Rising energy prices mean people may start looking at their electricity plans and usage.
Around 85% of people in Texas can choose their electric service provider thanks to the Lone Star State’s deregulated energy market. But with more than 130 electricity companies offering multiple energy plans, finding the right electric company and offer can feel daunting.
Our mission is to cut through the jargon and help people understand how Texas’ energy market — and energy companies — work. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to Reliant Energy.
We’ll look at the services Reliant Energy provides and what Reliant customers can expect from the company.
What Does Reliant Energy Do?
Reliant Energy supplies electricity to more than one million Texas residential and business properties. It claims to be the largest industrial and commercial retail electricity provider in Texas.
The company also offers energy-efficiency tips, appliance protection schemes, solar energy plans, home security packages, and even help with backup power generators.
Where Does Reliant Energy Operate?
Reliant Energy operates across many areas of Texas. You need to put your ZIP code into their finder to see if your residence or business falls in their service area.
Some areas where Reliant Energy offers energy plans include:
- Houston
- Dallas
- Corpus Christi
- Galveston
- Fort Worth
What Services Does Reliant Energy Offer in Texas?
Some of the services Reliant Energy offers include 24/7 customer service reps, home and business energy usage tools, a mobile app, and a weekly summary email.
The company has paperless electric bills, average billing, and an AutoPay option.
Residential customers can also find different Reliant Energy electricity rates, each designed to suit different lifestyles.
Enter your ZIP Code and compare electricity rates
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Enter your ZIP Code and compare electricity rates
For business rate click here
Should I Switch to Reliant Energy?
Before switching electricity suppliers, we recommend understanding a little about the Texas electricity market — which is why we’re here. Start by checking your current deal for early-termination fees. You’ll also need to understand your current energy usage and billing levels.
Vocabulary to decipher includes:
Kilowatt-hour (kWh) prices and usage: In Texas, electric companies advertise prices in kilowatt-hours. Know your monthly kWh usage and when you use electricity to help guide your decision.
Hidden fees: Look for deposits, utility fees, minimum usage fees, or other costs that may be added to your bill on top of energy usage.
Renewable energy: Electricity companies state the percentage of renewable energy in their energy plan’s mix; others offer 100% renewable energy. Prices can vary for each type, so be sure to weigh your budget with your desire to reduce your carbon emissions.
Contract length: Think about your lifestyle and your short-, medium-, and long-term electricity bill aims. A long-term deal with a low kWh rate may be appealing, but not if you’re moving within three months and there are high early-cancellation fees. Shorter contracts usually bring greater lifestyle flexibility.
Offers: Free electricity on weekends and free nights may be tempting, but check that you can meet the terms and conditions. The same applies to minimum usage deals — with all offers, ensure you can fulfill your part of the deal because otherwise, you may get charged a higher electricity rate.
Of note is that the Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently (May 26, 2022) revoked its accreditation of Reliant Energy.
What Types of Energy Plans Does Reliant Energy Offer in Texas?
After checking your current deal and assessing your energy needs, you’re ready to peruse the Reliant Energy plans.
There are three principal Reliant Energy plans:
- Fixed-rate plans where the kWh price charged doesn’t change throughout the contract length.
- Month-to-month or variable-rate plans are those that the kWh price may change, but there are no cancellation fees if you wish to switch suppliers or plans.
- Renewable-energy contracts use green energy sources to reduce your home’s carbon emissions.
Before looking at specific deals, we recommend comparing electricity companies on the Public Utility Commission of Texas’ PowertoChoose.org website.
Our Power to Choose guide will show you how to navigate it. First, input your ZIP code to see if Reliant Energy operates in your service area. Then, apply filters from the left-side panel to focus your search. You can find Reliant Energy reviews, too, giving an average star rating out of five from previous customers.
What Are the Best Reliant Energy Plans and Electricity Rates?
The best plan for you depends on your circ*mstances and energy usage. Always compare Reliant Energy’s offers with other companies on the Power to Choose website before switching companies.
Here are some of Reliant Energy’s current plan portfolio:
Truly Free Weekends help those that use most of their electricity on the weekend rather than during the week. There’s no charge from 8 p.m. on Friday to midnight on Sunday night, making weekends the best time to run dishwashers, washing machines, ovens, or to charge an electric vehicle.
Truly Free Flex Days is aimed at people who perhaps don’t always study their electricity bills. Reliant monitors your daily energy usage, and you don’t get charged a cent for the two days each week when you use the most electricity.
Truly Free Nights is similar to the weekend idea, but the free electricity is from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. every night.
All of these are 100% solar-powered. However, you don’t need solar panels to sign up for these deals. Reliant Energy uses the money you pay them to buy Renewable Energy Certificates for your usage. That means your bill payment goes to a solar power farm or generation plant, not a fossil fuel-based power plant.
People wanting price security can sign up for the company’s secure advantage fixed-rate plan for 12 to 24 months. There are apartment-specific options too, for those who need to power smaller spaces. Reliant’s variable-rate plan is called the Reliant Clear Flex Plan.
Does Reliant Energy Provide Renewable Energy?
As well as solar-powered electricity plans, Reliant Energy also offers 100% renewable wind deals.
People on non-renewable energy contracts can add Reliant EcoShare credits. This extra monthly payment supports carbon offsets and clean energy initiatives across Texas.
What Reliant Energy Business Plans Are Available?
