EST. 2013
While the price of the Texas electricity plan that we pick for you is an important factor, even more, is when that contract starts and ends. If you're looking on Power to Choose and seeing a short-term rate that has a really cheap price, more than likely, it will put you out of contract during a bad renewal cycle. At Energy Ogre, we're going to ignore that deceptive short-term gain and put you in a more favorable plan with a good renewal cycle. You have the power to get better electricity bills, and we're here to help.
In this article:
- How Energy Ogre chooses the right Texas electricity plan for you
- When should I renew my energy contract?
- It pays to have an Ogre on your side
How Energy Ogre chooses the right Texas electricity plan for you
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We're now approaching a very busy time in the Texas electricity space. The closer you get to summer, the more and more Texans will be comparing electricity rates and trying to find plans for their power bill. Energy Ogre manages plans for thousands of texans. Whether we're selecting the right plan for a new member to switch to or we're setting up the next plan for a current member, we're always committed to the best financial outcome for those using our service.
This is also the time of year where many providers strategically offer low short-term plans (3 or 4 months) in hopes to entice customers who will then fall out of contract right before or during summertime when prices are generally at the highest of the year.
We here at Energy Ogre are extremely strategic when selecting each plan.
We know one frustration for many of our members is seeing low rates advertised for short-term contracts and not understanding why we've placed them into a longer-term plan with a slightly higher rate.
However, we're choosing plans that provide the most financial benefit for you throughout the year. Small savings now will almost certainly be lost because of the much higher rates right before summer. Getting you through the summer with a good rate is crucial for your overall savings.
To put it simply, we give up a little bit of upside to avoid a whole lot of downside.
When should I renew my energy contract?
Let's say you have a plan that's going to put you out of contract in the summer. Since the options for your next contract will be at a higher rate, it's going to be an unfavorable renewal cycle.
If we can find a scenario that spans the summer and puts you out in the fall, that's what we want to do.
Any plan that includes July and August is materially higher. So we have to put some more time in that contract to bring the weighted average down.
We're trying to avoid setting your rate during peak winter and summer. So over time, we try to get you into a renewal cycle that does just that.
What if I sign up for Energy Ogre in the summer?
The first thing we want to do is get you out of that summer renewal cycle if possible.
If you're coming in during that time, we're gonna do the best we can for you, at that time. In this scenario, if there are competitive plans available, we'll try to put you in a shorter-term contract to try to get you in a better renewal cycle.
For example, if you sign up in August we'll try to avoid putting you in a 12-month plan. Of course, if it's the best available plan for you, we'll have to do it. But, a lot of times the providers are already saying "Hey you're starting at the end of summer so prices are already lower." So what we'll do is select maybe a 4 or 5-month plan and then try to get you into another cycle that's putting you outside of that summer peak. It's important to note, recently, it's become more difficult to find these plans. Providers simply aren't offering these short term plans as frequently (at least not ones with a great price).
It pays to have an Ogre on your side
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Not only can we work with all providers offering competitive rate plans, but we are also keen to work with those willing to give a bit of their margin back to our members in a renewal contract.
The longer you're an Energy Ogre member, the more we are able to secure custom plans with below-market rates specific to how you use electricity. Two strategies come to mind here.
Energy Ogre's "Blend and Extend" method to cut electricity costs
First is our “blend and extend” strategy, that can immediately reduce the cost of your electricity in exchange for a restructuring of your plan with your current retail electricity provider.
Renewing Electricity Contracts
Another area where it pays to have the Ogre working for you, is we can work to renew your service with your current provider well ahead of what’s offered to the public. This can be 30 days out from your contract end date, 60 days out or more. Based on your contract and market forecasting, this could be the strategy we use to get you the best cost outcome.
How are we predicting what energy prices will be throughout the year?
We look at all the historical pricing we've had. Both the wholesale pricing for the past 10 years, and the retail pricing over the last several years as well. We also look at forwarding gas prices. Then, we basically generate a model of prices and what they're going to look like next year.
What can members look forward to in the future?
There are a lot of plans out there right now that may seem like a great deal. But the fact is, we've vetted them and cut out the baloney. Like we mentioned above, we're also analyzing custom renewal plans with your current provider. Whichever plan is the most beneficial for you, that is the one we will choose. And to back that up, we are always happy to run a comparison if you send us the EFL (Electricity Facts Label) of a plan you believe may be lower.
Questions or concerns? Drop us an email!
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Other articles:
When is the Best Time to Shop for Texas Electricity Rates?
Why Pay Energy Ogre $10 a Month?
Energy Ogre's Free Savings Calculator Ensures Texans Never Overpay
