Wrong thread.

TXTransplant said:

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Given the impending increase to my utility bill, anyone have a recommendation for a great smart thermostat that isn't crazy expensive?

I'm finally going to break down and get one, like it's 2010.

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I have an Ecobee for the living side of the house (not the sleeping side). I have not added any satellite sensors to it though. I have no idea if it's saving me any energy or not, but using the thermostat itself is certainly easy since it's a touchscreen digital interface.

TXTransplant said:

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Given the impending increase to my utility bill, anyone have a recommendation for a great smart thermostat that isn't crazy expensive?

I'm finally going to break down and get one, like it's 2010.

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With any "smart" thermostat you're going to see 2 main improvements over a quality programmable unit...
1) If you're all out of the house for the day and have it programmed to warm up (or cool off in the witner) it won't jsut start at the programmed time. It will take into account how warm/cool the house has gotten and how long it will take to reach the target.
2) You can make adjustments through the app. I have used this one summer when ERCOT was getting dicy and my REP offered some pretty sweet discounts to reduce power use compared to previous weeks averages. Since I was in the field and would be later getting home, I grabbed my phone and made some adjustments both to the max allowed temp in the house and the time it would cut back on. That saved me about $20-$30 on that months bill if I recall.

If you want Alexa or Siri or whomever you yell at they almost all interface with those platforms now. If you have multiple units I think some can be linked together, others you just continue to control them as two separate units.

I have a Honeywell T5 (or maybe its an earlier one...). I haven't had any complaints about it.

12thAngryMan said:

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Based on this chart and recent events that have REPs adjusting their assessment of price risk, I'm guessing all options will be significantly more expensive. Add it to the list of things that are eating away my budget...

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investing in NG anyone?

I think natural gas prices are going to continue to rise for two reasons:

A) Increased transport ability of LNG to the global market will increase local prices and decrease global prices. No more shale glut in texas that has to be burned off.

B) No more shale explosive growth that goes out over their skiis. Just modest growth within FCF.

At least we live in texas and not the northeast. They keep voting down pipelines and have to be served by international LNG producers. There are no LNG ships that can go from US port to US port because of the Jones Act. So no gulf coast LNG ships can go up to the northeast.

Also people are locking in long term contracts because its pretty easy to get out of. When I was apartment hopping in Houston, I never had a single REP follow up and ask me for information about me moving. I just said I was moving and they'd let me out.

Kenneth_2003 said:

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Check... I think you can lock in 90 or so days out.

I locked in with my new provider almost 60 days before my current contract expires.

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Just confirmed it's 60 days. I decided to go lock in a plan now but the select-a-date calendars only went out 60 days. Sadly I'm still 2 weeks out from being in the 60 day window.

TXTransplant said:

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Given the impending increase to my utility bill, anyone have a recommendation for a great smart thermostat that isn't crazy expensive?

I'm finally going to break down and get one, like it's 2010.

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I'm in the market, too. We tried once before but we don't have the common wire or whatever it's called to keep it connected to the Internet. Anyone have any suggestions for a good thermostat that works without it?

South Platte said:

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Energy Ogre. Got me a year contract in the low 12's. It's the only way to go.

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dang. I'm with them and they signed me up for a 18 cent plan 2 weeks ago. Thankfully it has a relatively low cancellation fee

So my wall thermostat only has 4 wires as I recall.

There's a workaround to hook it up and you end up losing the ability to run the fan only. That's not a mode I ever use so it wasn't a big deal to me. I don't recall how I finally got it to work, I think it involved adding a jumper to the unit in the attic. I keep saying I'll run a new wire... 4 years later, i havent

Some of these new plans being discussed sound crazy; I just renewed with Reliant and will jump from .10 to .14 in August on a one-year deal; thought I was getting screwed but guess not.

Ag CPA said:

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Some of these new plans being discussed sound crazy; I just renewed with Reliant and will jump from .10 to .14 in August on a one-year deal; thought I was getting screwed but guess not.

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I got a 15c renewal offer from Reliant but went with EnergyOgre to negotiate on my behalf.

However, my jump is from .046 to .15 so damn significant and our house is not super efficient. And that 15c was for 2,000 kwh. Every plan I looked at on PowertoChoose was 20c or more for =<1,000 kwh usage.

When was that? Think's rates have increased by several cents just since I signed up with them earlier this month.

I was with Reliant for a long time - 2013 until I signed up with Think in 2019, IIRC. Their rates weren't the cheapest, but they were competitive up until I left in 2019. I had been a loyal customer and tried to leverage that - they did not GAS, and I got ticked. So, I left.

When I looked at their rates earlier this month, they were not competitive. I believe that rates do vary by zip code in the Houston area, and mine always seems to be on the higher side.

