The Electricity Facts Label, similar to a nutrition label found on many food products, provides information on electricity prices, contract terms, sources of generation, and emissions levels. This information will help customers make an informed decision about their electric service.
Each REP is required to provide customers with a copy of their Electricity Facts Label upon request. The Electricity Facts Label encourages customers to compare information, in a standardized format, so they can select a REP based on what matters most to them.
The price reflected represents all charges billed to a customer, including the costs of generation, transmission, distribution, fuel, and customer service. Any promotions or incentives are also included in this average price.
More information about the EFL is available on the Public Utility Commission of Texas website.
A soft inquiry is an inquiry that occurs when a person or company checks your credit report as a background check, like when you check your credit score. Soft inquiries can occur without your permission, but don’t worry – they won’t affect your credit in any way.
Electric Choice is the result of deregulation. Electricity deregulation in Texas, approved by Texas Senate Bill 7 on January 1, 2002, calls for the creation of the Electric Utility Restructuring Legislative Oversight Committee to oversee implementation of the bill. According to the law, deregulation would be phased in over several years.
As a result, 85% of Texas power consumers (those not served by a municipality or a utility cooperative) can choose their electricity service from a variety of retail electric providers (REPs), including the incumbent utility. The incumbent utility in the area still owns and maintains the local power lines (and is the company to call in the event of a power outage) and is not subject to deregulation.
A Retail Electric Provider (REP) sells electric energy to retail customers in the areas of Texas where the sale of electricity is open to retail competition. A REP buys wholesale electricity, delivery service, and related services, prices electricity for customers, and seeks customers to buy electricity at retail.
A REP has many responsibilities including:
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to 24 million Texas customers – representing 85 percent of the state’s electric load. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 41,500 miles of transmission lines and 550 generation units.
ERCOT also performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for 6.7 million premises in competitive choice areas. ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature. ERCOT’s members include consumers, cooperatives, generators, power marketers, retail electric providers, investor-owned electric utilities (transmission and distribution providers), and municipal-owned electric utilities.
Customers served by cooperatives or municipal utilities can choose an alternate REP only if the utility has “opted in” to deregulation; to date, only the area served by the Nueces Electric Cooperative has chosen to opt in.
If you are wanting lower rates and the power of choice, you should get involved in your local co-op. Don’t vote proxy, go vote yourself! Bring up power of choice! Let your voice be heard that you are tired of paying high electricity bills!
If your electric utility is any one of these, you have electric choice:
Every TDU has a meter read cycle which allows your meter to be read on or about the same day every month. Why is it important for SK Energy to know your meter read cycle? Many REPs will waive the base charge if you use 1000kWh or more (sometimes that usage is less) between meter reads. Knowing which cycle you are on allows us to change your contract on a date that will be most cost efficient for you. However, sometimes, the savings far outweigh the base charge if your REP is changed on a date that is off cycle.
While every REP has a different billing format, all have certain charges in common. The most common are:
If you want more information about what a particular charge is, click on the following link for an explanation of additional charges: