Comparing The Best Electric Companies in San Patricio, Tx in 2024

Considering that the cost of living is rising throughout the states, it is a good idea to periodically do the math and revise your lights contract. You should be able to choose the best for both you and your family and secure lower energy bills for years to come. You can keep on reading for the best San Patricio rates and learn how you can avoid being charged too much for your electric service. With no further ado, let’s go. 

San Patricio Electricity Rates

San Patricio rates are low, but considering how different the cost of each kWh may be, it is probably best to calculate (rather than estimate) your average energy use per month and to check which energy plans would work the best for you. With no exception, you will need some help, so you can use ElectricRate to check out the plans that would work the best for you. Here are the top 20 energy plans offered in the area: 

Average Electric Bill in San Patricio, Tx

The average bill in San Patricio is $228 per month or $2,500 per year. This is higher than in the rest of the US, but still, the average residential home in the area can expect to use as much as 1,580 kWh in an average month. With this much energy used, the best way to bring your energy bill down is a combination of energy-efficiency measures, choosing a different electric rate (with a lower cost per kWh), and using all the available incentives that you can enroll in to get solar panels up on your roof as soon as possible. Without incentives, it takes around 9 years to pay off your solar array. 

San Patricio Electric Companies

All the energy plans above are offered by more than a dozen companies working in the San Patricio area. It is a good idea to consider them all but choose the best based on their electric offer and the cost per kWh that you will be charged if you choose to go with one of their plans. Then, you can go and check them out on BBB.org. Here are energy providers working in the area: 

• 4Change Energy, 
• Amigo Energy, 
• Cirro Energy, 
• Constellation, 
• Direct Energy, 
• Discount Power, 
• Frontier Utilities, 
• Gexa Energy, 
• Green Mountain, 
• Just Energy, 
• New Power Texas, 
• Pulse Power, 
• Reliant, 
• TXU Energy, and 
• Tara Energy. 

Factors That Affect Electricity Rates

As there are many electricity rates in San Patricio, we should understand that there are factors that affect these rates and how high your monthly bill will be. The factors include: 

• The price of the fuels, in both domestic and international markets, 
• The price of building, running, and maintaining power plants, 
• The costs associated with the transmission and distribution area system – the grid, 
• The local area regulations and how they dictate the price, and 
• The local weather conditions. 

Let’s now go and consider each of these in more detail, as this will help us understand how the energy price is formed, and why energy prices have been on the rise in the past several years. 

Fuels

The price of fuels is the biggest determiner of the price you will be paying for each kWh of electricity you use. All power plants require fuels to be able to generate electricity and deliver it to you. They typically use fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, but biomass, and energy-recovery power plants exist as well. The price of these fuels, both in the domestic and global markets, influences the price of energy you pay with your electricity bill. 

Renewable energy plans, on the other hand, produce electricity with no fuels. They use solar, wind, and hydropower (all naturally renewable), to produce the electricity that you can use to power your home. This may seem like a great solution for the issue of climate change and reducing our average carbon dioxide emissions. However, the intermittency of these energy sources and the high cost of storing this energy poses issues that are slowly being overcome. 

Power Plant Prices

All energy that is generated is generated in power plants. There are several types of these plants, including nuclear, coal, oil, and natural gas power plants. All of these cost to be built, run, and maintained and all these costs are included in the price you pay for electricity. The plants can disperse this cost over a 40-year period (sometimes even longer, depending on how well designed they were), and over all of the people who use their electricity (can number in the millions). 

This ensures that the price you pay for electricity remains low and that you can easily pay this every month. In recent years, things have changed, so that the market prefers smaller, safer power plants that pollute less. The market also prefers energy coming from renewable energy sources, which means very low maintenance costs and running expenses. 

Transmission and Distribution Area System

The local and state transmission and distribution area system, also known as the grid, can also influence energy prices. This system, also known as the gird, is a huge system, one of the biggest achievements of humankind, and costs a lot to build, run, and maintain, just like power plants. However, the maintenance can be very costly, as the system is spread throughout the state and is prone to weathering, weather extremes, ice, snow, and wind storms, and being temporarily damaged by downed power poles. 

