Comparing the Best Energy Rates & Plans in Stephenville, Texas

If you live in or plan to move to Stephenville, TX, you should know that the electricity is cheap and that there are many power providers working in the area. To choose the best one, simply enter your ZIP code on Electricrate and browse for the best plan that you can find. Electric rates change the month in and out, so follow them for some time, and close in on a price you like. Let’s go and see how you can do that exactly, saving hundreds every year and securing a clean, energy-safe future for your family. 

Stephenville Electricity Rates

Stephenville electricity rates are low: they are lower than the national average and Texas average, at $0.1547 and $1418, respectively. At just $0.139, the rates offered in the city are much lower and can provide you with a lower energy bill every month. Here is a breakdown of some of the most popular Stephenville energy plans that you can choose from: 

Average Electric Bill in Stephenville, Tx

Stephenville energy plans are cheaper than in the rest of the US. In addition to this, the average energy use of just 845 kWh (lower than the national average), means that you will be getting a lower bill as well. At just $125 a month, the average Stephenville resident pays just $3 above the national average electricity bill despite using a bit less electricity (~50 kWh per month). This should say that choosing the right energy rate also means choosing low fixed costs. Bear in mind that you cannot influence the transmission charges, but choosing the right energy provider can help a lot. 

Stephenville Electric Companies

Currently, there are over a dozen energy companies working in the area. You should be able to choose the right one based on how long they’ve been in the market, how rich their offer is, what other customers say about them (visit BBB.org (Better Business Bureau) for reviews), and any other characteristics you may deem necessary to consider. 

• 4Change Energy,
• Amigo Energy,
• Cirro Energy,
• Constellation,
• Direct Energy,
• Discount Power,
• Flagship Power,
• Frontier Utilities,
• Gexa Energy,
• Green Mountain,
• Just Energy,
• New Power Texas,
• Payless Power,
• Pulse Power,
• Reliant,
• TXU Energy, and
• Tara Energy.

Factors That Affect Electricity Rates

Considering how many electricity plans and electric companies in Stephenville TX, it is easy to see that all these plans come at different energy rates. Renewable energy plans and non-renewable energy plans do not come at the same prices, so understanding what factors contribute to electricity rates in your area is useful knowledge that will help you determine the best electricity plan for you. You will be able to choose the best Stephenville electricity rates, find good energy providers, and overall help secure an affordable energy future for both you and your family. The factors that influence electricity rates in your area are: 

• Fuels, 
• Power plant prices, 
• The transmission and distribution area system costs, 
• Your local area regulations, and 
• Weather conditions. 

Fuels

The price of fuels that your power plant pays is a big factor to consider. The price of these fuels can change on a daily basis, especially as the cost of the fuels changes in the international wholesale market. The fuels that your power plant uses are coal, oil, and natural gas. There are other types of fuels that plants can use, such as biogas, biomass, residential waste and organic waste, agricultural waste, and even hydrogen. However, these plants are usually of a lower energy output and there are not so many of them, so they cannot make a significant dent in your energy bill. 

This should say that the international price of fossil fuels is the biggest determiner of your energy bill. These fuels are subject to a whole array of factors that help form their prices. These include geopolitical events, total annual production, the demand for these fuels, and possible disruptions to the supply chain. Weather events also have their say in the cost of these fuels and your final electricity bill. Knowing that a supply chain disruption for one fuel can up the price of all other fuels is good as well. 

Power Plant Prices

All these fuels are burnt in power plants. In essence, all of them help boil water. As the water boils, it turns into steam which is then sent over turbines. Once the turbines start spinning, they generate electricity. However, these power plants are very large and they can cost upwards of a hundred million dollars to build. All these costs are spread out over each kilowatt hour that a power plant is expected to produce in its lifetime, which is typically around 40 years. Thanks to this, only a small portion of your electric bill goes to power plants. In addition to this, other costs, such as power plant operation and maintenance, are also reflected in your energy bill. 

Transmission and Distribution Area System

To satisfy your energy usage and needs, the power generated in power plants is sent to your home through the grid. The grid is a complex system of power lines, transformers, power generators, and power consumers that all make the electricity service as we know it. Every energy company here does the best it can to keep the power supply reliable and with the least possible number of power outages. 

