How to Switch Electricity Suppliers in Texas

Texas is the second-largest state in America and is comprised of the largest market in deregulated energy, making it a great place to consider switching your electricity suppliers. ERCOT–The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, manages Texas’s power grid.  A unique fact about the deregulated energy market in Texas, is that electricity consumers must be signed on a supplier plan.  In contrast, most other deregulated markets (Ananta’s main markets are Ohio and Illinois in this case) have the option of staying with their local utility, if they choose not to sign on with a supplier right away.

Deregulated energy is a fairly new and technical topic and Texas is more complex than some other deregulated markets, so we want to break it down into an easy step-by-step process of how to switch electricity suppliers in Texas.

A key factor before we dive into the details is that timing is of utmost importance for switching suppliers in Texas.  Most suppliers require an exact start and end date to flow supply of power and this is unique to Texas.  Switching outside of the dates on any fixed agreement imposes the risk of potential early termination fees, overlaps, or being placed on a month-to-month variable default rate with a supplier, and all of those risks can cost exponentially more than being on a fixed-rate plan.

The best times to switch suppliers in Texas:

• Right at the end of your current electricity contract. 
• Brokers (Hey, that’s us!) can also assist in the research, shopping, and tracking process, further in advance and are able to lock in fixed-rate, future-dated agreements if a desirable rate and term are found in advance.
• If not tracking over time for a future-dated agreement well in advance, Is it recommended to pin down a plan to switch providers 14 days or less before your current supplier agreement ends.
• Right before peak-demand seasons of Summer or Winter.
• Typically, the market is volatile during seasons of unpredictable or often-changing weather conditions, so locking in with a fixed-rate supplier plan can protect you from high electric charges and rates during those times.
• When relocating residential or business properties.
• Usage may change and reviewing potential energy usage changes from one place to another, can help budget for your new electric consumption and help prepare for any changes in consumption rates.

What’s next?

1. Review which plan you’re currently on.
2. The cost to renew with your current supplier could benefit you, so nothing would change in terms of how you’re receiving your bills, communications with your supplier, and essentially–this makes the transition seamless.
3. To ensure you’re choosing the best option for your energy needs, it’s advisable to compare rates with other suppliers as well, but make sure you do your research on any changes that may occur if you choose to switch suppliers on your own.
4. Review the terms and conditions of each plan to compare anything that would be affected or changed from your current plan, so you can be prepared for the transition.
5. Ananta can help you shop with some of the top suppliers in the deregulated energy industry and make the process much easier overall!
6. Click here to see which suppliers we work with, in each state.
7. Shop early!
8. As mentioned above, future-dated plans can keep you on track to switch suppliers right on time and lock in a low rate, in advance.
9. We use your current contracted rate as a price-to-compare with rates that suppliers send us, so we can make the best possible recommendation for you, based on your unique energy needs.
10. Ensure a seamless transition from one agreement to the next.
11. Avoid a lapse in flow service or early termination fees, by ensuring that your new provider switches on the date or the day after your current agreement expiration date.
12. Your new supplier will notify the utility and previous agreement supplier of the change from there and will send you a confirmation of the change.

Now that you have a basic understanding of how to switch providers in Texas, use us as a resource if you have questions or would like assistance with your energy procurement needs.

Contact us if you have questions or email us at support@goananta.com with recent invoices for a complimentary invoice analysis!