Because of Startex Power’s exceptional business operations and low priced electricity service we continue to offer this straight forward ethically run energy provider to our customers in Houston Texas. You will find Startex Power in almost all of our comparison charts that compare electric rates in Houston with multiple energy companies. Startex has no hidden fees and charges but just a clear easy to understand fixed electric rate. We have used Startex Power for several years because they have always offered our customers honesty and integrity in their advertised prices on their website. It is no surprise that Startex Power has been reviewed by their customers as the number one retail electricity provider in Texas according to JD Power and Associates.

StarTex Power was founded on the pillar of superior customer service in 2004, and since then the company has seen more than 3,000 percent growth. StarTex knows that the real key to success is customer satisfaction, and that is why the company has made customer-centric focus its top priority.

StarTex Power Ranked Highest by J.D. Power and Associates in Customer Satisfaction Among Texas Electricity Providers HOUSTON – (August 20, 2009) – StarTex Power, the leading retail electricity provider in Texas, has been recognized as the company with the highest level of customer satisfaction among all electricity retailers in the state, according to the J.D. Power and Associates’ 2009 Texas Residential Retail Electric Provider Customer Satisfaction StudySM.

The second annual study measures customer satisfaction by examining four key factors: pricing, billing and payment, communications and customer service. Overall satisfaction among residential customers of electric retailers in Texas has decreased notably in 2009 to 629 on a 1,000-point scale, and driving this overall decline is decreased satisfaction with pricing. StarTex Power’s overall satisfaction score is 714, earning the company the highest score amongst its competitors. “We are honored to be recognized by our customers and J.D. Power and Associates for excellence in customer satisfaction – a trait that truly sets our company apart from others in the retail electricity space,” said Marcie Zlotnik, Chairman and COO, StarTex Power. “This recognition demonstrates our dedication to providing our customers with not only competitive rates, but also friendly people and the greatest in customer service.

We want to thank our customers for their support, and we look forward to serving them in the years to come.” This honor comes just one week after StarTex Power was ranked number 30 on the Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., making it the fastest-growing private energy company in the nation. In addition, the company is Houston’s 2008 fastest-growing woman-owned business, as well as one of the city’s “Best Places to Work,” as designated by the Houston Business Journal. Earlier this year, company founders Bob and Marcie Zlotnik were named finalists for the Ernst and Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award. “It takes a special kind of Company with unique and dedicated employees to be not only the fastest-growing private energy company in the country, but also the one with the highest ranked customer satisfaction in the state,” said Bob Zlotnik, President and CEO, StarTex Power.

“As we continue to expand, StarTex Power is committed to upholding and continually improving our customer service and support, a core value of our organization.” For information on how StarTex Power can provide the power to connect your home or business to competitive rates, great service and easy-to-read bills visit About StarTex Power StarTex Power, the leading retail electricity provider, gives its customers the power to connect to relatable people, competitive prices, transparent billing, as well as superior customer service. Servicing more than 120,000 customers, StarTex Power is committed to upholding the highest standards in the retail electric industry. StarTex Power serves residential and commercial customers, and is committed to connecting all its customers to superior products and services. To find out more information on StarTex Power, visit their Web site at Startex Power.

About J.D. Power and Associates Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on cell phone ratings, car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

We have had an early business relationship with Startex Power and chose them based on their ethically run business and electricity rates. Startex Power has fixed electric prices that are clear and easy to understand for a customer visiting their energy website. During the evolution of Texas electricity deregulation we have never seen Startex deviate from their straightforward manner in offering electricity prices in Texas that are easy to understand for the layman. As some providers in the market place have attempted to take advantage of customer confusion in regards to electricity price Startex has continued to offer clear all in bundled electricity rates on their website. We are proud to offer Startex Power as one of the cheapest and most ethical Texas energy brands on our website.

Below is some more information about Startex Power’s success in the United States of America’s free market system. 

