Aug 27, 2015

Energy sources: 35.3 percent primarily use electricity, 50.4 percent primarily use piped gas, 14.3 percent use another source HOUSTON - These hot summer months are when Houstonians typically experience sticker shock opening those high electric bills. Residents will soon want to shop around for cheaper rates, because electric prices spike in the hot summer months. When the year moves into the fall, prices usually come back down again. Right now, electric rates are some of the lowest seen in a decade, so it pays to shop around. The first place most people head is the Public Utility Commission's Power to Choose website , but the site that lets consumers compare electric rates and plans has been dubbed the "Power to Confuse. " For example, the cheapest rate was 3.8 cents a kilowatt. By clicking around, consumers only get that rate if you use between 999 and 200 kilowatts in one billing cycle. Go under or over that amount and pay a whopping 13.8 cents a kilowatt. "In general, it's overwhelming and confusing to people to deal with so many options. " said Jesson Bradshaw, of Energy Ogre . We first told you about Bradshaw's company in March. The Energy Ogre savings calculator can be used to find out if they can save people money. Just type in the information from the most recent electric bill, the amount of energy used and how much it cost. Immediately, the site will calculate the actual electricity rate and then help find cheaper plans. If residents want to switch with the Ogre's help, they pay $10 a month. The company shows all of the options and switches the provider. After this story appeared of KPRC2, viewer Tracy Schulz emailed consumer expert Amy Davis, writing, "After 4 months, we are paying an average of $250 per month less than we used to, so we have well passed the point of recovering the Energy Ogre membership fee! " Don't want to pay a fee for the help? New sites like Innowatts can help. They have exclusive deals with electric providers to offer flat rates to consumers. Innowatts says they use an algorithm to determine about how much customers pay each month based on how many people live in the household and when the most electricity is used. For now, they offer rates from 30 plus electric companies. Some sites make their money from the electric providers. They receive a commission for every customer they get to sign up. As a consumer, know how a business works so people know whose side they're on. Copyright 2015 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Advertisement