In certain areas in East Texas there is only one electric company available and there is no choice. Big Sandy is an example of an East Texas city that has only one electric provider. Cherokee County Coop is the electric coop in some East Texas towns and if they are the energy company in your city then you have no choice in picking a provider. For awhile Cherokee County Electric had much cheaper electricity prices then electric companies selling energy in the deregulated areas of Texas. Recent comments from their customers now say that Cherokee raises their rates during the course of a contract and it becomes a hassle to call them and negotiate the rate back down. We called them to see what their current electric rate was at. They have a 11 cents per kWh as of today although 2 months ago it was around 11.5 cents a kWh. In comparison we called one of the cheapest electric providers in Texas with a positive rating score from the PUCT and found that a cheap rate in the deregulated areas of Texas is going for 10.3 cents a kWh (April 7 2009) (and that includes all charges). The difference is that Cherokee County Electric Co-op's rate is a variable rate and the 10.3 cent rate is a fixed rate. Unfortunately Cherokee can raise your electricity price on you if fuel prices go up. Cherokee does not offer a fixed electricity price.
Nueces Electric Co-op has a certain appeal because you can be a part owner in a Co-op and they chose to be a part of the deregulation of the Texas electricity market. Because Nueces opted into deregulation you do not have to live in Nueces County Texas to join their electricity cooperative. You will receive some kind of reimbursement from Nueces for being a member but as of April 7 2009 Nueces is charging 17.7 cents a kWh for electric service while the cheapest provider is charging 10.3 cents a kWh for a 1 year fixed rate (no additional charges). Nueces is not even near being the cheapest electric company in East Texas which is why we recommend choosing a provider that is cheaper.
