AUSTIN – Along with packing boxes and getting ready to go, there is one
more task to complete before moving into a new home – shopping for an
electric provider.
Today, most Texans have the power to choose their Retail
Electric Provider, the company that sells electricity to
their home and provides billing and other customer services.
Whether you are new to the neighborhood or new to Texas, we want
to help make it easy for you to select your electric provider,”
said Public Utility Commission of Texas Chairman Rebecca Klein. “We call
it the “three C’s” – contact, compare and choose.”
Shopping for Service
First, a customer should contact Texas Electric Choice to find
out the Retail Electric Providers that service their area.
Customers can call toll-free 1-866-PWR-4-TEX (1-866-797-4839) or click
the Texas Electric Choice website (www.powertochoose.org).
Next, customers should compare the Retail Electric Providers
available by contacting each company and asking for their Electricity
Facts Label. The Electricity Facts Label allows customers to compare
electric providers based on electricity price, contract terms, sources
of power generation and other services. Customers should have their
latest electric bill available when contacting the Retail Electric
Providers. Customers can also compare offers from Retail Electric
Providers at www.powertochoose.org by simply entering their ZIP code.
Then, customers need to simply choose a new Retail Electric Provider
by contacting the company directly. Switching providers is as easy as
one call to the new company or one visit to its website. Customers do
not need to contact their old electric provider to tell them about the
switch.
Once a decision is made, the electric provider will supply each
customer with a Terms of Service Agreement and a Customer Disclosure.
This disclosure covers standard customer protections and is mandated by
the Public Utility Commission. The Public Utility Commission is the
state agency that ensures the safety and reliability of electric service
to all Texans.
During the last year, more than half a million Texans have switched
electric providers and saved more than $900 million on their electric
bills. Switching electric providers when moving is easy, simply follow
the "three C’s” – contact, compare and choose.
Power to Choose
