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Switching electric providers

wild_turkey

By wild_turkey
in Can You Help Me With This?

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Spoosner

Spoosner 86

Posted
Posted

I left griddy and switched to a month to month plan last week.  Change happened overnight, so I only got gouged with 1 day of crazy pricing because I wasn't paying attention.  I had been with them for just over 6 months, and the savings over that time outweigh what I got hit with.  I plan on switching back to them when the temps start subsiding.  It's so easy to do.

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CBT

CBT 1281

Posted
Posted
On 8/17/2019 at 8:10 AM, SydneyCarton said:

Good news, no contract you can still leave. 

I ended up averaging $12.8/kWh all in even with the crazy high days. You can get a better long term rate still, but I'm curious how this next month will go. 

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mycox

mycox 582

Posted
Posted

I just signed a 6 month contract with Texans Energy for $.8/kWh. 

Well that is based 1000 kWh. I'm usually under 1000 kWh and that rate is $.85/kWh.  Most rates I see look pretty good until I notice they are all priced at 2000 kWh, which suck because I will never use that.

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SydneyCarton

SydneyCarton 47942

Posted
Posted
On 9/13/2019 at 1:18 PM, mycox said:

I just signed a 6 month contract with Texans Energy for $.8/kWh. 

Well that is based 1000 kWh. I'm usually under 1000 kWh and that rate is $.85/kWh.  Most rates I see look pretty good until I notice they are all priced at 2000 kWh, which suck because I will never use that.

The rates are always advertised at 1k or 2k, depending on the website. Always check the EFL. No one advertises the rate at 500-999 because generally they're always super high. 

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zork

zork 629

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

You're going to be sorry when the virus reduces the population by half and there's an electricity price war.

I could have had a 6.2 cent plan but it would have been 3 months and expiring in mid summer.  8.8 seems pretty, pretty, good.

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mycox

mycox 582

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, zork said:

just signed up for one of the houses on a 3 yr, 8.8 cent plan via power to choose .org:

https://signup.chariotenergy.com/Home/EFl?productId=25814 is the EFL for the plan.

if you go to chariot energy .com use the promo code:

ptc

to get the deal.

 

BTW, it is a 100% solar plan.

I don't see that rate even with the promo code. I see 10.3¢ 9.7¢ 9.5¢

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zork

zork 629

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, mycox said:

I don't see that rate even with the promo code. I see 10.3¢ 9.7¢ 9.5¢

I live in oncor territory in dfw.  I called in late afternoon today because I couldn't get the code to work.  8.8 cents flat rate, but is after you average in the basic monthly fee averages in.

go here:

https://chariotenergy.com/

click signup button in upper right corner

put zip code in and ptc in the discount code.

i get/got two options:(maybe it is different where you live?)

chariot choice 3 and chariot choice 36

without that ptc code it was much higher.

 

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elfenix

elfenix 34207

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 9/19/2019 at 10:34 AM, SydneyCarton said:

The rates are always advertised at 1k or 2k, depending on the website. Always check the EFL. No one advertises the rate at 500-999 because generally they're always super high. 

all they're doing is gaming power to choose, which only has settings for 500, 1000, and 2000, with nothing in between.  at least now there's an option to get rid of the $100 rebate for hitting 1000 plans. 

 

still on griddy, seen a couple minor spikes with the warm weather the last two days.  griddy has a flaw in that, while your price is set every 5 minutes, your meter is read every 15.  so, you could set your smart home to turn everything off when the rate peaks and still get dinged.  for example, assume during the first 10 minutes of a 15 minute period, the price was 0/kwh, so you had everything on and used 3 kwh.  the last 5 minutes, the price jumps to $9/kwh, and everything gets shut off so you use no electricity.  well, your meter didn't say when you used that 3 kwh, so it assumes you used 1 kwh for each of the three periods, and you get charged $9 even though you consumed no electricity when it wasn't free. 

Edited by elfenix
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SydneyCarton

SydneyCarton 47942

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, elfenix said:

all they're doing is gaming power to choose, which only has settings for 500, 1000, and 2000, with nothing in between.  at least now there's an option to get rid of the $100 rebate for hitting 1000 plans. 

