Electrcity Provider Ratings There are several elements consumers should consider when shopping for home electricity plans. The most common decisions involve selecting the type of pricing plan (fixed rate or variable rate), length of contract term, and renewable energy content. For some customers, their search begins and ends with the electricity rate. Many consumers, however, […]
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ERCOT is the power grid operator for about 90% of the state’s electricity load and serves over 24 million Texas electricity consumers. The summer of 2015 was an interesting time for the Texas grid operator. The ERCOT hourly peak demand record was broken five times between August 5th and August 10th. The prevailing ERCOT record […]
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While Connecticut’s official nickname is the “Constitution State,” it is also know by other monikers including the “Nutmeg State” and the “Provisions State.” One of the lesser-known nicknames is the “Land of Steady Habits.” While this was intended to allude to the strict morals of the state’s inhabitants, it also reflects the standards to which […]
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Electric Customer Choice Market Evolution. Imagine if the telecom industry had deregulated in such a way that people in one state were streaming movies on their smart phones while their counterparts in another state were limited to using rotary dial phones anchored to wall jacks. This essentially describes the current state of electric customer choice […]
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The Massachusetts Electric Industry Restructuring Act of 1997 was the enabling legislation authorizing retail electric competition for Massachusetts residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Massachusetts retail electric customers have been able to choose whether they purchase electric generation from a competitive supplier or their regulated distribution utility since March 1998. Residential, commercial, and industrial consumers who do not […]
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Massachusetts retail electric customers have enjoyed the power to choose their generation provider since 1998. Customers have the benefit of being able to select from a growing number of competitive electricity suppliers or remain on basic service with their distribution utility. The majority of commercial and industrial retail electric customers have participated in the electric […]
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When shopping for great electric rates, Texas energy consumers should review their historical electric usage data. This data is important in deciding if a particular retail electric plan is a good fit for their home. Many retail electric plans have pricing components keyed to certain monthly usage levels. In addition, customers considering time-of-use electric rates […]
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Texas Electricity Generation Sources The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) operates the power grid that serves approximately 90% of all electricity used in Texas. Within ERCOT, about 75% of the electricity is consumed in areas open to retail electric competition. The composition of the electric power generation fleet within ERCOT has changed over the […]
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Texas Retail Electric Provider Contract Documents The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) establishes the rules retail electric providers must follow. When communicating with prospective and current customers about their product offerings they must follow these rules. These rules standardize the information provided to customers so that they can compare retail electric plans. From here, […]
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Texas Smart Meters Overview – Traditional electric meters in Texas only had the ability to measure cumulative kilowatt-hours consumed. Meter readers collected usage data approximately every 30 days. No information was gathered about when the energy was used, only how much was used since the last meter reading. Interval Electricity Data To collect data on […]
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