Inc. Magazine Unveils 28th Annual List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies—the Inc. 500 StarTex Power Ranks No. 30 on the 2009 Inc. 500 with Three-Year Sales Growth of 3,794.3% HOUSTON, August 13, 2009 — Inc. magazine today ranked StarTex Power No. 30 on its 28th annual Inc. 500, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy—America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs. Companies such as Microsoft, Zappos, Intuit, GoDaddy, Under Armour, Jamba Juice, American Apparel, Oracle, and hundreds of other powerhouses gained early exposure as members of the Inc. 500. “If you want to know which companies are going to change the world, look at the Inc. 500,” said Inc. editor Jane Berentson. “These are the most dynamic, fast-growth companies in the nation, the ones finding innovative solutions to problems, creating smart systems, and inventing products we soon discover we can’t live without.

The Inc. 500 list is Inc. magazine’s tribute to American business ingenuity and ambition.” At No. 30 on the Inc. 500, StarTex Power is the fastest-growing privately owned retail electricity provider in the U.S. The company credits its success to its unwavering dedication to providing customers with the power to connect to relatable people, competitive prices, transparent billing and superior customer service. Servicing more than 120,000 homes and businesses, StarTex Power is committed to establishing and maintaining the highest standards in the retail electric industry. The company connects both residential and commercial customers to traditional and innovative products and services.

When signing up with a Houston electricity provider you likely heard a radio ad or saw a billboard with what appeared to be low price for electricity service. Some Houston electricity providers will show one rate on their main page of their website or on a billboard but when you receive your first months electricity bill you find that your rate is a few cents higher. What has happened here? Did the Houston electricity provider lie to you about their energy service price? When you call the Houston electricity provider they will tell you that no they did not lie to you but in fact you will find that if your read the small fine print in the contract that under “Pricing” in the “Terms of Service” section there is a clause that says TDSP charges will be a separate charge past through and added on to the energy price they advertised to you. The Houston electricity provider will likely explain that they have no idea what the TDSP charges will be for your residential electric service because they are not the TDSP company but only pass through those charges on your electricity bill.

Unbundled Electricity Prices in Houston, Why is This Wrong?

The problem with the scenario above is that most all residential electricity prices in Houston will have a clear price from the electric provider that shows all fees and charges in the bundled rate including the TDSP charges. If other Houston electricity providers bundle in the TDSP charges why are there still a few energy companies that sell residential electric service in an unbundled advertised rate? There are a small few Houston electricity providers that simply leave the TDSP charges off of any of their up front ads like a billboard, google ad, Yahoo ad, or website published rate. These electricity companies show you a partial rate because they know you will not read the fine print of the energy contract or call the provider to determine what the cost of the additional TDSP pass through will be.

Why Do Some Houston Electricity Companies Defend The Unbundled Pricing Practice?

Is it really honest to deviate from the norm and advertise an unbundled electricity price when all your competitors advertise a bundled fixed electricity price that includes the TDSP charges? The providers that operate in this manner have trained the grunt level call center staff to argue that it is fair because they are not the TDSP company. We do not argue that the electricity provider in Houston is the Transmission and Distribution Service Provider as that company is Centerpoint Energy. We argue that the Houston electricity Company has knowledge of what the TDSP charges are on average and could easily bundle that into the electricity rate like all their competitors do to give a complete description of their Houston electricity price to all customers who come to their website.

Compare in a Clear Easy To Understand Price Comparison

Our comparison chart shows several low cost reputable electricity providers in Houston that include all fees and charges including the TDSP charges in a total bundled electricity rate. You will not be surprised with additional fees and charges added onto the electricity rate. You can compare with confidence using our electricity price comparison chart to pick the cheapest Houston electricity price available in your area. If you live outside Houston like in Victoria, Pearland, Katy or another Houston area city than you will find our comparison chart to help as well in finding the cheapest available offer. You can sign up online and most Houston electricity providers in our chart offer online bill pay and a way to track your usage online. If you are currently with Reliant Energy or have been hooked by a nice sounding TV ad or radio ad from TXU Energy than we recommend looking at some truly discount electricity rates that are a few cents lower than the bog brand energy companies. The electricity providers in our comparison chart are reputable and do not have fuel surcharges or fuel adjustment fees that confuse the issue of what your price is. Click on the link below to compare electricity rates in the Houston area.

