HOAs in Texas, can HOA shop for power deals in Texas

As residential customers can do, can HOAs choose power providers in Texas? If so, can you get corporate rates or would it be residential rates?

Looking at the details of a POA's financial statement I noticed it is using Reliant, which is one of the highest, possible the highest, power providers in the state.

Can anyone confirm that HOAs can choose in Texas? And if so, is it the same process as a residential customer - you would just find a provider and deal you wanted and then call that company to switch over? Also, if HOAs can get corporate rates, how does that process work?

I'm guessing here, but if customers had a choice of providers in your area, you'd already know about - you'd be getting flyers in the mail. But it's worth asking about.

Utilities in my area also have programs that allow them to conserve energy - for example, being able to cut power for short periods during times of high energy consumption, or buying excess energy from customers who have solar systems that are tied to the grid.

Roger, yes, the HOA is a customer of the power providers, just like any other user.

I do not know if the power is provided at commercial or residential rates.

One of our Dallas located clients uses an alternative power provider whose Texas headquarters is located in Houston. The other clients do not use alternate providers simply because their power consumption is so low--a few LED lights on the buildings and the irrigation system controllers, that it is not worth the time and effort to research alternatives. We will look at the one association using an alternative provider over the winter as all exterior lighting systems have been replaced in the last 12 months. Using an alternative provider many not be the right choice now that the systems have been upgraded.

A word of warning: Texas has many co-ops which provide electricity, these were established in the 30s and 40s, probably under the REA, when this was a largely rural state (still is outside of the big cities) and the farmers and ranchers banded together to form a co-op so they could have electricity and not candlelight.

Some of those rural areas are rural no longer. Our home is located in Collin County, for several years one of the fastest growing counties in the country. Our power is provided by a co-op, where we live in McKinney was ranchland when we moved to Texas in 1997. Under their charters, the co-ops have an exclusive right to provide service in their franchise geographical areas which means they are not subject to the Texas deregulated electricity market--no "Power to Choose".

So, check that out first before you spend time researching alternatives.

Have fun and make certain you are on the correct state sponsored website. I understand there are pretenders out there who tweak the website name and URL to mislead consumers.

After getting past my laughter at the oxymoron "power providers in Texas," the signs are that some-to-all customer in Texas can choose among "power providers".

Google on the following, and a few companies come up explaining why they are supposedly better.

{name of your current "power provider"} "alternatives" "texas"

Interchangeable terms in Texas:

Da
Grid.

ERCOT

Flashlight

Generator

Hotel

Massive debt from gouging during power outages in sub-freezing temperatures

I would say that, in contrast with other states, the business of providing electricity in Texas is greed defined.