 

still on griddy, seen a couple minor spikes with the warm weather the last two days.  griddy has a flaw in that, while your price is set every 5 minutes, your meter is read every 15.  so, you could set your smart home to turn everything off when the rate peaks and still get dinged.  for example, assume during the first 10 minutes of a 15 minute period, the price was 0/kwh, so you had everything on and used 3 kwh.  the last 5 minutes, the price jumps to $9/kwh, and everything gets shut off so you use no electricity.  well, your meter didn't say when you used that 3 kwh, so it assumes you used 1 kwh for each of the three periods, and you get charged $9 even though you consumed no electricity when it wasn't free. 

I know? Those three tiers are required by the PUC, my man. It's definite gaming.

 

Enjoy griddy while you can. I'm not sure they'll be around this summer. But that's just my opinion. 

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elfenix

elfenix 34207

Posted
Posted (edited)
9 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Those three tiers are required by the PUC, my man. It's definite gaming.

are they though? 

 

i shopped it a few weeks ago using my actual usage and, even with all the cruddy pricing last august and september, griddy still came out ahead. 

might switch to 100% wind, though. (i know, i'm only using whatever comes into the mix in the houston power grid which isn't a whole lot of wind).

Edited by elfenix
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SydneyCarton

SydneyCarton 47942

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, elfenix said:

are they though? 

 

i shopped it a few weeks ago using my actual usage and, even with all the cruddy pricing last august and september, griddy still came out ahead. 

might switch to 100% wind, though. (i know, i'm only using whatever comes into the mix in the houston power grid which isn't a whole lot of wind).

Yes. There's a reason every EFL shows 500, 1000, and 2000. It's not an accident, and it's not collusion. You don't think everyone would show different rates at prices to get a leg up against competition if they couldn't?

I didn't say Griddy wasn't a great option for you. I said they might not be around. This is definitely the time of year for Griddy, though. October-April. 

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elfenix

elfenix 34207

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

There's a reason every EFL shows 500, 1000, and 2000. It's not an accident, and it's not collusion. You don't think everyone would show different rates at prices to get a leg up against competition if they couldn't?

i thought it was just because powertochoose only had those to drop down from.  and yes, i know it's a gov website (iirc started by the city of houston under bill white).  i don't recall the EFL showing prices for those 3 tiers, and that's the only thing i'm for certain is required from a regulatory standpoint.

3 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I didn't say Griddy wasn't a great option for you.

not every response is a retort.

Edited by elfenix
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SydneyCarton

SydneyCarton 47942

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, elfenix said:

i thought it was just because powertochoose only had those to drop down from.  i don't recall the EFL showing prices for those 3 tiers, and that's the only thing i'm for certain is required from a regulatory standpoint.

not every response is a retort.

No, sir. If that were the case you'd see something else on the websites of individual electricity companies, and you don't. It's required by the PUC. 

 

Not every response is a retort? 

 

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gyroprotagonist

gyroprotagonist 2591

Posted
Posted

about to switch on Monday.  Had a 3 year plan juts expire and of course they don't notify you but rather just put you some shitty plan that was double my last rate.

Also, be sure to unlock your credit stuff before trying to sign up or they think you are a poor and want a $350 deposit up front.

 

I may end up going with Chariot energy or there was one more on the powertochoose.org that had the same rate.

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elfenix

elfenix 34207

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 4/5/2020 at 2:51 PM, gyroprotagonist said:

Had a 3 year plan juts expire and of course they don't notify you but rather just put you some shitty plan that was double my last rate.

next time i'm on something with an expiration i'm putting that date on my calendar. frontier didn't send the 30 day notice and 3 weeks of february of 2019 cost almost as much more than july of 2018

Edited by elfenix
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MonkeyDoughnut

MonkeyDoughnut 10192

Posted
Posted
On 7/5/2020 at 3:24 PM, Alex Karev said:

Just re-signed with Tri-Eagle 

8.8 @2000kw

$4.95 meter charge.

