4.7.21 10

How To Avoid Unforeseen Costs With Your Electric Bill

Thank you to Energy Ogre for partnering on this post. All opinions are my own. 

Back in February Texas experienced and catastrophic winter storm. As someone who has lived in Texas their entire life, I can tell you I have never experienced anything like what happened. I’m sure people in colder parts of the country laugh but it got below zero several times over a week span and it was terrifying. Not to mention Texas is on its own power grid and due to the large demand for electricity to keep our homes warm, the state lost power for several days, including me.  Things like extreme weather in any direction can also leave you with a really not-fun bill when all is said and done. But that doesn’t have to happen! I want to share exactly how to avoid unforeseen costs with your electric bill so you don’t get caught in the situation so many Texans found themselves in.

How To Avoid Unforeseen Costs With Your Electric Bill

Back almost 5 years ago Andrew was doing research to figure out how we could lower our electric bill. The Texas summers are NO JOKE and the AC is cranked up 99% of the time. It was getting a little pricey. He came across Energy Ogre and showed it to me and I was immediately obsessed! Energy Ogre is a data technology company that does all the heavy lifting when it comes to shopping for electricity to ensure our members are in the lowest fixed-rate plan contract after contract.

Energy Ogre’s technology actively monitors thousands of offers on the market and finds the one that best meets the needs of your household by reading the fine print and identifying any hidden charges.

For the last 5 years even during the hottest of hot Texas months and the coldest of cold polar vortex we’ve never had a massive spike in our bill. We were never caught off guard by a bill we could not handle. Unfortunately, this is not the case for a lot of people in Texas using other types of providers. Several of my friends were hit really with bills ranging from $800-$2500.

When the polar vortex hit and we lost power and were dealing with trying to keeping ourselves and our kids warm the last thing I wanted to worry about was what kind of bill was going to hit us later. In the times we did have power we really had to crank the heat up to warm up our house since we would only have an hour or so with power. I had friends however who never lost power and even with them trying to conserve energy they then got bills that were insane.
So why did this happen? Those who live in a deregulated area in Texas have the ability to choose their provider (there are over 100 providers and 2,000 plans) and most of us don’t really take the time to read through the fine print on our plans and really understand it. We think “oh well this sounds good” and we sign up! This is why Energy Ogre exists!  Electricity is essential to our everyday lives, but so many of us don’t know much about the ins and outs —especially how it is made, distributed, and sold to consumers. Because of the lack of education surrounding electricity, countless Texans needlessly overpay for electricity. There is a true cost of not knowing how to shop for electricity, and unfortunately, 90% of Texans pay that price.
I have spoken candidly to friends throughout the last 5 years about why we love Energy Ogre and I even wrote a blog post about it here. So why am I so passionate about our electric bill? Because why overspend on anything when you don’t need to? We live in an area that has really extreme seasons and there is no reason for us to be spending hundreds of dollars every month on our electric bill when there’s a better way! We take all the precautions: we use motion-sensing lights, timers, we don’t have unnecessary stuff going, we don’t keep lights on in rooms we aren’t using, and so on. But 90% of Texans are STILL overpaying! That’s why I really want to go up to every stranger I see and make sure they sign up for Energy Ogre! There’s no reason not to!
A few other bonuses to Energy Ogre:
  • Their customer service is the actual best! The people there are so beyond helpful and always are willing to answer questions you have.
  • They truly look out for their customers and aren’t letting you overpay ever.
  • If you have an issue with your provider THEY take care of it- NOT YOU!
  • They also have a 100% satisfaction guarantee

I talked to a few of my friends who have switched over the years and a few that switched after this recent storm and they all agreed it was one of the best decisions they’ve made. I read countless horror stories of people who are still not switched and trust me you don’t want to be in that boat!

Do you currently use Energy Ogre if you are in Texas?

Leave a Comment

10 Comments

  1. Md Yeamin wrote:

    I agree with your ideas that really are helpful for all. Thank you for sharing the post.

    Published 4.7.21
    Reply
  2. Di Hickman wrote:

    I’ve read on the news about all the energy troubles with Texas recently. Crazy times, glad you found something that helps!

    Published 4.7.21
    Reply
  3. Stephanie wrote:

    We don’t have energy ogre, but we have a plan that we pay for the amount used. So our electricity bill was actually pretty low when that happened! I’ve only been in Texas (NE Houston) for about 6 years but lived in SW Florida before that, so have never been in weather that cold. I know quite a few who had those massive electric bills, too.

    Published 4.7.21
    Reply
  4. Jennifer Prince wrote:

    Oh wow! I need to check into this. We live in an old house, and I feel like ours is always high!

    Published 4.8.21
    Reply
  5. Stephanie wrote:

    This sounds like such a great option for those who are looking for the most cost-effective electric plan. Right now, I live in a townhome and electricity is covered in the rent, but I know in the future I’ll want to be more mindful of this and Energy Ogre seems really helpful!

    Published 4.8.21
    Reply
  6. Megan wrote:

    I’m in Canada but going to check this out as it’s a really great idea! We have serious spikes in temps so this would be incredibly beneficial.

    Published 4.9.21
    Reply
  7. Melanie williams wrote:

    There are some useful hints and tips here. It is surprising how quick that the energy bills rise and how they can catch up on you x

    Published 4.9.21
    Reply
  8. Genesis Cuanan wrote:

    This is a great idea and it’s very practical.

    Published 4.9.21
    Reply
  9. Amanda wrote:

    This sounds like a must to take advantage of savings! I’m in SoCal & we have a single energy provider, but if I were in Texas I would 100% be using this to find the best plan.

    Published 4.9.21
    Reply
  10. Megan Elliott wrote:

    Wow! This is super interesting. It was heart-wrenching to see what everyone in Texas went through with the insane winter storms. I’m so glad you had a plan in place. Energy Ogre is an awesome concept!

    Published 4.12.21
    Reply