All of these issues cost a lot to fix and will easily add up to 50% to your power bill for the utility charges. However, this is necessary, as these services are essential for the proper functioning of any power system. Add to this the cost of modernizing and keeping the entire grid up to date, and you will be able to see how necessary maintaining the grid is. 

Area Regulations

The grid and all other players in the energy market, including residential and commercial energy customers and energy providers all have to be regulated so that no side is a loser and so that not a single side is overcharged/has to overpay. This is done through regulatory bodies and other instances that are there to ensure the electricity service works the way it should: it should be accessible, reliable, and provided and charged in a fair play market. 

Weather Conditions

Besides these geopolitical and technological factors, there are also those that pertain to the local and state weather conditions. These factors include temperature extremes, precipitation, as well as renewable energy sources, such as the Sun, wind, and tidal movements/waves. These factors work together to ensure a stable and reliable electricity supply, but not exactly always. 

Temperature extremes, on the one hand, are known to push the power plants to the extremes. Very cold winters and summers are known for the need to turn the heating or cooling on. This increases the power demand while at the same time reducing the efficiency of the power plants, decreasing the power supply. The mix of these factors is the perfect breeding ground for higher energy prices. 

The spring and the autumn, on the other hand, with mild and stable temperatures and very little need to turn the HVAC on, are known for lower energy prices. High precipitation rates also increase hydropower generation, driving the prices even further down. When it comes to renewables, the story is a bit different. 

The more sun there is, the more the need for AC, but also the higher the solar energy production. Overcast days are sure to see an indentation in the total energy produced, vehicle the days with no wind reduce wind power production. These are the days when you may be charged more, depending on what kind of energy plan you may have. Tidal and wave energy generally do not suffer intermittency so much, while geothermal is not impacted at all. 

Types of Electricity Plans in San Patricio, Texas

We’ve seen how different factors can influence the cost of electricity you purchase every month. However, this is not the only thing that can influence how much of your budget you will have to leave aside. Namely, the type of energy plan you decide to go with also has a say in the cost of electricity you pay. Here are a few basic types:

• Fixed-rate plans, 
• Variable-rate plans, 
• Prepaid energy plans, 
• Business energy plans, 
• Green energy plans, and 
• TOU plans – Time-of-Use energy plans. 

Fixed-Rate Plans

Fixed-rate energy plans are the best choice for homeowners in San Patricio. With these plans, you will be able to set up and lock in a single electricity rate, which will be available to you for the duration of the electric service stated in your contract. Truth be told, these plans may be a bit more expensive than some other plans, but will nevertheless pay themselves off through the peace of mind that they provide. 

With these plans, you can save money by changing your energy usage and energy habits. These plans will ensure that you get energy price stability so that your monthly bill will only depend on your actual energy use. There are no additional payments for as long as your energy provider works in line with the local regulation. 

Variable-Rate Plans

Variable-rate energy plans, on the other hand, provide a variable rate throughout the year. This means that the price of energy you are charged will not always be the same and that you will be able to save during certain periods of the year while spending more on energy during others. While some may not like this, others see a chance to save. 

Typically, variable-rate plans will offer significant discounts on the per-kWh energy price you are expected to pay during the spring and the autumn part of the year. During the rest of the year, you will be paying more, as temperature extremes during the winter and the summer will easily drive your energy use up. As you use more energy, so does everyone else, driving the demand higher and increasing energy prices. 

Prepaid Energy Plans

Prepaid energy plans, as the name says, have to be prepaid. With these plans, you need to understand your energy usage and how your energy use changes throughout the year to ensure you never run out of power. The way they work is that you prepay some energy and then use it throughout the month. As energy cannot be stored (at least high volumes of it), you actually purchase energy credits and then use them throughout the month. These plans are also known as no-deposit or no-credit-check plans. 

Business Energy Plans

Business energy plans or commercial plans allow you to sign up for commercial energy services offered by energy providers in your state. This means that you will be eligible for shopping energy at discounted rates, which get lower the more energy you use. Commercial energy plans are only available to you as long as you own or run a business and cannot be purchased for residential properties. 

Finding out online about electricity rates offered for businesses in San Patricio is next to impossible, and you will have to contact energy providers and electric companies (utility companies) one by one if you would like to see what their offer is like. You can do this personally, or you can go and find an energy broker that can do this for you. In any case, you will be able to find very affordable rates for your business and stay competitive in the state and the country. 

