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  PUBLISHED ARTICLES |
Why Should Independent Businesses “Go Shopping” for Electricity?
The same reason they shop for any other product or service – to be sure they get the best value for their investment. The current price
competition is certainly a boon for any business, and now they can choose providers based on their specific priorities.
Deregulation has afforded Texas business owners and managers the opportunity to decide for themselves what is important to them in an
electricity provider. Within the past year the differences between Retail Energy Providers (REPs) has become slightly clearer. Texans
are becoming comfortable with the understanding that the delivery system/wires company is the same as it has always been, and their
electricity cannot suddenly be switched off if they change their provider. As their confidence increases, so does the competition and the
continued development of specialization within the categories of providers. The evolution of the industry means that there will be ever
increasing specialization, which can be a very good thing for the consumer.
Several companies selling in the state are actually subsidiaries of huge international energy concerns, and so are well suited for large
industrial customers. That is their experience and priority. Others are smaller, Texas-based companies with a management background and
emphasis in utility operations and business customer service. Their lower overhead and flexibility can make them just as competitive in
pricing as the larger companies and able to respond more knowledgably to business-specific needs. Some are set up primarily
to serve residential customers with huge call centers and sales teams, but may lack the business orientation valued by the business
community.
The best way to be sure you are getting the most for your money is to get proposals from several different providers. A
complete listing of all registered REPs is available from the Texas Public Utility Commission at www.powertochoose.com. The process to
get proposals is fairly simple and completely free. You simply provide each REP with permission to get your past usage history from the
Transmission and Distribution Service Provider (TDSP). The REP will then provide a proposal based on current electric wholesale power
prices and your historic usage. The information each REP will receive from the TDSP will be the same, so you can compare pricing, value
and service before you make a decision.
Slamming – or changing representatives without your consent, is illegal in Texas. Switching from one provider to another is now a fairly
seamless process thanks to the years of work by the Electricity Reliability Council Of Texas (ERCOT) – www.ercot.com,
and the continuing oversight of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) – www.puc.state.tx.us.
If you need more information on the shopping process, visit either of the web sites mentioned in this article, or call the Public Utility
Commission of Texas at 512-936-7000.
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