I dropped EO today after I called TXU and found a plan that was on average 14.5. If I hit 2k then I pay 15c but 1200-2000 is 7c. Below 1200 is 14c which I'll never be. I'll hit 15c in the summer but that is still better than the 17.3 that EO found with Amigo.

What's the term on that?

Friend of mine, mentioned earlier, said her company, not EO, is currently staying customers to longer terms opposed to the lowest rates.

Not trying to argue, just curious.

Not surprising. Vistra (TXU) likes to undercut their online prices to try to prevent Energy Ogre and other similar residential brokers from signing up on their plans.

12 months.

Ugh. The more I read about these lower rates for 1000-2000 kwh the more ticked I get. I should be rewarded for using less energy, not punished for it!

As a side note, Frontier Utilities has a good rate if you are between 1000-2000, because they give you a $100 credit. If you aren't in that range, they gouge you with the rate.

Kenneth_2003 said:

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Below 1000kwh the TDU charges become a greater portion of the bill. The rates on things like power 2 choose average the other charges into the per kwh rate.

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No, it's not just that. I'm well aware my fees are a larger percentage of my bill. But a lot of providers are offering rebates/bill credits to lower the rate if you use 1000-2000. But you don't get the rebate if you use more or less than that. And the rate without the credit is 20+ cents in many cases.

Ahhh. I used to have a plan like that and dang I loved it! But when it was over I never found one like it again. I had a couple of bills that due to the credit ended up negative!

TXTransplant said:

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Kenneth_2003 said:

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Below 1000kwh the TDU charges become a greater portion of the bill. The rates on things like power 2 choose average the other charges into the per kwh rate.

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No, it's not just that. I'm well aware my fees are a larger percentage of my bill. But a lot of providers are offering rebates/bill credits to lower the rate if you use 1000-2000. But you don't get the rebate if you use more or less than that. And the rate without the credit is 20+ cents in many cases.

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Yes, I saw an offer by Frontier that gives you a $100 credit if you go above 2,000. I would get that credit about 9 months out of the year.

duck79 said:

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I dropped EO today after I called TXU and found a plan that was on average 14.5. If I hit 2k then I pay 15c but 1200-2000 is 7c. Below 1200 is 14c which I'll never be. I'll hit 15c in the summer but that is still better than the 17.3 that EO found with Amigo.

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Interesting. I may call TXU tomorrow and ask about this. That would be my sweet spot as well.

YouBet said:

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TXTransplant said:

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Kenneth_2003 said:

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Below 1000kwh the TDU charges become a greater portion of the bill. The rates on things like power 2 choose average the other charges into the per kwh rate.

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No, it's not just that. I'm well aware my fees are a larger percentage of my bill. But a lot of providers are offering rebates/bill credits to lower the rate if you use 1000-2000. But you don't get the rebate if you use more or less than that. And the rate without the credit is 20+ cents in many cases.

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Yes, I saw an offer by Frontier that gives you a $100 credit if you go above 2,000. I would get that credit about 9 months out of the year.

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Funny, I am with Frontier until next week. When I looked at my options, that plan wasn't one of them. It was a $100 credit for 1000-2000 or a $50 credit for 500-1000. There was nothing for users over 2000. Makes me mad these companies aren't offering the same to everyone, too.

I had to take my annual anti-corruption training module at work this week, and I don't see how some of these gimmicks don't fall under that - unfair pricing, lack of transparency in pricing, manipulation, etc.

I am up in July and planning to schedule a switch ASAP within my contract terms. Best I can find is 14.5c for 1000kwh on a 36 and 60 month contracts. Thinking of locking in long term and moving on with my life.

For what location? Everything I see for TXU is appx 18/KwH for Houston area

YouBet said:

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TXTransplant said:

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Kenneth_2003 said:

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Below 1000kwh the TDU charges become a greater portion of the bill. The rates on things like power 2 choose average the other charges into the per kwh rate.

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No, it's not just that. I'm well aware my fees are a larger percentage of my bill. But a lot of providers are offering rebates/bill credits to lower the rate if you use 1000-2000. But you don't get the rebate if you use more or less than that. And the rate without the credit is 20+ cents in many cases.

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Yes, I saw an offer by Frontier that gives you a $100 credit if you go above 2,000. I would get that credit about 9 months out of the year.

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Actually a lot of room to game these gimmick plans if you pay attention. I don't care enough to do it, but if you have one with the $100 credit at 2,000 kwh and you only wouldn't hit that 3-5 months you aren't using AC, just run every appliance in your house constantly (or make it extra cold and run your ac), run your pool pump longer or buy a crypto mining rig or something (would also generate heat). They count on people being lazy.

