How to Find the Best Energy Provider in Fort Worth?
They say that Fort Worth embodies Texas – where else can you find the cowboy culture and urban sophistication seamlessly merging together than in Texas’ fifth-largest city? But it’s not only the cattle trade history, top-notch restaurants, and architecture that makes Fort Worth attractive. The Lone Star State also enjoys the state’s deregulated energy market, allowing Texans to shop around for energy plans and providers.
Whether you’re a long-term resident or just eager to get a taste of a new city, below you will learn how to lock in a new power plant in Fort Worth.
How to Find Cheap Electricity Rates in Fort Worth
With over 60 different utility providers competing for customers in Fort Worth, it can get pretty tricky to choose the right one. Suppliers’ websites can be confusing and contain a lot of industry jargon that is meant to trick you into signing up.
That’s we took it upon ourselves to review the majority of competitive electric suppliers and provide you, the customer, with everything you need to know before switching, including the cheapest available rates, customer reviews from reliable sources, and additional important information you might need.
Fort Worth Electricity Rates
According to the US Energy Information Administration, average residential Texas electricity rates are 11.99 cents per kilowatt-hour (¢/kWh), but you can find an electricity plan that is way cheaper than that.
The territory of Fort Worth is serviced by Oncor Electric Delivery. The utility company helps safely deliver the actual electricity to your home or business and maintain the power lines in your area. Since it is a state company, it is allowed to charge higher prices and even hike up the rates from time to time to finance its investments.
If you are not interested in paying these higher rates, we have a solution. Just enter your zip code on our website and you will see a list of electricity plans with attractive prices. When you find the best rate, you can lock it in for 12 months, 24 months, or even for a full 36 months.
For example, below is a list of electricity plans, currently available in Fort Worth:
Fort Worth Energy Deregulation
For Texas residents, the energy freedom came in the form of the retail electricity industry deregulation on January 1, 2002. Today, over 85% of Texas territory is deregulated (with only a few exceptions, like Austin, San Antonio, and El Paso) – including Fort Worth.
Hundreds of retail energy suppliers are competing for the attention of Texas customers with cheaper rates, green energy options, and outstanding customer service. If you live in or are moving to Fort Worth, you have the power to choose too.
The official deregulated energy program in Texas is called Power to Choose. The program, run by the Public Utility Commission of Texas aims to shield customers from unnecessary high energy costs by advertising available energy offers, and if needed, switch to another power provider.
Sources of Fort Worth Electricity
Because of its size and natural resources, Texas has got a tremendous potential to generate renewable power. The state has twice surpassed its sustainability goals and it now generates more wind power than California. However, its dependency on fossil fuel heavy industries – chemicals, petrochemicals, transportation, and industrial refining – makes the Lone Star State also the biggest US polluter, emitting a staggering 711.0 million metric tons of CO2 emissions each year.
The energy mix in Fort Worth comes from three main types of power: fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewable power.
Renewable Power
Wind Energy
Texas has a wind energy capacity of 28,895 megawatts with another 5,322 currently under construction, generating 22 percent of the state’s electricity. Most of the state’s wind turbines are in west Texas, but a few are being built around the state population centers including Dallas and Fort Worth.
Nuclear Power
Nuclear accounts for less than 5% of the electricity capacity for the state of Texas. There are two operating nuclear power plants – and one of them, the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, only 40 miles south of Fort Worth.
Solar
Solar power is quickly expanding in Fort Worth as an energy source, with the average solar panel cost in Fort Worth, TX is $2.76/W in October 2020. Also, if you are interested in installing your own panels, you are eligible for 26% Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and other state and local solar incentives, driving the net price of your panel down by thousands of dollars.
Fossil Fuels
In the past 10 years, Fort Worth has been the focal point for natural gas energy generation through exploration and drilling in the Barnett Shale with more than 16,000 producing wells in place. Natural gas is also a preferred source of electricity because of the easily ramped up production, cheap prices, and only about half the emissions compared to coal energy generation.
Types of Electricity Plans
Energy plans are like shoes. One size does not fit all. The electric suppliers offer many different energy plans and you should be familiar with each option’s pros and cons.
However, navigating through complex unfamiliar information about electricity rates can be daunting, so we did the heavy lifting for you. Below is a brief overview of the most commonly offered energy products offered in Fort Worth:
Fixed Rate Plan
This plan will lock the price you pay per kilowatt-hour of electricity for the whole duration of the contract, even if the wholesale energy price fluctuates. These plans are economical and offer price security, but usually carry cancellation fees, if you decide to exit the contract early.
Indexed Rate Plan
On this plan, the price of your electricity is dependent on another factor, which will be disclosed in your electricity bill. For example, one electricity company can tie the price of electricity to the time that you use it – a plan that is commonly known as the Time of Use Tariff. Indexed plans usually offer better average rates than fixed-rate plans, but they require a fair amount of monitoring on the customer’s part to ensure savings.
Variable Rate Plan
Opposite to fixed-rate plans, there is no locked-in rate in a variable-rate contract, and the unit price of electricity might be cheaper one month and more expensive the next month. The plus side is that there is no commitment to stay on a variable-rate contract, so you can easily switch to another electricity company, without a penalty.