However, keeping this huge system running and up to date is a job that requires thousands of people and a lot of work hours day in and day out. Keeping the grid operable, preventing and taking care of existing power outages, making sure that all the energy companies are in sync with the users and energy demand, modernizing the grid, and expanding it is a type of work that takes a lot of money to support. That smart meter, after all, does not come cheap, and it is certainly not free. 

Area Regulations

The local area regulations, on the other hand, help keep the energy market a fair game place and they help keep the prices in check. This way, you are sure that you will not overpay the electricity providers and that the cheap electricity rate that you have been promised is the rate that you will get. Regulatory bodies are there to make sure electricity prices are set up in such a way that you are protected, as a customer. 

Weather Conditions

The local weather conditions also have a big say in how electricity prices are formed in your area. Depending on the season and the current weather conditions, the grid has to deliver electricity in higher or lower volumes. This can influence the price of electricity at any given moment, and this kind of change is reflected in your light bill month in and out, especially if you are on a variable rate plan. 

In general, there are two ways that the local weather conditions can influence the rates your pay with your electricity plan. Firstly, there are seasonal changes that influence the electricity rates in your area. During the winter and the summer, the temperature extremes cause people to crank up their HVAC systems, which increases energy demand and makes energy prices go up as well. The weather extremes can also decrease the energy supply by reducing the efficiency of power plants connected to the grid. 

Secondly, weather events can also influence renewable energy production. As we rely more on green energy, we will also need to build more energy storage such as batteries and pumped hydro reservoirs, as they will be crucial to overcoming intermittency as the biggest issue renewables face today. After all, the sun does not always shine, the wind does not always blow, and there are days without even a single wave on the ocean’s surface. This means that solar energy, wind power, and tidal energy are all highly intermittent, although also very reliable at the same time. 

Types of Electricity Plans in Stephenville, Texas

So, all the factors stated above have their say in how much you will be paying for your energy every month of the year. However, there are ways to reap most of the benefits and that is by choosing the right type of energy plan for your energy needs. Before you even compare electricity rates, you will need to know what type of energy plan is the best for you, and how to choose the most affordable plan for you and your family. There are several kinds of energy plans you should consider before making a final decision about what energy provider and energy plan to go with. These include: 

• Fixed-rate plans, 
• Variable-rate plans, 
• Prepaid energy plans, 
• Business energy plans, 
• Green energy plans, and 
• Time-of-use tariffs or plans. 

Fixed-Rate Plans

Fixed-rate plans are our recommendation. With this type of energy plan, you can lock in your energy rate for the contract term and make sure that the fluctuations in the energy and fuel wholesale market do not have a necessarily bad effect on you. You can avoid these because your energy rate would be locked in. These plans cost a little bit more than variable-rate electric service does, but they offer you the peace of mind that no other plan can. 

Variable-Rate Plans

Variable-rate plans, on the other hand, change their electricity rates several times a year. During the spring and the autumn, your electric provider will be selling you cheap electricity. After all, stable temperatures mean that your HVAC will barely be working, and an energy supply surplus will keep energy prices low. 

However, during the summer and the winter, both high and low-temperature extremes will mean that electricity turned very expensive. During these periods, you will be paying way more, and these extra payments will most probably be higher than the savings you can make during the cheaper periods. Most Stephenville residents will opt for a fixed-rate plan, rather than a variable-rate plan. 

Prepaid Energy Plans

Prepaid energy plans, on the other hand, can get expensive. However, almost all energy providers offer them, because they are the best possible solution for all those who do not want: 

• Contract terms, 
• Early termination fees, 
• Credit history check. 

These plans are best suited for students or for those who move a lot and plan only on spending a few months in one place, like Stephenville. These plans will cost more, but the added flexibility and benefits are more than enough to make up for this. One of the biggest cons of these plans also called the no-deposit plans, is that you need to know your exact energy usage beforehand. 

Business Energy Plans

Business energy plans, or commercial energy plans, are available for both small and large businesses. These plans allow the business owner to access cheap electricity rates in Stephenville, and to reap all the benefits low electricity rates have to offer. All energy providers offer these plans, but you will have to contact them individually and see what kind of custom energy plan they can come up with for your business. You should also make sure to ask about any possible freebies that your energy provider or utility company has to offer, such as free energy audits, free nights and weekends, and smart thermometers. 

