I thought this might be of interest to other Texas forumites. Reliant Energy is offering the Nest Learning Thermostat to new customers that sign up for their Learn and Conserve package. There is a 2 year commitment, but the plan rate is reasonable at 11.1 cents per kWh. It's cheaper than my current rate and the thermostat is a nice switching bonus.

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Le poète doit vivre beaucoup, vivre dans tous les sens. - Verlaine

Strangely, here in Illinois our rate from ComEd is about 6 cents to generate and 2 cents to deliver... I thought Texas was the land of cheap oil... why is energy so much more expensive there?
g=

I'm in Texas also and pay about 9.2¢. There's a lot of different rates to choose from. Of course our electric bill looks like our cell phone bill, all the other 'fees' & taxes added on. Smart meter charge, etc. I was happy with a dumb meter.



Fred

My provider here in New Braunfels, TX, is Pedernales Electric Coop. The last bill's over all rate was 10.3¢. The base rate is 6.4¢ but there is a delivery charge of 3.2¢ per kwh and a service availability charge of $22.50.

Generation : 7.9 cents
Delivery: 13.8 cents

I could pay more for generation by purchasing just "green" power.


Aren't Texas rates going up because they nixed several coal plants they desperately needed and now are buying expensive power from " out of the region " ?

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2012 08:48AM by billb.

Yep, Texas rates are going to be high because several coal plants have been ordered to be shut down, and the money is needed to build more gas plants.

The fact that the state adds about 500,000 new residents a year doesn't help, either.

They haul a ton of coal in from Colorado/Wyoming (trains) for power plants. There is also a lot of Lignite coal in central Texas that is about 100 feet deep. They remove the top soil down to the coal & then remove the coal. They then put the top soil back & reseed it. Make some good looking pastures when they get through. I got to tour one of the mines a number of years ago.

lignite mining in Texas

Fred