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Anyone have electric service with 100% solar electric providers (Green Mountain, Chariot, etc.)? We're moving to Houston and have never had to pick an electric provider.  They seem less expensive as compared to non-solar providers but I'm curious as to reliability?  Thanks.   

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Anyone have electric service with 100% solar electric providers (Green Mountain, Chariot, etc.)? We're moving to Houston and have never had to pick an electric provider.  They seem less expensive as compared to non-solar providers but I'm curious as to reliability?  Thanks.   

There should be other threads on this. It’s not a reliability issue for individuals using Green Mtn, etc. until, like California, providers within ERCOT replace our reliable sources with too much wind and solar to cause brown outs for everybody. If you use Green Mountain you are not actually using 100% solar/wind. The electrons in the grid don’t know how they were made to move along the conductors and into your home.
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Houston area is served by Centerpoint for your electrical transmission infrastructure from the grid to your house.  Any outage in the infrastructure is handled by Centerpoint.  The retail electrical provider (Green Mountain, Chariot, etc.) is basically a billing agent as far as you are concerned.

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10 hours ago, HouTex said:


There should be other threads on this. It’s not a reliability issue for individuals using Green Mtn, etc. until, like California, providers within ERCOT replace our reliable sources with too much wind and solar to cause brown outs for everybody. If you use Green Mountain you are not actually using 100% solar/wind. The electrons in the grid don’t know how they were made to move along the conductors and into your home.

 

while this is all true, buying from someone like Green Mountain does help, in a small, incremental way, move toward more solar and wind, and less coal.

We've used Green Mountain for years, and had no problems. I think when we signed up after we moved 15 years ago, they were marginally more expensive. When we got solar installed, we checked around, and stuck with them because they had good rates for paying us for excess generation (we net meter with our solar setup).

 

 

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On 11/16/2020 at 2:32 PM, Liquor and Poker said:

you miss the window to switch to another one, the default rate they move you to is insane.

that's everyone.  other than griddy and bulb which don't really have contracts.   bulb is green, griddy is not. 

 

as mentioned above, what really happens in houston is that you get the same electric mix as pretty much everyone else in houston.  the way green energy works is that there's an entry on a ledger that ends up subsidizing green generation elsewhere in the state.  so, maybe someone in midland isn't on a green plan, but their electric generation is 90% wind, and your ledger credits work their way over there. 

 

 

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Energy Ogre

Highly recommend.  You pay them a small fee to continually shop energy providers for you for the best deals.  Been using it for about a year and not only are our bills considerably lower, I just never have to mess with it.  I think they have an option where you can tell them only to use green providers, but don’t quote me on that part.

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2 hours ago, elfenix said:

that's everyone.  other than griddy and bulb which don't really have contracts.   bulb is green, griddy is not. 

 

 

Everyone does it, sort of. But GM is a bit more predatory about it.  Or at least they were 5-6 years ago.  I’m trying to find the article from DMN about it. 

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2 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Energy Ogre

Highly recommend.  You pay them a small fee to continually shop energy providers for you for the best deals.  Been using it for about a year and not only are our bills considerably lower, I just never have to mess with it.  I think they have an option where you can tell them only to use green providers, but don’t quote me on that part.

This. Also when you go to use it, please dm me for my referral code.

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On 11/18/2020 at 5:58 PM, Landomatic said:

Energy Ogre

Highly recommend.  You pay them a small fee to continually shop energy providers for you for the best deals.  Been using it for about a year and not only are our bills considerably lower, I just never have to mess with it.  I think they have an option where you can tell them only to use green providers, but don’t quote me on that part.

This this this. There are too many provider options to search efficiently, and every year or six months (whichever length of contract they sign you up for, usually a year) they will search again for lowest rates and automatically sign you up for it. I’m 4 months into using it and it’s already paid for itself in savings from TXU.

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1 hour ago, Etexhorn13 said:

This this this. There are too many provider options to search efficiently, and every year or six months (whichever length of contract they sign you up for, usually a year) they will search again for lowest rates and automatically sign you up for it. I’m 4 months into using it and it’s already paid for itself in savings from TXU.

No doubt.  But my first one was 4 months and my next one was 6 months, so I don't think it's usually a year.  If anything, I think they take the ones that have the great rates for the first X number of months knowing most people will be too lazy to cancel and sign on with someone else.  It really is a great concept.

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25 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

No doubt.  But my first one was 4 months and my next one was 6 months, so I don't think it's usually a year.  If anything, I think they take the ones that have the great rates for the first X number of months knowing most people will be too lazy to cancel and sign on with someone else.  It really is a great concept.

I believe they also take seasonality into account and cancellation fees since they cover those if they move you prior to the contract being up.

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