Having the freedom to compare electricity rates is great for consumers in the state of Texas. But you also want to be an informed consumer, to be 100% certain you are signing up with a well-reputed electric company.
When you pick an electric company with a less-than-great reputation, then you simply can’t count on them for excellent service. You aren’t going to know if your electricity is going to be properly billed. In today’s day and age, this simply is something you shouldn’t have to think about!
Payments Can Be Misplaced or Mismanaged
Do keep in mind that a brand new company can turn out to be one of the best companies 10 years from now, you just never do know. But one big concern in going with a company you don’t know anything about, is what happens to your monthly payment? It could be credited to the wrong account or even not credited at all.
A Company with a Bad Rep Can Shut Down Overnight
This is a huge worry you don’t need to have. When you work with an electric company that has a bad reputation, they could be closed for business – for good – the very next day. This would leave you and your family with a provider of last resort (POLR). For some, this could be quite expensive and time consuming. Because now you need to look for a new electric company or stay with the provider of last resort, which typically is a lot more expensive.
No One Needs the Hassle When Good Choices Are Out There
There is an old saying, “if something seems too good to be true, it probably is”. So if you’re getting promises that seem wild and really over the top, then the electric company probably won’t deliver on them. So be cautious and aware.
Tips When Looking For a Reputable Electric Company
Here are some helpful tips, to look for a reputable energy company:
- Always check with the BBB. Known formally as the Better Business Bureau, this is a U.S.A. nationwide not-for-profit consumer protection organization. They are dedicated to helping customers know which businesses are trustworthy and sound.
If you have a customer complaint, you can contact the BBB and they will work with the company to resolve it. What especially works in your favor is that there is a lifetime record of every complaint made about any company. We all know that 1 or 2 complaints does not make a bad electric company, but certainly a pattern of the same type of complaints over a period of time is certainly a red flag warning to look out for. - Do look at their Yelp & Google reviews. Many customers turn to social media when they are unhappy with a company. Or even if they want to compliment them. So be sure to check Yelp.com, one of the most popular places to leave customer reviews. Then look at Google.com too, where many customers place their reviews too.
Another thing to look for is the electric company’s name as a hashtag, over other forms of social media, such as Twitter and Facebook. You will be able to easily see what people are saying about this electric company, the good and the bad. - See how they help the Texas community. Most honorable companies reach out a helping hand to the communities they do business in. What you are looking for is not the specific charities or causes that they focus on, but simply that they do something to help others. Some companies may be quite involved, and that may actually say more about the managers and employees who are doing charitable projects to help people. But a company that cares about the community they have a business in, is likely to provide it with excellent service.
- Notice how big the company is. If you are looking to compare electric companies in Texas, quite frankly you want a company that has the ability to support the area it reaches. When an electric company is too small, there is a concern that they won’t have enough customer support representatives during a blackout or a massive billing error. You can usually find this by looking at the Bloomberg.com website or LinkedIn.com, as many companies have a company page there.
- Read the history of the company. This is quite helpful to do and you’ll get a sense of how the company started and what they are doing now. A reputable company can be any age, it could be a brand new company or 30 years old. Reading their history will tell you about their dedication to being an electric company and the people involved in starting it.
- Do look at the company’s website and social media. While we can tell you that you can’t make a decision about a company being reputable if they have a pretty website, you can tell if they are an active company in some ways by looking at their website and social media. For example, on the home page of their website, they should list a telephone number. Ideally, it should be a toll free telephone number. They should have a customer service telephone number and also one to reach the sales department. If you look at their social media profiles, you can see customers’ responses to their social media posts. Do customers complain about electricity rates or billing problems? Do they respond in a friendly way to the posts?
- Call customer service. This is an excellent way to tell if a company is reputable. Give customer service a call and inquire about service, to learn more about it. The customer service representative should be knowledgeable and polite. You also should not be on hold for a long time.
- See how many electricity plans they offer. While there are reputable companies that do only offer one or two electric plans, many established companies provide more than this. This is the sign of a growing company. You’ll see quite a few of them have three or more electric plans to choose from.
- Trust your “gut” when making your choice. This is important to keep in mind. Look at how you feel about an electric company, a choice needs to be right for you. Pay attention to what you think about the research you have obtained. Trust that you will find the best electric company for you that is reputable and sound.
I like that you recommend researching energy companies online by checking their website and social media. It might also help to find a company that compares energy rates in your area. This could help you learn about the cost of the various providers to help you determine which one to use.