Reliant Energy has a broad portfolio of business electricity plans. Some are fixed-rate contracts, and there’s also a variable-rate option.
We recommend business owners contact Reliant Energy to discuss their needs.
How Do I Contact Reliant Energy in Texas?
Reliant Energy’s website has a wide range of FAQs to peruse, albeit no advanced search box exists.
The company offers 24/7 contact options too. You can call their customer services reps via the Reliant app on its 1-866-222-7100 contact phone number.
There’s an online chat that opens in a new window. The company asks for your full name, and it’s helpful for existing customers to provide their account number.
Alternatively, send an email, and they promise to reply within 24 hours.
You can mail the company at Reliant, P.O. Box 3765, Houston, TX 77253-3765.
How Can I Pay My Reliant Energy Bill?
Reliant Energy offers many payment options:
- Pay online through an online account or the Reliant app
- Paying in person at select locations
- AutoPay
- Pay over the phone by calling 1-713-207-7243 or 1-866-222-7100 and pay by credit card or bank account
- Sending a check in the mail to: Reliant, P.O. Box 650475, Dallas, TX 75265-0475
- Scan a barcode and pay at authorized barcode retailers
Does Reliant Energy Charge a Cancellation Fee?
Reliant Energy may charge a cancellation fee if you terminate your contract early. In general, variable-rate options are flexible and don’t have cancellation fees.
Fixed-rate contracts are more likely to have cancellation fees. Always check for cancellation fees, also known as early-termination fees, before signing any energy contract. All of these must be listed in your contract’s Electricity Facts Labels (EFL), which we strongly recommend reading before signing any deal.
You may not need to pay Reliant Energy a cancellation fee if you move within Texas, your new home is within Reliant Energy’s service area, and you wish to remain with the company.
Does Reliant Energy Run Credit Checks on its Customers?
Reliant Energy may run a credit check on its residential and business customers depending on the type of energy deal offered. Variable-rate plans often don’t require a credit check.
Reliant Energy may ask for a deposit too. If a deposit isn’t possible, there are other ways to qualify for service from Reliant, including a letter of credit, a letter of guarantee, proving medical indigence, and low income.
Enter your ZIP Code and compare electricity rates
Get A Quote
Enter your ZIP Code and compare electricity rates
For business rate click here
What Happens If I Can’t Pay My Reliant Energy Bill?
People who cannot pay their Reliant Energy bill should contact the company immediately — help is available.
Payment extensions, deferred payment plans, and even requesting online help in the form of a loan from friends and family are some solutions. Reliant Energy also has its Community Assistance by Reliant Energy (CARE) Program that brings financial aid to people facing financial hardship.
Does Reliant Energy Back Good Causes?
The company supports local causes, with more than $5.5 million donated to more than 150 community programs across Texas. The company supports local causes, with more than $5.5 million donated to more than 150 community programs across Texas.
For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Reliant donated more than $1 million to local community relief funds that helped protect frontline workers. Its parent company, NRG Energy Inc., donated a total of $2 million, all before any vaccination had been developed
Does Reliant Energy Experience Power Outages?
Reliant Energy customers will experience power outages, but it’s not the company that will restore power.
In Texas, a utility company maintains the power grid and is responsible for bringing power back after an outage. These utilities are also called Transmission and Distribution Utilities (TDUs). People cannot choose their TDU.
The principal TDUs in Texas are:
- TNMP: Lewisville, Pilot Point, Leonard, and Glen Rose
- Oncor: Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington
- AEP Texas: Abilene and Corpus Christi
- CenterPoint: Houston
Texans will see a TDU charge on energy bills, sometimes listed as a TDSP — this payment goes towards maintaining and upgrading the power grid.
What Is the History of Reliant Energy?
Reliant Energy is one of the older Texas electricity providers, starting life in 1882 as the Houston Electric Light & Power (HEL&P). In 1922, the National Power and Light Company bought HEL&P.
Within 20 years, the company became an independent operator known as the Houston Lighting and Power Company (HL&P). Over the following years, HL&P built power stations, diversified into natural gas and oil exploration, and delivered fuel to power plants.
A new parent company, Houston Industries Inc. (HI), became the parent company to these various new divisions, which later included cable TV operations. In 1999, the company became Reliant Energy Inc.
Reliant Energy Retail Holdings, LLC was founded in 2001 to generate, transmit, and distribute electric energy. Finally, it was in 2009 that NRG Energy Inc. acquired Reliant Energy and the company we know today, which is based in Houston.
What’s in a Name? Reliant Energy Explained
All Texas energy providers must be approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC, or PUCT). Reliant’s official title is Reliant Energy Retail Holdings, LLC, offering energy plans via its PUCT Certificate #10007.
However, when you choose Reliant Energy, you’ll be signing up with Reliant Energy Retail Services, LLC. These are all part of the NRG Energy Inc. business.
Overview of Reliant Energy’s Texas Services
Reliant Energy has been part of Texas’ electricity services for 140 years. Its modern incarnation is one of the largest electricity suppliers in the Lone Star State, as part of one of the country’s largest energy companies, NRG.
Anyone considering reassessing their energy supplier should understand their current energy usage and contract. Then, use the Power to Choose website to compare electricity suppliers, including Reliant Energy.
And remember, if you cannot switch your energy provider for whatever reason, you can make energy savings. One top tip for winter is to turn back your thermostat one degree at a time until you find a temperature you remain comfortable with and is more affordable.
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