How to Find the Best Electric Company in Houston

Finding electricity plans in Houston is hard. With there being so many choices and most people not having enough time to dedicate to doing quality research, they wind up getting stuck in a bad plan. 

Plan picking websites like Power to Choose claim to help consumers, but they can make things even more confusing at times. This article will show you the best low Houston electricity rates, help you learn where to find the best electricity plan for your specific needs, learn the differences between types of electricity plans, how to lower your Houston electricity bill, and much more!

And if you're interested, this article also can help you learn a little more about Energy Ogre. Energy Ogre is an energy management and consulting company that does it all for you. From finding a great plan to monitoring your account for a truly seamless electricity experience!

Table of Contents

Paying Too Much for Electricity in Houston?

Nobody wants to pay more for something when they don't have to, and electricity is no different! With electricity prices changing daily, it's not easy to keep up. If you're not paying attention or don't know what to look for, overpaying can happen quickly. 

Compare Houston Electricity Rates with Our Savings Calculator

Instead of worrying about Houston energy comparison on your own, Energy Ogre's free savings calculator estimates what you could save on electricity over the next twelve months by comparing your rate with what's available in the market. To find out what your monthly bill could be, click the button below!

Savings Calculator

If you’re happy with how much money Energy Ogre can save you on your electric bill, signing up is easy! Find your most recent electricity bill and head over to sign-up. You can be an Energy Ogre member in three easy steps! After that, we’ll request your historical usage and send further instructions to your email. Super simple!

Energy Ogre Saves You Money on Your Houston Electric Bill

So how can Energy Ogre find you the best energy rates in Houston? Energy Ogre provides comprehensive electricity management services. We handle the selection of the electricity provider and your enrollment in the correct plan. We even handle the renewal activity for your account. These benefits are designed to allow us to make sure you are always in the most appropriate and cost-effective rate for your situation.

Energy Ogre can even get custom rates that aren’t available to the public for our members who meet specific usage criteria.

In a Contract? Energy Ogre Can Still Help!

Looking for the Cheapest Electricity Rates in Houston?

You must be very cautious when searching for energy deals in Houston. Be mindful of which plan you choose because many REPs will include kWh restrictions. Additionally, many REPs structure their rates so that the plan looks good on paper but does not translate well in reality. Therefore, you can easily get charged—essentially penalized— if you use too many kWhs AND if you use too few. For more tips on how to make sure you’re not getting fooled when looking for the cheapest electric company in Houston, take a look at the articles below.

Expensive Freebies: "Free" Nights and Weekends Aren't Actually Free

What’s a Kilowatt Hour or kWh?

You Have the Power to Choose Your Light Company in Houston

Powertochoose.org is the state's online marketplace where retail electricity providers (REPs) can post their available offers. Oftentimes, the details of the plan make how much you would be billed more complicated than the advertised rate. As the market becomes more competitive, shopping for electricity and comparing Houston Power to Choose electricity rates gets even more confusing and time-consuming. What a lot of Texans believe they are getting could be drastically different from reality.

For more information on Power to Choose, see Energy Ogre vs Power to Choose.

Retail Electric Providers in Houston, TX

There are many power companies in Houston TX. Some of the most common service providers are Reliant, TXU, Gexa, and Frontier Utilities. Check out some of their reviews below.

Reliant Energy

TXU Energy

Gexa Energy

Frontier Utilities

Discount Power

Constellation

Wondering how these companies work? Take a look at Retail Electric Providers in Texas.

Types of Electric Plans in Houston

Fixed Rate Plans

The best type of energy plan available is a fixed rate electricity plan. These plans are required by law to keep the cents per kWh paid constant throughout the term of the contract. Energy Ogre only signs up our member base with the lowest fixed rate electricity plans.

Variable Rate Plans

Another common plan is a variable rate energy plan (also known as a month-to-month rate among other names). Variable rates remain fixed over the course of that specific month. Around the beginning of each following month, the rate can be raised or lowered to the discretion of the electricity company. This process will recur indefinitely until you sign a new contract with any electricity company. Variable rates are usually extremely higher than in contract fixed energy rate plans.

No Deposit Plans

There are also certain companies that offer no deposit plans. Those plans tend to be higher than what a consumer would pay with a normal plan that could include a deposit.

For more information on deposits, look at the article below.

Electricity Deposits in Texas

Commercial Business Electricity in Houston

Commercial rate plans are needed for business/commercial meters. All non-residence-based meters on a residential property (shop, shed, etc.) require a commercial plan. Finding commercial electricity rates in Houston is slightly different from residential rates since Power to Choose does not advertise commercial rates on their website. Most major providers offer commercial plans to choose from and they tend to be longer and more expensive than residential rate plans.

If you’d rather someone find your commercial rate plan for you, sign up for commercial service with Energy Ogre on our website just as you would for a residential account. You would use your first and last name and then the business address. Once you're signed up, we will reach out to you via email to gather your business information, such as the business name, Tax ID, and other pertinent details.

If you would like more information or assistance in signing up, feel free to call us at (832) 975-1000, and choose option 3 to speak to a commercial representative!

Green Energy Plans for Residential Electricity in Houston

Almost all plans available are partially a product of renewable energy. You can figure out the percentage of renewable energy involved in your plan by looking at your Electricity Facts Label (EFL).

