Shannon Bedrich, Author at ElectricityPlans

Electricity Bill Payment Scam – How to Avoid Getting Tricked

The electricity bill payment scam is on the rise in in Texas. Scammers will call you pretending to be from your light company and demand payment. They’ll threaten to turn your electricity off if you don’t pay right away.

To avoid an electricity bill payment scam, look for things that are out of the ordinary. If your electric company has never called you before to demand payment, and specified that you can only pay with a GreenDot card from Walgreens? It’s likely a scam.

Here’s how to tell an electricity bill payment scam from a real disconnection notice from your electricity company. And how to avoid getting ripped off.

Cheapest Electricity Rates in Texas (May 2024)

Last Updated May 2, 2024

Finding the cheapest electricity rates in Texas doesn’t have to be hard. Every month we update our recommendation for the top 3 cheapest electricity companies in Texas, and our cheapest electricity rates for fixed rates plans. Here’s the May 2024 update.

How to Get Help Paying Electric Bill

Times are tough right now with inflation. And with rising electricity costs, it may get hard to pay your electricity bill.

Texas has many programs that can help with electric bills. The central resources for financial assistance with electric bills is 211 Texas. Dial 2-1-1 from your phone, call 877-541-7905 or go online to 211texas.org.

You also have other options including payment arrangements and deferred payment plans.

Sustainable Home vs. Eco Friendly Home – What’s the Difference?

Sustainable living, green living, eco friendly homes. Are they all just marketing terms? Or do they mean something?

Eco-friendly focuses on reducing harm to the environment, while sustainability considers the future impact of today’s actions. In this article, we’ll dive into the definitions of each term, and provide a case study example to further illustrate the difference.

89 Ways to Save on Your Electric Bill

When it comes to home budgeting, your electricity bill takes a big portion of your paycheck each month. Here are simple tasks that can lower your electricity bill while maintaining your home comfort.

Best Thermostat Settings for Vacation

The plans have been made. The bags are packed. You deserve a vacation. But what are the best thermostat settings for vacation to keep your electricity bill low? In other words, when you’re in vacation mode, is there a vacation mode for your house?

The best approach is to set your vacation thermostat about 10 degrees higher (summer) or lower (winter) than you normally set it when away from home. This lowers the amount of time your HVAC system is running while you are away. In general, don’t set it above 85° in the summer or below 50° in the winter.

Columbus Ohio Renewable Energy and Carbon Neutral Programs

Columbus Ohio has the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2022 and carbon neutral by 2050. That’s a goal not only for the city facilities, but also for all residents and small business owners. Here’s our review of the Columbus Community Choice Aggregation Program for electricity, which is one step toward that goal. Plus we review your options to go green when you opt-out of aggregation. And, how you can go carbon neutral with your natural gas.

What’s the Best Thermostat Setting for Summer?

What’s the best air conditioner temperature setting in the summer? You want to keep your home cool, but also want to keep control of your electricity bills.

Keeping in mind both energy efficiency and comfort, the best thermostat settings for summer are 76° when you are home, 80-85° when you are away and 72° at night. Then use ceiling fans in the rooms you are in to feel up to 4* cooler.

Here’s more on why these thermostat settings are the best.

Texas Electricity Companies with a Satisfaction Guarantee

Last Updated April 9, 2024

A satisfaction guarantee can go a long way toward making you feel confident in your choice of Texas electricity plan. After all, there are a lot of things to compare when you’re shopping for electricity.

That’s why we like these electricity companies with a satisfaction guarantee. With electricity prices higher than they’ve ever been, a satisfaction guarantee gives you a chance to shop around.

Texas electricity companies with a 30-60 day satisfaction guarantee include Gexa Energy, 4Change Energy, TXU Energy, Rhythm Energy, Veteran Energy and OhmConnect Energy. If you don’t like your plan, you can switch to any other electricity plan or in some cases, switch away with no penalty.

Texas Electricity Rates Chart – No Gimmicks Electricity Plans

Last Updated April 10, 2024

Texas Electricity Rates Charts make it easy to find cheap electricity plans plans with no gimmicks. They’re a simple way to make an electricity price comparison. Below you will find electricity rates charts for Houston, Dallas and Corpus Christi.

A no-gimmicks electricity plan is a basic fixed rate plan that doesn’t include plan structures like bill credits, base charges or tiered rates. These plan structures make an electricity plan look very cheap at a specific usage level. But consumers can get a bill surprise if they use more or less than kWh than the advertised rate.

Shannon Bedrich

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