Compare Houston Electricity Prices

This is a list of all of the registered Houston Texas electric providers with phone numbers and addresses. Not all of these companies are recommended or still in business but it may help people that need to see them all. We encourage extreem caution when picking a Houston electric provider in this list as some are known to quote one rate over the phone but when you get your electric bill the charges are all together different. We are an energy consulting company and offer a transparent apples to apples comparison of Houston area electric rates. We encourage you to visit our Houston electricity rate comparison page when you decide to compare and pick a reputable but cheap Houston electric company.

List of All Registered, In Business, and Out of Business Houston Electric Providers

Many people find the idea of being a partial owner of an electric company quite appealing. The annual rebate you get from Nueces Electric Coop will substantially lower your residential electric rate as of Sept 2009. Nueces has an electric rate at 12.7 cents per kWh for residential customers and you receive a rebate back. A visitor to our website called us several months back complaining the Nueces was charging them 34.5 cents kWh and so we asked them to send in their bill so we could do a bill audit. We received the electric bill from one of Nueces Electric Coops customers that showed they paid 34.5 cents a kWh. We were mistaken but for some reason believed that the Nueces electric bill we were given by this customer was a residential electricity bill. Based on a recent comment from someone on Sept 22 2009 it appears the bill we were given was a commercial electric rate. The customer may have been in a home but for what ever reason they wanted on a commercial rate. The customer is always best staying on a residential rate if their meter is classified residential even if they own a business but many customers do not know this.

A customer comment below and listed here gives a clearer example of why this customer was confused:

”

By M Gerick on September 22nd, 2009 at 10:30 am e

First of all your Not mentioning this is a Commercial Account makes one believe it compares to the residential rates. Not so!
There are other circumstances that does affect the bill — like the 11 Kilowatts of demand for just 451 kwh of usage. The load factor is 5.5% or considered a very bad investment for a utility when a 55% load factor is 10 times more profitable! This is a business that uses high demand (KW) that’s the generation part yet use it for a short period of time. If ll kw was used 50% of the time at ll kw it would only have been used for 80 hours during this month…this is not the type of customer your company would prefer either. What rate did you offer them?

I feel it is unfair for you to “cherry pick” a customer which benefits your advertising….which I consider poor advertising on your part. I am sure we could find one of your customers with the same conditions!

Nueces Electric current RESIDENTIAL rate is 12.7 cents/kwh.“

This customer some how ended up on a commercial rate and thought they would start paying less. Many customers come to this conclusion because the commercial rates quoted on the internet and phone (regardless of the provider) usually do not have the TDSP charges bundled into the rate like a residential electricity price does. A residential rate can be bundled because it can be fixed by the provider and averaged on every customers bill at the same fixed price. Commercial businesses vary dramatically in size and so the TDSP charges are variable charges based on kWh usage and load factor. A very small business like the customer who sent in this bill was hit with some very large TDSP charges simply because his demand made up most of his electric bill. His price would have been alright had he been using more electricity usage.

We were not aware at the time that he was complaining about a commercial rate and because of this we have corrected this article to show that this Nueces customer was actually confused and thought he was being taken when in reality he should have chosen a rate product that fixes the TDSP charges into the rate or kept his meter classified as residential if he had that meter classification changed to begin with. If you are a small business working from a home NEVER have your meter reclassified as commercial. You will pay a very high electric rate with most of the charges coming from the TDSP company that passes through those charges with your electric provider. Nueces was not overcharging this customer, instead what was happening was that they were on a commercial rate that had the TDSP charges past through at actual cost. If he had of been on a fixed residential product his rate would have looked normal like any residential customers. He was simply put on a pricing plan that did not make sense for his situation. TXU has a pricing plan for small business like this that will fix the TDSP charges into the commercial rate and give the customer price assurance that the rate will not change. I am not sure if Nueces has a commercial product for small customers that fixes the TDSP charges but that is what a small business like this really needs to be on so the TDSP charges do not make up most of the charges on the bill.