Green Energy Plans

Green energy plans are the next best thing for both Stephenville residential and commercial customers. These plans will allow you to use green energy every day, and help reduce your carbon footprint, as well as help mitigate climate change. These energy plans are the next best thing to getting solar panels installed on your rooftop but will come at a premium: energy price that is higher than if you used a solar array to produce the electricity by yourself. Here are some very popular green energy plans: 

Time-of-Use Tariffs 

Finally, the time-of-use energy plans or time-of-use tariffs are energy plans that offer two energy rates under the same plan. The first-rate is the standard rate that you will be paying, but some energy providers also add a second, lower rate to the plan. This rate is only available during certain periods of the day and is very likely to help you combat the high energy prices. These lower rates can sometimes offer energy for free and are typically available during nights and the weekends. By simply moving your laundry day to a weekend day, you will be able to save hundreds on your energy bill every year. 

Energy Deregulation in Texas

Energy deregulation may be a complex term for all those coming from energy-regulated states. However, it is a very simple notion. Energy deregulation means that the old companies who had monopolies over energy markets, as they were in charge of both transmission and distribution and providing energy to end-customers, were not split into two. This opened up the doors for many new companies, and energy providers to enter the market. 

This, in turn, brought about a lot of competition among the providers. Great electricity providers started offering options to compare electric rates and see that theirs is the best. They started offering many more services, including energy brokerage, energy advising, and energy audits, and both existing and new customers got a chance to choose their own energy plan, based on their own needs and preferences. Each new resident could enjoy the same perks, for as long as they are a registered Texas resident. 

How To Find the Best Energy Plan?

If you want to choose the best energy plan for your home, simply browsing Stephenville electricity rates is not the best option. Even the cheapest Stephebille electricity rates can often have fixed expenses that are very high, so you may end up with an electric bill that is higher than before. With this in mind, let’s consider how you can ditch your previous provider and choose the best plans, find the best competitive rates, and even the best customer service in your area: 

• Analyze your current electric rates – both nominal and effective rates, 
• Understand your energy use patterns and see what you can do to reduce your light bill as it is now – LED lights, caulking, insulation, and smart use of your curtains can sometimes do more than switching to a new provider when you start looking for ways to save on electricity, 
• Contact electricity companies in your area and see if you can get a free energy audit for your home, 
• Consider green energy plans – most utility companies provide a percentage of green power, and all retail electricity providers offer these plans, 
• Look for discounts, freebies, and other incentives to switch – all the while staying aware that some companies may intentionally offer them their more expensive products, 
• Assess the costs of ending the contract early, such as the early termination fees, and other fees you may have to pay, 
• Use Electricrate to find the best deal for your dime, and never be afraid to switch to another provider. 

If saving on your electricity bill is what concerns you the most, you should know that installing solar panels can help you practically nullify your bills. A solar array on your roof will mean you will have to spend more initially, but most panels pay off within 8 years of their purchase, and all other electricity you may consume will cost you virtually nothing, for a period of up to 25 years. 

How To Switch Your Electricity Provider?

Switching your electricity provider does not have to be a long and tedious task. In fact, there are ways to make sure you get the best possible rates even without spending too much time doing the research. In fact, Electricrate will be able to deliver the right type of information you may need to make your choice and switch the provider. Here, you will find up-to-date information on the current energy rates, retail electricity providers working in your ZIP code area, and information on contract terms among many others. You will also find contact information for the most popular Stephenville electricity providers.

With this in mind, we can continue exploring your options, and never forget that you should always make contact with the desired new provider to check all the details and make sure that the price and the plan they advertise are actually the electric plans you will be getting. If you like what you hear, you should consider moving the contract to them. They will usually need your customer number and a few more details to start you off and make the switch to their electric service. In some areas, you will get the same-day service, but only if the monthly cycle is about to expire. 

About Stephenville, Texas

There are about 21,000 people living in Stephenville. It went viral back in 2008 because of UFO sightings. The city is called the ‘cowboy capital’ and it is one of the youngest cities in the US: with an average age of just 24 years, it is both young and very affordable to live in. 

FAQs

Conclusion

To find the best rate for you and your family, you should simply enter your ZIP code into the Electricrate platform and let it do its magic. Here, you will be able to find all the information you need, such as the rate, the contract term, information on the plan provider, as well as the type of energy provided in the plan. Use the tool and our guide to choose the best energy plan in your ZIP code, for both you and your family. 

Updated on 09-12-23