Considerations to Find the Best Fort Worth Electricity Rates
While the actual switching process is relatively easy, you shouldn’t rush the process. There are plenty of electricity providers in Fort Worth, ready to compete for your business, so you really want to make sure you are locking in the right rate. Before you enter your zip code and shop around, get familiar with the following terms:
Usage Base Pricing
The advertised electricity rates you will find on electric suppliers’ websites are almost always based on specific energy usage and they vary, according to how much electricity do you use on a regular basis.
The key to avoiding overpaying for electricity in Texas is having a good idea about how many kWh / month does your household or business normally use. The easiest way to find out how much energy you use is to look at your electricity bill, but there are also various online tools to help you estimate it.
Contract Term Lengths
Energy companies in Fort Worth offer a number of different long and short-term contracts. Fixed-rate electricity rates in Fort Worth allow you to lock in the price for the duration of the contract – whether it’s 12 months, 24, or 36 months. But – exactly how long should your energy plan be?
It depends on your energy needs. The longer you can lock a cheap rate for, the more stability you have. If the wholesale price of energy goes up in Texas, you can rest assured that as long as you are on your fixed energy plan, your price won’t change.
However, if you want to exit the plan early, the longer you still have left on your contract, the higher the early termination fee most likely will be. As a rule of thumb, a reliable, cheap 12 months contract is a good place to start.
Who is the Cheapest Electricity Provider in Fort Worth?
There is no single company that offers the cheapest electricity rates in Fort Worth, unfortunately. Electricity providers constantly change the rates they offer and shuffle them around, so the best thing you can do is to always be on the lookout for the right energy plan and compare rates often.
When you enter your zip code on our website, you will not only see a long list of available electricity rates of 12 months, 24, or even 36 months, but they’ll also be sorted from the cheapest ones on the top. Make a habit of checking what offers are currently going, so that when the right one comes along, you can snap it up.
Importantly, when your energy plan is about to expire, don’t just assume that the same company still has the cheapest rates going forward. Comparing rates is a really quick process, so don’t miss out on saving money!
How to Lower Your Electricity Bill and Carbon Emissions in Fort Worth
If you sometimes worry about your carbon footprint, you are not alone. Looking out for the future of our planet is a noble pursuit and one that is made possible by adopting greener ways of doing things.
Fort Worth’s Sustainability Task Force pioneers the usage of green energy and as a result, multiple electricity providers in the city now offer 100% renewable energy plans, that allow customers to offset their carbon footprint without breaking the bank.
Amigo Energy and Green Mountain Energy are two of many providers to offer 100% renewable electricity rates in Fort Worth. When you enter your zip code on our website, you will see other green energy options.
Who to Call if You Have a Power Outage in Fort Worth
The territory of Fort Worth is serviced by Oncor Electric Delivery. The utility company helps safely deliver the actual electricity to your home or business and maintain the electricity lines in your zip code. That’s whom you should call if your power goes out – whether you’ve switched electricity providers or not, your utility company is still responsible for safely delivering the electricity to your door.
In the event of electricity outage, call the Oncor Electric outage number at 888-313-4747.
What is a Good Rate Per kWh in Fort Worth?
Thanks to energy deregulation, Fort Worth residents have the option to choose competitive electricity rates. The average residential Texas electricity rates are 11.99 cents per kilowatt-hour (¢/kWh), but you can easily find a provider that offers rates as low as 6¢/kWh. All you need to do is enter your zip code and see the best offers available in your area.
There are other factors than just the price though – for example, the contract length. Signing up for 12 months is not the same as signing up for 36 months.
Make sure you read all the fine print – sometimes an electricity plan has a very good rate, but it comes with a hefty cancellation fee or is tied to a very high monthly consumption. Before you sign up, look up the provider on the Better Business Bureau website to check out reviews from other customers.
Why is My Fort Worth Energy Bill So High?
No one likes the unpleasant surprise in the form of a large energy bill in the mail. If your latest bill was higher than usual, below are some of the reasons why that could be.
Rates have been increased by the electric company
If you are currently on a variable-rate plan, the electricity rate can change at the discretion of the provider. To get additional security into your monthly routine, shop for a stable, 12 months fixed-rate plan with a locked-in rate instead.
The fixed-price plan you chose has expired
If your contract expired and you haven’t selected another one, the electric company might automatically enroll you into a variable-rate plan, which is more expensive. Enter your zip code to find another fixed-rate plan to switch to.
The energy plan you chose does not match your energy use
You found a great rate and without reading the small print, you signed up for it! That was a mistake. The displayed rate at the supplier website is often tied to specific usage, for example, 2000 kilowatt-hours, so if your monthly usage is less, you might be paying a higher price.
If you found yourself in one of the situations described below, don’t despair. As a Fort Worth resident, you can, fortunately, shop for energy plans, until you find the best one. The choices are plenty, so there is no reason to be overpaying for electricity. Even if you are currently enrolled in a contract, there might be ways to get out of it without hefty fees.
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