No one can beat that rate with Oncor.

Just a thanks for bumping this thread this week... I had been on a plan I had needed to switch and hadn't realized how badly I was getting bent over.... switched over to TriEagle now as well.

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Irish Wrist Watch

Irish Wrist Watch 1358

Posted
Posted (edited)

Some news and a question: Until today, I've been paying Spectrum $127/mo for phone (home) TV, internet. Turning in my cable box today. All I watch is Fox, but I can stream that via my Computer attached to the TV (albeit with fairly shitty resolution.) FWIW, I can stream Baseball in HD the same way. Previously I'd been told my bill would drop to $75/mo. Today, they said it would drop to $60/mo. I'll believe it when I see it.

They also mentioned one thing, which I summarily dismissed. They said I could stream TV for $15/mo. I'm wondering if I should have explored this further. Anyone have any experience with that? Will that include college football, if we ever have that again? Longhorn Network? Any other suggestions?

Edited by Irish Wrist Watch
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elfenix

elfenix 34207

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Irish Wrist Watch said:

Some news and a question: Until today, I've been paying Spectrum $127/mo for phone (home) TV, internet. Turning in my cable box today. All I watch is Fox, but I can stream that via my Computer attached to the TV (albeit with fairly shitty resolution.) FWIW, I can stream Baseball in HD the same way. Previously I'd been told my bill would drop to $75/mo. Today, they said it would drop to $60/mo. I'll believe it when I see it.

They also mentioned one thing, which I summarily dismissed. They said I could stream TV for $15/mo. I'm wondering if I should have explored this further. Anyone have any experience with that? Will that include college football, if we ever have that again? Longhorn Network? Any other suggestions?

https://www.surlyhorns.com/board/index.php?/topic/457-cord-cutters-thread/page/35/

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Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13426

Posted
Posted

I’ve been reading that several electric providers, including griddy are encouraging customers to transfer to other electric providers before Monday. One is offering a bonus if customers leave. Paying customers to leave, crazy. I assume the electric providers are going to get killed on the open market in the next 2-3 days as people crank up their electric heaters.

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MonkeyDoughnut

MonkeyDoughnut 10192

Posted
Posted (edited)
18 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I’ve been reading that several electric providers, including griddy are encouraging customers to transfer to other electric providers before Monday. One is offering a bonus if customers leave. Paying customers to leave, crazy. I assume the electric providers are going to get killed on the open market in the next 2-3 days as people crank up their electric heaters.

They don't want to get stuck with variable rate bills that their customers won't be able to pay. Someone paying roughly $5 a day for electricity could see a bill for $500 a day.

Anyone with a variable rate bill should be looking to power down as much as possible from Monday into Wednesday or your bill could be in the thousands for February.

Edited by MonkeyDoughnut
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Nice Guy Eddie

Nice Guy Eddie 13426

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, MonkeyDoughnut said:

They don't want to get stuck with variable rate bills that their customers won't be able to pay. Someone paying roughly $5 a day for electricity could see a bill for $500 a day.

Anyone with a variable rate bill should be looking to power down as much as possible from Monday into Wednesday or your bill could be in the thousands for February.

I have a buddy that plays the griddy game. He’s expressing some apprehension about the next couple of days. Almost makes you wonder if it would be cheaper to stay in a hotel or a friend/family’s house, and lower the house temps down enough to just keep everything from freezing.

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MonkeyDoughnut

MonkeyDoughnut 10192

Posted
Posted
33 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I have a buddy that plays the griddy game. He’s expressing some apprehension about the next couple of days. Almost makes you wonder if it would be cheaper to stay in a hotel or a friend/family’s house, and lower the house temps down enough to just keep everything from freezing.

No kidding, likely would. I double checked my plan just to make sure i wasn't on a variable rate. Only couple times a year that you might regret it, this is one of those for sure. ERCOT has already said they don't expect to have enough power on Monday so can all but guarantee rate limit hitting.