Back in April 2009 we wrote the following believing this guy was a residential customer. Our recommendation has changed now that we understand this was a commercial electric bill. This customer was charged correctly by Nueces and simply had his TDSP charges passed through because he was classified as a commercial account as all Texas electricity providers do. He was penalized not by Nueces but by the TDSP company based on high demand and low usage. Nueces is not responsible for this penalty but simply passes this charges on the bill as they receive it from the pole and wires company.

April 2009, “They did not have a past due amount and after reviewing the electricity bill it is obvious this is the actual electric rate he is being charged. This is the highest electric rate I have ever seen on a Texas electric bill. Correction: ‘It was only high because the customer was classified as commercial when he thought he was residential. Had he known he was a commercial account he may not have been as quick to rush to judegment” I have removed the customers name, account number and service address to keep their information private but everything else regarding the electricity bill is there for you to see. Our recommendation is to use Nueces Electric Coop as they are a good electric company and offer a way to become a partial owner in an electric company. To avoid having confusion over your electric bill if you are a small business working from your home we recommend remaining classified as a residential account and not to change your classification to “commercial” regardless of the electric company you choose. The customer was being charged 17 cents per kWh at one time with Nueces prior to coming off contract and had that raised to 34.5 cents but according to a consumer or customer comment and article review below it was because this customer was a commercial customer and not residential. Because he was a very small commercial customer, demand charges made up the highest percentage of his bill. This can be easily fixed with some electricity providers by being matched up with a commercial contract that fixes the TDSP portion of the the bill. Most electric companies do not offer a fixed TDSP charge for commercial businesses however TXU Energy offers a rate plan that will fix in TDSP charges into the overall fixed rate if you are under a certain amount of usage. It is important to ask for something like this or even TXU could put you on a variable TDSP demand rate that could go much higher then you would anticipate.

Nueces Electric Cooperative Bill

The Annual Dividend

Based on a customer correction about the premise of the original article about A Nueces electric bill we stand corrected. The customer was a commercial customer and not a residential customer. Had he been on a Nueces residential electric rate and taken advantage of the annual dividend he would have made out pretty well on a Nueces Electric Co-op rate. We think you will like that annual check each year by being a partial owner.

Other Companies Offering Rebates on Your Electric Bill

Nueces Electric offers a great way to save money on your electricity bill through annual rebates by becoming an owner in their electric Co-op. The amount you will get back in rebate depends on company profits from what I understand so the exact amount is not available or I would put it on this site.

Another company offering rebates off the originally advertised electric rate is Affordable Energy.  Affordable in Houston gives you $3 back for every 1,000 kWh used. All you have to do is sign up as a customer representative on their website: Click Here > Join Our Team > Join Now. Choose “Customer Service Representative”.  Affordable will give you a website link you can use to then sign up for electric service to allow you to receive credit back for the electricity you use. Affordable Energy is currently charging 11.7 – 13 cents a kWh (depending on your area as of Sept 22 2009) while Nueces is advertising a rate of 12.7 cents per kWh in the Houston area. Both Nueces and Affordable are great companies from what we know of them. We apologize for the confusion in regards to this article. The Nueces customer that sent us their electric bill was confused and made us to believe they were a residential electric service customer.