I have a fixed rate without those credits cause $100 isn't enough to justify paying a ton of attention.

YouBet said:

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Ag CPA said:

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Some of these new plans being discussed sound crazy; I just renewed with Reliant and will jump from .10 to .14 in August on a one-year deal; thought I was getting screwed but guess not.

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I got a 15c renewal offer from Reliant but went with EnergyOgre to negotiate on my behalf.

However, my jump is from .046 to .15 so damn significant and our house is not super efficient. And that 15c was for 2,000 kwh. Every plan I looked at on PowertoChoose was 20c or more for =<1,000 kwh usage.

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How did you have a $.05 rate? That's almost what ONCOR's pass-through rate alone totals.

To Transplant's question, for starters I live in DFW where I think Reliant offers cheaper rates than down by Houston (inverse is probably true for TXU) and I have been with them since I lived in Houston 20+ years ago (pretty sure that does not matter as far as plans go). I'm on the Keep Your Cash Nights & Weekends Plan (get $.01 off during those times); I reelected the same plan for August but it is actually 18 months; my thinking is that the cancellation fee is only $200 if things change dramatically later in the year (which is doubtful). I think I secured it at the end of April.

I run the pool at night and push some other appliance use to that time so the savings can actually add up if you want to play the game.

My current rate with Frontier (that's expiring next week) is 6.22 cents per kWh, not including fees. I got that contract back in January. The various providers were offering nice incentives to jump around up until recently. Of course, they lured you in and then jacked up your rate come renewal time.

I only ever look at that rate, since I know the fees are the same and I will always pay more due to the fees since I use so little energy. Companies obfuscate the true cost by averaging out over usage amounts that a lot of people will never hit.

And no, Reliant does not GAF about customer loyalty. As I said above, I was with them from 2013-2019 because they were competitive. In 2019, they offered me a very expensive renewal. I think it was like 2-3 times the going rate. I called, and they point blank told me the cheap rates were for new customers. I switched to Think at that point and was with them for 2 years.

Are you guys calling the rate just the "energy rate" or the electric rate plus the TDU delivery charge (may be called something different in Dallas)?

Where I say explicitly the rate without fees, it's just that. But that's where comparing gets tricky. All the providers right now are doing something different. Most quote a rate with transmission fees, but they may quote the rate based on high usage. Or they may quote a rate with those stupid credits factored in. Or they may quote a rate with both.

That's why I always look at the EFL and compare the energy charge without fees or discounts/credits.

The best I've seen in the Houston area recently for just the energy charge is 11-12 cents (that's about 16-ish, with fees). But I've also seen as high as 20+, before the discounts and bill credits are applied.

IMO, everyone should have the same electricity charge, but that's clearly not a requirement. I don't think it's fair that companies can increase the electricity charge for customers who use less. It's not transparent. It should have to be a minimum use surcharge/fee.

I'm looking at the all-in rate, including delivery charges.

For reference, the ONCOR delivery charge where I live in Southlake is around $.04, have no idea if that rate fluctuates around the state.

Constellation had plans like that when I used them a couple years ago. They were great. They had no nonsense rates - what you see is what you pay.

Ag CPA said:

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YouBet said:

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Ag CPA said:

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Some of these new plans being discussed sound crazy; I just renewed with Reliant and will jump from .10 to .14 in August on a one-year deal; thought I was getting screwed but guess not.

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I got a 15c renewal offer from Reliant but went with EnergyOgre to negotiate on my behalf.

However, my jump is from .046 to .15 so damn significant and our house is not super efficient. And that 15c was for 2,000 kwh. Every plan I looked at on PowertoChoose was 20c or more for =<1,000 kwh usage.

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How did you have a $.05 rate? That's almost what ONCOR's pass-through rate alone totals.

To Transplant's question, for starters I live in DFW where I think Reliant offers cheaper rates than down by Houston (inverse is probably true for TXU) and I have been with them since I lived in Houston 20+ years ago (pretty sure that does not matter as far as plans go). I'm on the Keep Your Cash Nights & Weekends Plan (get $.01 off during those times); I reelected the same plan for August but it is actually 18 months; my thinking is that the cancellation fee is only $200 if things change dramatically later in the year (which is doubtful). I think I secured it at the end of April.

I run the pool at night and push some other appliance use to that time so the savings can actually add up if you want to play the game.

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That was just my kwh rate. I think averaged all-in was 11c.

Ag CPA said:

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I'm looking at the all-in rate, including delivery charges.

For reference, the ONCOR delivery charge where I live in Southlake is around $.04, have no idea if that rate fluctuates around the state.

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Yes transmission and distribution charges vary by utility (Oncor, Centerpoint TNMP, etc). Each utility rate can change based on rate approvals by ERCOT.