What is the difference between Oncor and my electricity service provider?
  • Before the State of Texas deregulated and restructured the retail electricity market in 2002, only one utility provided electricity in a given area at a time. Since then, about 85% of Texas residents are able to choose a provider in the competitive market. 
  • That means lots of options for who supplies your electricity: more than 170 suppliers (known as Retail Electric Providers or REPs) are currently licensed to operate in Texas. REPs buy wholesale electricity from generation companies and sell it to homes and businesses in the areas of Texas that are open to competition. In addition to buying electricity on your behalf, REPs in Texas also handle billing and payment, set prices, and provide customer service.
  • The delivery of electricity remains a regulated monopoly because there’s only one set of poles and wires in each service area. That means when you enroll with a REP, a single Transmission and Distribution Service Provider (or TDSP) maintains the poles and wires, handles service outages, and reads your meter. In Coppell, Oncor is the TDSP.

Show All Answers

1. I received a letter in the mail from Texas Power Switch, and it has the City logo on it. Is this a legitimate letter?
2. What do I do if I received a letter from Texas Power Switch that was addressed incorrectly?
3. Does it cost anything to sign up?
4. Am I obligated to the retail electricity provider that wins the bid switch if I sign up to participate?
5. If I decide to switch providers based on the winning bid, do I have to pay any contract cancellation fees?
6. Does the program cost the city anything?
7. Does the city receive any compensation?
8. Why did the City choose to participate in the program?
9. What is the difference between Oncor and my electricity service provider?