Green Energy Plans

Green energy plans or renewable energy plans in San Patricio are also numerous. They will allow you to purchase energy that has been generated using renewable means: solar energy, wind energy, hydro energy, or even tidal energy. In some areas, some of the renewable energy may also come from biomass, residential waste energy recovery plants, or even geothermal energy. With green energy plans, the energy prices you have to pay will be a bit higher than with regular plans, but having the peace of mind that your electricity usage leaves no mark on planet Earth is enough for some to switch their service to green power. 

Time-of-Use Plans / Tariffs

Finally, the time-of-use plans (TOU tariffs) are there to ensure you get the best of both fixed-rate and variable-rate plans. With these plans, you will get access to two electricity tariffs, so you will be able to save money in the long run. The two tariffs are on-peak and off-peak, with the latter sometimes extending the duration of the whole weekend. That means that each kWh of electricity you use during this time period will cost you less and will enable you to save. 

Be careful not to overdo it, though, as some TOU plans offer discounted energy prices only for as long as your energy use does not exceed a certain threshold. Past the threshold, you will have to pay the regular price for the electricity you have used during this billing period. 

Energy Deregulation in Texas

Energy deregulation in Texas took place back in 2002. A stable power grid, a low number of power outages, and a low cost of electricity are just some of the benefits that a deregulated energy market has to offer. Good customer service, a variety of energy plans and electricity options, no-deposit energy plans, and a variety of ways to get charged for your electricity are just some of the other benefits. 

How To Find the Best Energy Plan?

Finding the best energy plan depends on a variety of factors, such as your energy usage, habits, and the desired kind of energy plan. In short: 

1. Understand your energy usage – an average US home uses around 900 kWh of electricity per month. With this in mind, you should probably consider your current energy use, since maybe a home energy audit and investments in the energy efficiency of your home will be enough for a cheaper electricity service, 
2. Understand your energy habits – do you waste energy? Can you start turning major appliances on only during off-peak times (usually 1-2 times a day)? Could you be more mindful about how you use electricity? 
3. Understand what kind of energy plan you may need – fixed, variable, no-deposit plans, and green energy plans are some of the commonly purchased energy plans in your area. 
4. How long will you need electricity? 6 months? or 5 years? Knowing this will help you save, as you could sign up for long-term lights service and save over the contract term. 
5. What source of electricity do you prefer? Renewable or non-renewable. If you live in an apartment, renewable energy plans may make sense. If, however, you live in a large home that you can make more energy efficient, cheaper energy options may be a better solution for you. 
6. Head over to Electricrate: enter your ZIP code, and without making an account, see what you can do to manage your power options better. You can use filters to narrow down the search and ensure you enjoy the benefits of a lower energy cost. 
7. Once you have the desired plans, head over to Better Business Bureau (BBB.org), and check out what they have to say about the company offering the energy plan you are interested in. Stay away from comments that are too sale-sy and stick with those that sound as if an actual customer wrote them. 
8. Contact the desired provider and check all the details of the San Patricio energy plan with them:
   1. The name of the plan, 
   2. Contract term, 
   3. The electricity rate stated – per kWh, 
   4. Possible energy tiers, 
   5. Possible discounts and freebies, as well as available TOU options/tariffs, and 
   6. Any other details that may be of interest to you? 

How To Switch Your Electricity Provider?

When you have all of this settled, it is time to contact the current provider. Contact them with the details of the new energy plan and check whether they can match the offer you have found. It is important to first contact the new provider and check all the information before contacting the old provider and possibly providing them with the wrong information. If they can match the offer, great! If not, you should make the switch to the new provider and the new energy plan. 

To do so, you need to prepare your old electricity bill and then call them. You will need your name, address, and customer number. During the call, check the EFL (Electricity Facts Label) again, and make sure you are clear about all the details. If you are satisfied with their offer, simply ask for the switch to take place, and they will take over. 

Conclusion

San Patricio is a small city in Texas, in Nueces and San Patricio counties. It has a low population of 400 but is still a picturesque place with many outdoor activities to check out. If you would like to move here, it is a good idea to check out the electric service and do what you can to provide the best for your family. 

Updated on 09-12-23