1. Confirm the plan serves your area
Houston-area customers should first confirm their transmission and distribution utility. Power Made Clear currently covers residential offers in CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric's service territory. The retail provider sells the plan; CenterPoint continues delivering the electricity.
2. Use the complete price formula
Open the plan's current Electricity Facts Label. Add the energy charge, base charge, usage fees, current CenterPoint delivery charges, and any other required recurring amounts. Apply bill credits only when the stated usage or timing rule is actually satisfied. Plans with free nights or other time-of-use pricing also require usage by time of day.
3. Compare plans using your real usage
Your home will rarely use exactly 1,000 kWh every month. Houston summers can produce much higher usage than spring and fall. A plan that looks inexpensive at one usage level may cost more when a bill credit is missed or a fee begins. One recent bill is useful for a quick check; a full year of Smart Meter Texas data gives a stronger seasonal comparison.
4. Include current CenterPoint delivery charges
CenterPoint generally charges a fixed amount per billing cycle plus a usage-based delivery amount. These regulated charges remain part of the bill when you change retail providers. Use the current applicable charges and avoid adding them twice if a plan already bundles delivery into its stated price.
5. Compare the same future months
Use a shared comparison period so a short contract does not appear cheaper simply because it avoids high-usage summer months. Keep short, standard, and long contracts separated when reviewing results, and note whether a contract would end during the peak summer shopping season.
6. Review conditions before enrolling
- Does the price depend on a bill-credit threshold?
- Are autopay, paperless billing, or a valid email required?
- Is the offer limited to new customers?
- What is the early termination fee?
- When will the contract end?
- Does the plan name and term match the Electricity Facts Label?
7. Use the official offer documents
Plan availability and pricing can change. Before enrolling, open the current Electricity Facts Label and Terms of Service from the offer itself. A comparison is an estimate based on available information and cannot guarantee future usage, tariffs, plan availability, or savings.
Free check or complete report?
Power Made Clear's free bill check compares one or more recent bills with current plan pricing and shows whether a complete report may be worthwhile. The $10 report uses your Smart Meter Texas history, calculates supported current offers month by month, organizes results by contract length, and explains material pricing conditions.
Frequently asked questions
What should I compare when choosing a Houston power plan?
Compare the complete energy-price formula, current CenterPoint delivery charges, base fees, bill credits, usage thresholds, time-of-use periods, contract length, requirements, and contract end date against your own electricity usage.
Is the advertised electricity rate my actual rate?
Not necessarily. Advertised average prices use standard usage examples. Your effective price depends on your usage, the plan formula, delivery charges, fees, credits, and whether you satisfy the plan's conditions.
Do CenterPoint delivery charges change when I switch providers?
CenterPoint's regulated delivery charges generally remain part of the bill throughout its service territory. Include the current applicable charges without adding them twice to plans that already bundle delivery.
How much usage history should I use to compare plans?
A full year is preferable because Houston electricity usage is seasonal. Twelve months can show whether credits or time-of-use pricing still work during mild and high-usage months.