We went out and compared TXU Energy’s latest residential electric rate in the Houston area with a few other competitive electric companies. What we found is that TXU Energy is still advertising an uncompetitive electric rate when comparing it with a few other reputable electric providers in Houston. Some Houston electric companies hide fees and additional charges in their electric rate contract but after reviewing TXU Energy’s contract terms and service we see that they are correctly advertising their electric rates in Houston and do not appear to be attempting to mislead new customers into a too good to be true electric rate. The problem instead is that they are offering an electric rate several cents higher then many other electric providers in Houston. Right now they only show a 2 year fixed electric rate available for 14.9 cents a kWh.

How Does TXU Energy Compare?

In comparison to TXU Houston you can lock in on a 1 year fixed rate with Startex Power as of April 2009 at 11.3 cents a kWh. Learn more about Startex Power

Just How Much Cheaper are Other Providers?

This Startex Energy rate is 3.6 cents kWh cheaper then TXU Energy. To be fair we should compare the Startex Power 24 month fixed rate with TXU Energy’s 24 month fixed electric rate. Right now Startex is offering a 12.4 cent per kWh rate for 24 months fixed (learn more). This is a 2.5 cents a kWh difference in price over TXU Energy’s 24 month fixed electric rate in Houston. We recommend Startex Power as a reputable electric company in Houston that can be trusted. They do not have a history of tricking their customers into an electric contract that is not as advertised in their Houston electricity facts label. They have a long history of operating in Texas since almost the beginning of deregulation in Texas.

An Old Established Brand Name, TXU

TXU Energy is an old established brand in Texas although they were recently bought out by two large private equity groups and no longer have the same ownership. Startex Power is a trust worthy brand in Texas and if you are a Houston energy consumer trying to make up your mind about whether to sign up with TXU Energy or Startex Power we want to encourage you to go with Startex with confidence. Their Houston electric rates are cheap, they do not trick their customers, and they offer fixed electric rates. You will not find any hidden tricks and gimmicks in the fine details of Startex’s Texas utility energy contract.

Learn more about Startex Power

We checked out on the state website to see what some of the larger Houston electric companies are offering Houston residential energy consumers in regards to a fixed electric rate plan. Most people right now are choosing to sign up on a 12 month fixed electric rate. The 12 month fixed electricity price remains the cheapest available electric rate plan in the Houston area. Direct Energy is offering a 12 month electric rate at 12.6 cents kWh. When comparing Direct Energy to TXU Energy we see that TXU is offering a 24 month fixed electric rate at 14.9 cents a kWh but they do not have a 12 month fixed rate available on the state website. Reliant Energy is the last large electric provider to compare in the Houston area and they are offering a fixed electric rate for 12 month fixed at 15.6 cents a KWh. The cheapest electricity rate among the big 3 energy companies in Houston is with Direct Energy.

We have an issue with Direct Energy’s 12.6 cent electric rate for residential energy consumers in Houston because it still remains to be quite high when comparing Direct’s Electric rate with several other electric providers in Houston. Right now when comparing a few reputable electric companies to Direct Energy we see a few better deals by a penny or more. The companies in the Houston electricity rate comparison do not have a history of misleading their customers through legal jargon and gimmicks in their energy contract.

You can compare the cheapest Houston electric companies in comparison to TXU Energy, Reliant Energy and Direct Energy by clicking here.

Compare Houston Electric Rates

No Deposit Houston Electric Rates

This week we saw electric rates and natural gas prices in Houston make a significant spike up. This high spike in prices had many electricity consumers concerned and encouraged those energy consumers waiting on th sidelines to lock in to an energy contract to go ahead and follow through and complete the contract signing process. Then as of Thursday and Friday of March 26,27 2009 Houston electric rates headed back down again following natural gas prices.

We had one customer who signed up in the beginning of the week when electric rates spiked up call us to ask if he could cancel his commercial energy contract and sign up at the now lower electricity prices being advertised. That is like asking a stock broker to buy a stock one day and then calling back a few days later asking that he change the price because the stock has moved against you and you don’t like the price anymore. The reality of the matter is you just can’t catch the bottom of the market. No one can acurately predict just how low a stock or energy index or futures price will go. Warren Buffet can’t do that either but he does have stops and limit orders in place so that he at least hits a target price he has a goal for.

