| Frequently Asked Questions |
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| At Potentia, we believe in transparency and think you should know exactly what you're paying for. We also provide educational resources to Texans to so you can learn more about the electric market and how it operates. That's why many rate us as the best residential & business electricity supplier company in Houston, Dallas, Arlington & Fort Worth, Texas. |
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| » Electric Market 101: |
| Retail Electric Providers (REP- Ex: Potentia Energy): Buy electricity from the generator and sell to you, our customers |
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| Transmission and Distribution Service Providers (TDSP- Ex: CenterPoint/Oncor): Entity that delivers and maintains electric service; owns all the wires and poles, and reads and reports usage for your meters. |
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| ERCOT:Entity that manages the electric grid and mtainaing electric reliability in Texas. |
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| Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT):Regulatory agency that creates and enforces market rules. |
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| How does electricity work? |
Behind the scenes, electricity is not actually just a flip of a switch. Electricity is the movement of electrons from a power generation source, across transmission lines, to your home or business. The movement happens when you flip your switch to complete the circuit.
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| What does Potentia Energy do as an REP? |
| Retail electricity providers purchase power from electricity generators on behalf of their customers. After your meter is read by the local utility (TDSP), the utility tells the REP exactly how much electricity you used. The retail electricity provider then sends you a bill based on the pricing plan you selected. |
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| What is a Smart Meter? |
| A smart meter is an advanced meter that measures usage in more detail than a conventional meter. It generally communicates via a network back to the local utility. You can learn more about Smart Meters at www.smartmetertexas.com. |
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| How do I read my meter? |
| There a couple of different types of meters. One is an odometer type dial which will show you the numbers- left to right- which determines your usage. A second type is the dial meter which looks like a series of clocks. The dial’s pointer only turns when electricity is being used. You can read each number the pointer is on. If it is between two numbers, read the smaller number (unless it is between 0-9, then read 9). Reading your own meter and maintaining a record of your daily usage can be helpful to know how much electricity you use each day. These numbers are not reset to zero but are cumulative instead. To find out your usage for a month, subtract last month’s usage by this month. |
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| » The Basics: |
| What does Potentia’s average price per kWh consist of? (This is the price which is typically compared at 1000 kWh of usage) |
| Our electricity products generally consist of three things which you can also find on our Electricity Facts Label for your areas as well: |
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Base Energy Charge - cents per kilowatt hour of energy used (example 6.5 cents/ kWh). This can be fixed or variable depending on the plan you choose. |
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Base Charge – monthly charge per meter |
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TDSP Fees – These charges are assessed by the TDSP and can be passed through without a markup to consumers by the REP. |
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| The average cents per kWH is the average price paid for service when all of these charges have been assessed, and divided by the total kWh used. To see an example, click Understand Your Bill. To compare across different types of offers, many companies use 1000 kWh to make a comparison calculation. Need help calculating yours? Use our Pricing Calculator or contact one of our representatives! |
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| What is the difference between a Fixed Rate Product and a Variable Price Product? |
| Fixed Rate Product- A product with a term of at least three months for which the price for each billing period of the contract term is the same throughout the contract term, except that the price may vary fro reflect actual changes in TDSP charges, changes to ERCOT, or Texas Regional Entity administrative fees charged to loads or changes resulting from federal, state or local laws that impose new or modified fees or costs on a REP that are beyond the REP’s control. |
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| Variable Price Product- A product for which price may vary according to a method determined by the REP, including a product for which the price, can increase no more than a defined percentage as indexed to the customer’s previous billing month’s price. For residential customers, a variable price product can be only a month-to-month contract. |
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| Is a deposit required to enroll? |
| To enroll, you do have to prove satisfactory credit. Depending on the product you select, there are several ways to do this such as running a credit check when you enroll, submitting a Letter of Credit from your credit provider showing no more than 2 late payments in the past months, or putting down a deposit which will be returned to you with interest after 12 months of timely payments. There may also be other waiver options available to you if you are a victim of family violence or above the age of 65. |
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| Is there an Early Termination Fee? |
| If you are have a contract for a fixed rate product, there may be a concellation fee if you terminate your contract before the contract term has been completed. Please check your Electricity Facts Label to find out the amount as it may differ depending on your plan. If you are on a variable price product, there is no early termination fee. |
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| What is my bill going to look like? |
| Potentia Energy has an easy to understand bill so our customers know exactly what they're paying for and where their money is going. Check out our sample bill for helpful tips. Please note your rates and charges will differ according to your rate plan and your TDSP. |
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| How can I sign up? |
| Switching is easy! For residential customers, click here, enter your zip code, choose your plan and finish the application. Potentia Energy will take care of the rest to ensure that you have a seamless switch. You can also call our toll free number to do it over the phone at 1.877.669.7683. If you would like to submit a paper application, please email us at contact@potentiaenergy.com to request a copy and we will send one to you right away! For commercial customers, click here. |
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| » Payments |
| How can I pay my bill? |
| You can pay your bill in one of 4 easy ways: |
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| What happens if I am late in making a payment? |
| If you are late in making a payment, you are assessed a 5% late fee of your remaining balance. If a disconnection notice needs to be generated for you, you will be assessed a $5 charge automatically. You can always call us to make sure a payment gets to us on time or sign up for Auto Bill Pay so Potentia can automate the payment process for you. Here are our Payment Options. |
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| » Energy |
| Help! My Lights are out, who do I call? |
Customers calling to report any power outages should contact their respective TDSP 24 hour service lines as listed below:
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| Oncor Electric Delivery 888-313-4747 |
CenterPoint 800-332-7143 |
| AEP 866-223-8508 |
TNMP 888-866-7456 |
| Nueces 800-632-9288 |
Sharyland Utilities 866-354-3335 |
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| What makes up Potentia’s energy? |
| Potentia Energy has plenty of products and offerings to choose from. Potentia's green products have 100% renewable content in them. Potentia's other products have varying amounts of renewable content in them (please review EFL for more detials). |
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| » Special Cases: |
| How do I qualify for Critical Care? |
| If someone at your home requires Critical Care, please fill out this form and return to the Public Utility Commission of Texas and they will determine your eligibility. Only then will it reflect in your account with Potentia Energy. |
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| What is Lite-Up Texas? |
| The LITE-UP TEXAS program is designed to help qualified low-income individuals reduce the monthly cost of electric service. The program will provide discounts to eligible customers in the months May-September. To learn more or see if you qualify, please visit Lite up texas or call toll-free 1-866-454-8387. |
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| » Customer Service |
| How can I reach Potentia Energy? |
| Potentia Energy representatives are here to help you around the clock. Feel free to call our toll free number at 1.877.669.7683 anytime. You will be greeted by a knowledgeable, live representative that can help answer your questions. We are also very email friendly. |
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| Office Hours: 8-5 pm, M-F |
Customer Care: Mon - Fri 7:30am - 7.30pm, Sat 9am – 3:30pm
24/7 Hotline Service Available
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| Email Address: contact@potentiaenergy.com. |
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