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Reliant Energy

Title:	Reliant Energy
Category:	Retail Electric Providers
Clicks:	535
Listing added:	Jan 23, 2008
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Reliant is the incumbent Retail Electric Provider in the Houston Texas area and at one time owned both the retail electric division that sells the energy to residences and commercial businesses and the pole and wires company that owns and services the electric lines. Texas deregulated the Texas electric market back in 2002 and broke off Reliant from the pole and wires company Centerpoint. They are now rebranded as Reliant Energy and Centerpoint now only provides pole and wire transmission and distribution services. Reliant has worked out a deal with Texas ERCOT to be the POLR or Provider Of Last Resort. What this means is if you were to sign up with an electric company that later on goes bankrupt during the course of the electricity agreement you would be switched back to Reliant Energy with no interruption in service. This POLR setup created by the ERCOT deregulation organization has become a benchmark in how to do deregulation in other states and continues to effectively provide for continued uninterrupted electric service as new energy companies come and go in the Texas retail energy market.

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Rating

Rating: 1.00/10 (6 )

Comments

Comment Author Rick / Jan 23, 2008

Reliant Energy is one of the few, if not the only, Retail Electric Provider doing business in Texas that charges a dollar amount per KW to cover "Demand" charges. Demand charges are based on a tariff set by the PUC of Texas and all providers must pass these charges on to the ERCOT (Electricity Reliability council of Texas) who then passes these funds directly down to the local utility to cover transmission & distribution costs borne by the utility. These "pass through" charges consist 90% or more of Demand charges. These Demand charges are actually referred to as "Pass Through's" because they are typically passed through on a one-to-one basis with no mark-up. Reliant chooses not to use this method of charging the customer in favor of a much more expensive method (but more profitable to Reliant) of rating per KW for Demand which comes to as much as 150% or more of the actual "pass through" tariff charges which cover Demand and other miscellaneous state fees. Unfortunately it is up to the buyer to be aware of this practice since it is not against state law or regulations to mark-up these Demand/Transmisison & Distribution tariff charges. It's a "buyer beware" issue.

Latest Comments

Comment Author helpful local customer service / May 12, 2008

The customer service is actually based in Texas and they actually know what they are talking about. What a relief.

Comment Author dean putterman / May 9, 2008

I've saved $$$$thousands$$$ since I signed up with Startex over 2 years ago and have never had any problems.

Comment Author Realist001 / Apr 13, 2008

Previously to signing up with Startex Power I have not never heard of the company but with such low rates I went with them. 16 mo. later I am still with them and can say I havent experienced any problems with this electric company. I would recommend them.

Comment Author George Lancaster / Feb 1, 2008

Nice folks, outstanding customer service and LOWER PRICES. I have saved a lot of green! Star Tex is THE "no brainer" in Houston!

Comment Author Kevin / Feb 1, 2008

Excellent pricing, customer service and commitment to the community. They are proof that deregulation is in the customer's best interest.

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