An energy customer can break their electricity contract right after they sign it but for commercial energy customers the cost is significant enough that you would lose money in the deal when renegotiating at the slightly lower electricity rate you were trying to sign for. A residential electricity customer in Houston could break their contract early but you will likely pay a cancellation penalty depending on the Houston electric company anywhere from $200 – $300. The electricity provider you break your energy contract with will likely not want to take you back again as they might flag you a bad paying customer. If you try to sign up on that providers discount electricity price again they may ask for a steep initial deposit to discourage you from signing up with them again.

The problem with a customer who signs up on a Houston energy contract only to then break it a few days later is that the electric company has to hedge the energy they sold that customer to offer them a fixed electric rate. The amount of back office work and support for hedging energy, selling as an electricity service contract and then reversing the whole processs is not worth it to electricity providers that work on large volumes just to make a profit. A smarter choice when you lock in at a price you end up not being very happy with is wait it out and try again when your contract expires. This way you may find that the electric rate is even lower then what you may have been lusting over when your energy price made a small dip below where you locked in at.

Don’t be one of those Houston energy consumers that breaks their energy contracts for an extra $50 – $100 savings over the course of the year. It is just not worth it. You end up being labeled a credit risk customer to the electric provider you were dealing with. You make it much harder to sign up with that Houston electric company ever again and you spend excess time worrying about a miniscule $50 trying to lock in at the bottom of the market not recognizing that a price trend downwards could end up being more like  a $500 if you wait it out a whole year until your current energy contract expires.

Compare Current Houston Electric Rates

If you are a large commercial energy customer in Houston then the concept of renegotiating your electricity agreement makes more sense. Many energy companies have option known as blend and extend contracts that allow you to blend the current market rate based on how far out your contract price is at and the price you locked in at. Many providers also offer the ability to change a fixed rate into a variable MCPE rate if electricity prices on the variable index become much lower then what a fixed rate is set at. These flexible Houston energy choices are only available to commercial customers and only particular Houston electric companies offer electricity rates like what we mention here.

If you are a Houston commercial business and would like to be taken out to bid to multiple Houston electric companies in a commercial bid reverse auction then please feel free to complete our form on our “contact us” page. An energy consultant in Houston will get right back with you and will be glad to explain your options and answer any questions you may have.

Houston electric rates follow the same trend line as the natural gas futures index price for the “prompt” month. The prompt month of course is the current month. If you are curious about what Houston electric rates have been doing this year you should check out a natural gas historical chart and you will get a clear picture if now is a good time to lock in long term or short. Our website has a comparison of long term and short term fixed electric rates. By locking into a fixed Houston electricity price you are guaranteed that the electric rate will not change the entire term of the energy contract.

If you would like to look at a natural gas chart there is a very useful one for doing the comparison I am talking about below. As you can see electric rates are very low for the year and for the last 2 years. The 2 year average is also at a historical low. No one can pick a bottom but if it was me I would sign up for atleast a 2 year electric rate contract in the Houston area.

If you would like to compare current Houston electric rates you may do so by clicking here.

When searching through the internet for a cheap electric provider you may see some electric rates for residential energy consumers that look several cents cheaper then some of the cheapest electric rates being advertised. There are a few electric companies in The Woodlands Texas area that are offering electric rates that appear cheaper then everyone else with a subtle difference. These Woodland Texas electric service companies are not including the TDSP charges in their electric rate quotes. We have a comparison list of Houston area electric companies that include all charges in their electricity price, including the pole and wires TDSP charges. All fees in the electric rate comparison chart are disclosed and there is no worry that one of the providers is leaving something hidden.

Compare confidently with reputable honest electric providers in the Woodlands and Houston Texas area below.

Compare Houston Electric Rates