Power to Choose is the official electric choice program of Texas.
The program is managed by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and offers consumers living in Texas tools and information on energy choice options within deregulated areas of the state.
Power to Choose is one of the ways in which the state educates and helps consumers learn more about their deregulated energy options. It also serves as one of the many resources consumers can use to find REPs. As of December 2025, Texas’s deregulated market covers about 85% of the state, with residential electricity rates averaging 12.1% below the national average—making it a prime time to shop during the fall and winter months.
PowertoChoose.org
PUCT hosts the official website for Power to Choose at PowertoChoose.org.
Much like Electric Choice, the Power To Choose website provides a platform to compare plans offered by various REPs in your area. You can filter by price, plan type (fixed-rate, variable-rate, green energy), contract length, and other criteria to find the best fit for you. You can also learn a little about energy providers. The Power to Choose website offers information about different REPs and their customer service ratings.
Industry Scorecard (Last Updated 2025)
One of the resources Power to Choose offers consumers is an REP Industry Scorecard. REP stands for Retail Energy/Electricity Provider, which is the electric company that sends you your electric bill every month.
This Industry Scorecard is kept up to date on a rolling 6-month basis and reveals the complaint score for each REP (marked out of 5 dots or stars). If the electricity provider has 5 “dots,” it indicates that it has a very low complaint score. Use this alongside BBB ratings to evaluate providers in the competitive 2025 market.
Power to Save
Power to Save is an excellent example of the kinds of resources Power to Choose offers consumers. This website provides several pieces of information regarding electricity in Texas including,
Savings Calculator – This online tool allows consumers to determine how much money they can save by switching to an REP, or cutting back on energy consumption. Filling in various fields such as average kWh usage and heating and cooling temperature estimates help to calculate results—especially useful now with winter demand peaking in the mornings.
Energy Star Saving Tips – Energy Star provides Power to Save with an interactive tool that displays areas within a home. Clicking on the different areas within the home like bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and more will reveal energy saving tips that residential consumers can adopt and implement within their own living space.
Power Partners – This aspect of Power to Save is directed at small businesses looking for ways to save on their electricity bills. Becoming a Texas Power Partner means that the small business is willing to participate in conserving energy during peak times of the year, including emerging winter risks from data center loads.
About the Grid – Power to Save informs consumers about current grid conditions, which are based on the season. As of December 2025, ERCOT reports stable winter conditions with sufficient capacity under typical weather (1.81% chance of emergency during peak morning hours). There are different stages of alerts including normal conditions, conservation alert, power watch, power warning, and power emergency. However, growing data center demand and potential cold snaps could tighten reserves—check ERCOT dashboards for real-time updates. Recent innovations like Real-Time Co-optimization Plus Batteries (RTC+B, launched Dec 5, 2025) are helping enhance reliability. Based on the alert, consumers can discover different ways in which they can help to keep the grid in good condition throughout the year.
Partner Utilities – Electricity
There are 5 major utilities within the state of Texas. These utilities include:
It is important to check with your local utility before attempting to switch to an REP. Most areas of Texas operate under a deregulated energy market but there are still some areas that remain regulated (like Austin and San Antonio). Note: Lubbock fully integrated into deregulation in 2023, with customer choice available since January 2024.
Texas Smart Meter
All five of the above mentioned utilities participate in the Texas Smart Meter Program, which is an affiliate of Texas Power to Choose.
Texas Smart Meter stores consumer electricity usage data using smart meters (also known as digital electric meters). The data is stored in 15-minute, monthly, and daily intervals and is provided to consumers through what the program calls a “Green Button.” Overall, the Smart Meter allows consumers to share and have access to their usage information quickly and easily, which helps them to better understand and manage their electricity consumption—vital in 2025 with rising demand from renewables and tech growth.
Do Your Research: While Power To Choose is a valuable resource, it’s important to be an informed consumer. Some REPs might use introductory rates or hidden fees. Read plan details carefully and consider your electricity usage patterns when making your decision. In 2025, watch for potential regulatory shifts from Senate Bills 819 and 388, which could mandate 50% dispatchable energy sources amid renewable expansion concerns.
Not Available Statewide: Not all areas of Texas participate in electricity deregulation. You can check your zip code on Power To Choose to see if you have a choice of providers.
