Reneable energy certification and tracking. You are shopping for great electricity rates but you also want to help the environment. The good news is that there is a wide selection of renewable electricity plans available from which to choose. As previously discussed in this blog, most electricity plans use renewable energy certificates (RECs) as the […]
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TXU Energy and Direct Energy Free Electricity Plans For most of the history of residential electric service in Texas, it did not matter when customers used electricity. TXU Energy and Direct Energy have introduced free electricity plans. Most energy providers simply took the difference between the beginning and ending reading and multiplied it by the […]
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Commercial Electric Rates – Natural Gas Index Most business customers prefer knowing what their electricity rate is going to be for a given contract term. Others prefer to have their electricity rate ride with market. There are several types of market index rates available to commercial and industrial customers. One well-established electricity index product is […]
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Hybrid Commercial electricity rate plans and typical rate plans. Commercial Electricity Rate Plans Retail electric providers typically offer fixed price plans to commercial customers. These plans are great for businesses that are risk averse and prefer locking in their electric rate for the term of the contract. The retail electricity supplier assumes market price risk […]
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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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With most Texas electricity plans, the energy provider bills the customer after the end of each billing cycle. Customers pay their bills and process repeats. However, because customers are paying after consuming the electricity, the energy supplier could be left holding the bag if the customer does not pay their bill. This is why credit […]
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Texas Electricity Provider Market Share. As Texas retail electric competition enters its 14th year, the market continues to mature as evidenced by the number of market participants and the diversity of their electric plans. Even with merger and acquisition activity, the number of retail electric providers serving Texas customers continues to grow. Several factors have […]
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Natural Gas Fireplace Efficiency It seems that every winter the debate arises over whether or not it is a good idea to use gas fireplaces for residential heating. Gas fireplaces account for 10% of all U.S. residential natural gas consumption. Among residential natural gas end-uses, fireplaces rank lower than gas furnaces and water heaters but […]
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Solar Energy: Delivery Tariff Challenges The five largest sources of renewable energy generation in Texas are wind power, landfill gas, hydroelectric power, biomass energy, and solar power. Only three of these renewable energy sources, wind power, hydroelectric power, and solar power, do not involve combustion. Interestingly, in a state known for its abundant sunshine and […]
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Natural Gas Components – Natural gas is one of the most popular fuels available for residential energy customers. The most common residential uses of natural gas are for space heating, water heating, fireplaces, cooking and clothes drying. According us the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 55% of all households use natural gas as fuel source. Because […]
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