The only true “Green” plans are listed at 100% renewable. These plans tend to be more expensive than normal plans. However, Green plans can still be the cheapest choice depending on market conditions.

When you sign up to be an Energy Ogre member, you can choose to enroll exclusively in renewable plans. That means we will find you the best rate out of all the 100% renewable plans available.

Tips to Lower Your Houston Electric Bill

Besides signing up with Energy Ogre, there are several easy ways to help lower your energy bill. The first and one of the most commonly overlooked is to change your AC filters. When your air filters are clogged, your air conditioner must use more energy to push cool air through into your home. Changing your filters monthly will help your unit run more efficiently, giving you more cool air while lowering the cost of your electricity bill. For more money saving tips, see how to lower your electricity bill.

Houston Electricity Plans & Rates

Looking for Houston electricity plans is overwhelming. Below is a tool to calculate the best rates currently available and a list of electricity providers that service Houston.

Compare Texas Electric Rates

Please note: Energy Ogre considers many factors when deciding which plans to enroll our members in. A couple of those factors are member's personal monthly kWh usage profiles and what month their plan would end. It is possible that an Energy Ogre member may be enrolled in a plan slightly higher than what populates in the zip code tool above after weighing in all of the research Energy Ogre has done for their profile. 

For example, why would Energy Ogre enroll a member into a long term plan of 10.5 cents when a short term plan at 8.5 cents was available at the same time? One reason could be the month the short term plan was set to end. If the short term plan were to end in the summertime (when rates usually increase), the member would then have to sign a new more expensive contract to replace it. Therefore, the member would end up losing the money they had saved during the short term plan by paying a higher rate for their next plan. Overall, the member would have saved more money being enrolled in a long term contract that would have taken them through the summer months unlike the short term plan.

Rest assured that Energy Ogre will always pick the best plan suited for each specific member factoring in all details.

List of Electricity Companies in Houston

4Change Energy

Amigo Energy

Branch Energy

Champion Energy

Cirro Energy

CleanSky Energy

Constellation

Direct Energy

Discount Power

Energy Texas

Express Energy

Frontier Utilities

Gexa Energy

GoodCharlie

Green Mountain Energy

Just Energy

New Power Texas

Payless Power

PowerNext

Pulse Power

Reliant

Rhythm

Shell Energy Solutions

Southwest Power & Light

Spark Energy

Summer Energy

Tara Energy

Texpo Energy

Think Energy

Trieagle Energy

TXU Energy

Value Power

Veteran Energy

YEP Energy

Considering moving to Houston? Here are some things to know before moving to Texas.

Houston Electricity FAQs

Who has the best electricity rates in Houston, TX?

Since the electricity market changes so quickly, there isn’t one specific provider who consistently has the cheapest electricity rates in Houston.

What is the best electric company in Houston?

Because of skewed online reviews, it is difficult to determine the best electric company in Houston.

Which provider has the cheapest electricity rates in Houston?

Since the electricity market changes so quickly, there isn’t one specific provider who consistently has the cheapest electricity rates in Houston.

What is a good electricity rate in Houston?

Since the electricity market changes so quickly, what is considered a good rate can be drastically different than what you may think. As of April 2023, the best 12 month rates are around 10.5 cents per kWh.

How can I lower my energy bill in Houston?

You can lower your energy bill by updating your appliances to more energy efficient options. You can also check and seal any air leaks that may be apparent around your windows and doors. For more tips, see on how to save on your Houston energy bill.

How do I find the best electricity plan in Houston?

Energy Ogre uses proprietary software to determine the cheapest electricity rate plans for each of our customers. Energy Ogre wants you to see the real savings you can achieve—not a guess based on what seems to be a low kilowatt-hour rate on various websites. Interested in seeing how much you could save? Take a look at our Energy Savings Calculator!

How much does electricity cost in Houston?

As of April 2023, the average Houston electricity bill is around $150

Who provides electricity in Houston?

There are many different retail electricity providers (REP) in Houston. Take a look at our list above to see some of the providers.

Who has the cheapest electricity rates in Texas?

Since electricity rates change daily, it’s hard to keep track of who has the cheapest rates.

Will I have to pay an early termination fee (ETF) to switch my Houston electric plan?

If you’re currently in contract with an electric company, you will most likely have to pay an ETF if you switch to a new plan at a new electric company.

If you are in a contract, Energy Ogre will send you an analysis comparing the plan that you are currently in with the lowest plan available for you. The analysis will let you know if it makes financial sense for you to pay the early termination fee to your current provider to switch to the new plan. The decision of whether or not to switch, as well as paying the fee, will be up to you.

Having a hard time finding an electric company that will buyout your contract? We can help. Electric company that will buyout your contract

For further questions, take a look at our FAQ page here!

Energy Ogre Reviews

Check out some of our reviews below!

Energy Ogre Review: Nickie Says "Energy Ogre Has Been a Homerun."

Energy Ogre Review: Mike Pede with University of Houston

Energy Ogre Review: Sharla Says "Get Off the Fence!"

Don't want to break your current contract? Use our Contract Expiration Reminder tool to get sent a notification when it's time for yu to pick a new electricity plan!

Other articles you may enjoy: