Dallas is one of the most competitive electricity markets in the country. Oncor Electric Delivery handles the poles-and-wires delivery across most of Dallas and the surrounding DFW metroplex, while more than 60 retail electricity providers compete for your business on price, plan structure, and green options. In 2026, the rate spread between the cheapest and…
Houston has more electricity provider choices than almost any city in the United States. CenterPoint Energy delivers power through the lines, but you choose which retail electricity provider (REP) supplies your electricity — and the rate differences between providers can be substantial. In 2026, Houston residential rates range from under 10 cents per kWh on…
TXU Energy is the largest retail electricity provider in Texas by market share, serving more than 1.7 million customers across the ERCOT deregulated market. It’s also one of the oldest — descended from Texas Utilities, which served the state as a regulated monopoly for decades before deregulation. That legacy comes with name recognition and a…
If you’re a renter in a deregulated electricity state, you may wonder whether your landlord has any say over which electricity supplier you use — or whether they can sign you up for a supplier contract without your knowledge. The rules vary depending on how your utility account is set up, but in most cases,…
One of the most common questions from first-time electricity shoppers is how long the switch actually takes. The short answer: switching electricity suppliers typically takes 1–3 billing cycles, or roughly 14–45 days from the date you sign up with a new supplier. The actual timeline depends on your state, your utility, and when in the…
IGS Energy is one of the largest private retail energy companies in the United States, serving residential and commercial customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and other deregulated markets. Unlike the publicly traded giants, IGS operates as a privately held company — a fact it uses as a marketing point around…
Reliant Energy is one of Texas’s largest retail electricity providers, serving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across the ERCOT grid. As a subsidiary of NRG Energy, Reliant offers a broad portfolio of fixed and variable electricity plans, renewable options, and perks-based programs. This review covers Reliant’s plan types, pricing, customer satisfaction, and whether…
NRG Energy is one of the largest competitive electricity suppliers in the United States, serving millions of residential and commercial customers across deregulated states. If you’re considering NRG for your home or business, this review covers the company’s plan types, pricing structures, customer satisfaction ratings, and how it stacks up against competitors in 2026. Compare…
In a deregulated electricity market, you have the power to choose your electricity supplier — but how often should you actually exercise that choice? Switch too rarely and you leave money on the table when your fixed-rate contract expires and you roll to a high variable rate. Switch too often and you rack up early…
Deregulated electricity markets are competitive and consumer-friendly — but they also create opportunities for unscrupulous actors to take advantage of confused or trusting consumers. Electricity scams range from high-pressure door-to-door sales tactics to outright fraudulent enrollments, fake utility impersonation calls, and billing schemes that trap customers on expensive variable rates. This guide teaches you how…