PowerToChoose.org is the official state comparison site for Texas retail electricity, operated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT). It lists plans from every licensed retail electric provider (REP) serving the deregulated parts of the state. The site exists because Texas law requires a neutral, publicly accessible tool where households can compare plans before enrolling, and it has been operational in some form since Texas opened its retail electricity market in 2002 under Senate Bill 7.
What the Site Actually Contains
Every licensed REP operating in a competitive service area must submit current plan data to PUCT. That data flows directly from each provider's Electricity Facts Label (EFL), a standardized one-page disclosure required under Texas law. Power to Choose is essentially a searchable database of those EFLs.
The EFL shows three things that matter most: the price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh monthly usage levels; the contract term (month-to-month versus 12 or 24 months); and any early termination fee. PUCT updated its EFL disclosure rules in 2021 to require the 1,000 kWh rate to appear as the primary displayed rate, after years of complaints about low-usage teaser rates that made plans look cheaper than they were at typical consumption.
As of 2024, the site lists plans from more than 60 active retail electric providers, with advertised rates generally ranging from about 10.5 cents to 18 cents per kWh for standard fixed-rate residential plans. The EIA's 2024 State Electricity Profiles show the average Texas residential retail rate at around 12.9 cents per kWh, a useful benchmark when evaluating whether a displayed plan is genuinely competitive.
Which Households Can Use It
Power to Choose covers only deregulated service territories. Approximately 85 percent of Texas electric customers live in a competitive area served by one of four transmission and distribution utilities (TDUs): Oncor (Dallas-Fort Worth and North Texas), CenterPoint Energy (Houston area), AEP Texas (Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley, and West Texas), and Texas-New Mexico Power (portions of East Texas and the Panhandle).
Households in Austin (Austin Energy), San Antonio (CPS Energy), and most electric cooperatives are not in deregulated territory. Those utilities set both delivery and supply prices. Entering a ZIP code from those areas on PowerToChoose.org returns a notice that no competitive plans are available. That message is accurate, not a site error.
How to Read a Plan Listing
After a household enters its ZIP code and an estimated monthly usage, Power to Choose returns a list of available plans sorted by price. Each listing shows the all-in average price per kWh at the entered usage level, the contract term, the renewable content percentage, and the provider name with a link to the full EFL.
The displayed rate is the all-in average. It includes both the energy charge (what the REP keeps) and the TDU delivery charge (what the grid operator keeps, fixed regardless of which REP is chosen). Rolling both into one number makes comparisons more accurate than looking at energy charges alone.
The listing is a summary. The EFL is the contract. Before enrolling in any plan, downloading and reading the full EFL is the only way to confirm what a plan actually costs at real usage levels, including any bill credits, minimum usage thresholds, or fees that do not appear on the comparison page.
The Teaser-Rate Problem
The most documented accuracy issue on Power to Choose involves plans structured with low rates at 500 kWh that spike at typical consumption. Before the 2021 reform, some providers advertised rates of 7 or 8 cents per kWh at 500 kWh but charged 14 or 15 cents at 1,000 kWh. A household searching at the lower usage level would enroll and then receive bills far higher than expected.
PUCT's 2021 rule change required the 1,000 kWh rate to appear as the primary rate on both listings and EFLs. The rule reduced the problem but did not eliminate it. Some plans use bill credits that apply only within a narrow usage band, for example a $50 credit that triggers only when monthly usage falls between 1,000 and 2,000 kWh. At 999 kWh, the credit disappears and the effective rate can jump by several cents per kWh.
Before enrolling in any plan with a particularly attractive rate, a shopper should confirm the price at their actual average monthly usage by downloading the EFL and calculating the bill manually. The average Texas household used about 1,168 kWh per month in 2023 (EIA electricity sales data). Using that figure as a baseline, rather than the default 1,000 kWh benchmark, gives a more realistic cost estimate.
Where the Site Falls Short
Three limitations are worth understanding before treating Power to Choose as a complete shopping guide.
No reliability data. The site contains no customer complaint histories, satisfaction ratings, or provider track records. A provider with a high volume of PUCT billing complaints appears identical to one with a clean record. PUCT does maintain a separate Informal Complaint Resolution database, but it is not integrated into the comparison tool.
No quality filter. Any licensed REP can list plans. Texas has more than 100 REPs certified by PUCT, though far fewer actively market competitive residential plans at any given time. Licensing requires a financial bond and basic compliance filings, not demonstrated customer service quality.
Rate data can lag. Providers must keep EFL data current, but PUCT does not guarantee real-time accuracy. A listed rate may reflect last week's filing. Before signing an agreement, confirming the current rate directly with the provider takes one call or web visit and avoids surprises.
Alternatives to PowerToChoose.org
Several independent comparison platforms draw from the same underlying EFL data but add filters and context the state site does not offer. These include tools that sort results by customer reviews, flag providers with elevated complaint rates, or display how a plan's effective price changes across multiple usage levels side by side.
The advantage of starting on PowerToChoose.org is neutrality. The site has no financial relationship with any provider and no incentive to favor one plan. The advantage of a third-party comparison tool is context: provider reputation, renewal rate history, and contract terms are often easier to evaluate on sites built for decision-making rather than regulatory compliance.
Starting on PowerToChoose.org to see the full market picture, then checking an independent source for provider reputation before enrolling, is the sequence that yields the most complete view of available options.
When Not to Switch
Early termination fees are the most common reason a switch that looks profitable on paper turns out not to be. Most 12-month fixed-rate contracts carry ETFs of $100 to $200. A new plan that saves 1 cent per kWh on 1,000 kWh per month saves $10. A $150 ETF requires 15 months to recover, longer than most 12-month plans last.
Households whose current contract expires within 30 to 60 days are in the best position to switch. Households mid-contract should calculate the full payback period before treating any Power to Choose result as actionable. The site does not display the current plan's ETF or expiration date. That information comes from the current provider's welcome letter or account portal.
Power to Choose is a regulated, publicly maintained tool with real data. Its limitations are structural, not deliberate. Used correctly, with the full EFL read and actual usage levels known, it gives a complete picture of the Texas retail electricity market. Used as a quick price list without reading the underlying contract, it can mislead.