifies you, giving you the option to easily switch. If the electricity plan you’re on is the best we can find, we’ll let you know that too.

Are you ready to get started saving with Power Wizard today? It is as easy as plugging in your zip code into The Savings Estimate Tool.

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