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Damor

Damor 1235

Posted
Posted

Yeah, I pulled the ripcord on Griddy on Friday.  It had worked very well for me (even despite August 2019), but when my bill for Thursday alone was almost $130, even I could see the writing on the wall for the upcoming week.  I've still got the app and have been following the prices loosely -- it's going to be a bloodbath.  I haven't seen it below $1/kwh in over 24h, and they are predicting $4-6 for the next couple of days.  I'm betting that it will hit the wall at $9.99 in spikes several times as well.  It's entirely possible that my February bill could have been bigger than my entire 2020.

That said, I was fairly impressed that they proactively contacted customers and even provided recommended alternative power plans, as well as instructions on how to be sure to get service switched over same-day.  I realize some of that was in self-defense, but it was very helpful info.

I'll think about going back after a month or so if it survives (evidently they have some kind of price protection planned for next month), but this is pretty much the nightmare scenario you have to be aware of and watch for.

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Damor

Damor 1235

Posted
Posted

So watching all of this happen, I'm just going to assume that we're going to see consumer prices skyrocket as providers try to buttfuck us all into oblivion to make up for the buttfucking they're currently receiving.  Before they can put all that completely into motion, I thought this might be a good idea to put together a plan.

1)  I was happy with Griddy until this happened; however, this should potentially be a once-in-a-lifetime event.  If it survives I was considering going back, but I don't know enough about the way the market works to understand if spot prices will generally go up or return to "normal."  I'm guessing there will also be regulatory turmoil which will make this unpredictable.  And since I shouldn't mess around with things I don't understand, this is probably not the best option for now.

2)  Lock in the lowest long term plan available.  I'm finding plans just under $0.10/kwh for up to 36mos for my usage, which I'm thinking will be a good deal over that time period.  They are with no-name providers, though.  While I know that they are just the REP, my concern would be that if they are committing to those contracts they are more at risk of going under and leaving me to scramble for something shitty later (this happened to me with Breeze) when prices have likely gone up significantly.

3)  Pick a decent fixed rate from a big stable provider like TXU or Reliant.  Finding these for just under $0.11/kwh, though for  shorter terms.  Seems like the most conservative course and maybe the wisest given upcoming unpredictability, although I hate both of those companies.  And they reserve the right to "discontinue the plan without notice" and put me on a variable $0.30/kwh plan.

4)  Try out something like Energy Ogre.  Seems more risky given unpredictability, and I don't want to deal with unlocking my credit.

5)  Move to a more civilized place like Uruguay.

I'm currently thinking #3, but I'd appreciate any insight from those of y'all who are really plugged into this.  Maybe I'm overthinking things, but I sure as hell don't expect the REPs to act in my best interest and want to at least get a reacharound out of this.

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tokamak

tokamak 6353

Posted
Posted

I generally go with option #2. I’m about 6 months in to a 36 month contract with some no name outfit at the moment. I like the peace of mind of having a fixed rate - their emails begging me to conserve right now to save them money go straight into the trash can.

I’d never given much thought to what happens if they go belly up. People posting rumors and shit on social media during this outage has me rethinking that though. Like you said option 3 might be better in that regard but I’d damn sure read the fine print. My experience with the TXUs of the world is that they would never pass up an opportunity to fuck you.

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Damor

Damor 1235

Posted
Posted (edited)

Yeah, I'm seeing Southwest P&L for 36mos for 9.3c/kwh.  I had them a few years ago when Breeze went out of business, and they were relatively benign and have at least been around for a while.

By the way, the fine print for all these plans points out that any increase in regulatory rates/fees from the PUC/ERCOT will get passed on to the consumer, so I expect that to happen.  At least that goes to the inept and corrupt PUC/ERCOT instead of the inept and corrupt REP, amirite?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Edited by Damor
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Zepol87

Zepol87 9176

Posted
Posted
On 2/14/2021 at 8:41 AM, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I have a buddy that plays the griddy game. He’s expressing some apprehension about the next couple of days. Almost makes you wonder if it would be cheaper to stay in a hotel or a friend/family’s house, and lower the house temps down enough to just keep everything from freezing.

Yea I got hit with that. 300 dollars in 3 days. In Vegas for work now so I am looking to switch

 

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