Texas Shopping Rodeo

A friend of mine and I were having were emailing back and forth last week about his move to Houston. He didn't realize what deregulation was and that he had to shop for an energy provider. This is about how to do your research before you shop.

Last week, a friend of mine took the long journey from North Carolina to the great state of Texas. It turned out to be a new beginning with some hidden frustrations.

See, in the state of NC we have our energy providers (utilities) that we get our electricity from. There is no competition and no choices for us. We have to pay and use the only one on the block. In Texas, there are TONS of selections. In fact, you actually have to choose an electricity provider in order to get your lights on.

Needless to say, this was a huge eye-opener for my friend when moving out there. He didn't know he had to shop or even why he had to shop. After a few emails back and forth and some quality time researching, we found some places where you can get some research on some of the companies in Texas that you can choose as an electricity company.

Government sites in the state offered the answer to the why, but didn't elaborate on any companies to choose. SaveOnEnergy.com had a list of companies in Texas where you can put in your zip code and shop. It also gave some feedback on greener companies (if you want a greener option). Power2Choose also provides a site to enter a zip code and check out companies based on how long you want your electricity for.

In the end, he found the best supplier for him to turn on his lights. Now, he's waiting on me to visit. This might be a little harder to accomplish.

References: SaveonEnergy.com