Direct Answer: No, Power to Choose (
powertochoose.org) is not gone—it remains the official directory operated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT). However, following Texas Legislature Sunset reviews and PUCT rule updates tightening 3-month teaser plans, many shoppers leave the portal because its static 1,000 kWh sort rewards bill-credit cliffs that spike bills by 40%–65% at 750 or 1,500 kWh.
Why Texans Ask "Is Power to Choose Shutting Down?"
Every legislative cycle since the 2021 ERCOT winter storm, Texas lawmakers and the Sunset Advisory Commission have debated whether the state-run Power to Choose website helps or misleads residential electricity shoppers. While bills proposing to decommission the site were amended to keep the directory online, the PUCT implemented several structural changes:
- Crackdown on Ultra-Short Teaser Plans: Historically, Retail Electric Providers (REPs) flooded the top of Power to Choose with 1-to-3-month loss-leader plans, immediately rolling customers onto 22¢–32¢/kWh variable holdover rates once the initial term ended.
- Removal of Deceptive Indexed Products: Following Texas House Bill 16, wholesale-indexed residential plans (like Griddy) were banned across ERCOT.
- Persistent 1,000 kWh Benchmark Gaming: Under PUCT Substantive Rule 16 TAC §25.475, every Electricity Facts Label (EFL) must publish average prices at exactly 500 kWh, 1,000 kWh, and 2,000 kWh. Because Power to Choose sorts by the 1,000 kWh column by default, retailers engineer plans that apply a $100–$125 bill credit at 1,000 kWh that disappears at 999 kWh or fails to scale at 1,500 kWh.
How a "Top-Ranked" Power to Choose Plan Actually Bills Across 5 Usage Tiers
To see why sorting by the 1,000 kWh column fails real households, compare a typical Bill-Credit Cliff Plan (19.4¢ energy charge + $100 credit at ≥1,000 kWh + Oncor delivery charges) against a True Fixed-Rate Plan (12.8¢ energy charge + Oncor delivery charges, zero usage cliffs):
| Monthly Usage | Typical Household Profile | Bill-Credit Cliff Plan (Total / Effective ¢/kWh) | True Fixed-Rate Plan (Total / Effective ¢/kWh) | Monthly Penalty of Cliff Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh | 1-Bedroom Apartment (Spring/Fall) | $129.43 (25.89¢/kWh) | $96.43 (19.29¢/kWh) | +$33.00 / mo |
| 750 kWh | 1–2 Bedroom Townhome | $191.99 (25.60¢/kWh) | $142.49 (19.00¢/kWh) | +$49.50 / mo |
| 999 kWh | Just Under the 1,000 kWh Credit Threshold | $254.30 (25.46¢/kWh) | $188.36 (18.85¢/kWh) | +$65.94 / mo |
| 1,000 kWh | Power to Choose Default Sort Column | $154.55 (15.46¢/kWh) | $188.55 (18.86¢/kWh) | -$34.00 / mo (Artificial Window) |
| 1,500 kWh | 3-Bedroom Texas Home | $279.68 (18.65¢/kWh) | $280.68 (18.71¢/kWh) | Parity vanish |
| 2,000 kWh | Single-Family Home in July/August | $404.80 (20.24¢/kWh) | $372.80 (18.64¢/kWh) | +$32.00 / mo |
Across a 12-month Texas weather cycle—where apartments average 550–850 kWh in mild months and single-family homes exceed 1,800 kWh in July and August—a household on the "cheaper" 1,000 kWh cliff plan pays $310 to $480 more per year than on a straightforward fixed-rate plan.
What to Check Before Enrolling in Any Plan Listed on Power to Choose
Before clicking through from Power to Choose to a provider checkout page, verify four mandatory items on the plan's Electricity Facts Label (EFL):
- TDU Delivery Pass-Through Verification: Confirm whether the quoted price includes current regulated delivery charges for your utility—Oncor Electric Delivery, CenterPoint Energy, AEP Texas Central, AEP Texas North, or TNMP.
- 750 kWh and 1,500 kWh Off-Benchmark Math: Calculate the total bill at 750 kWh and 1,500 kWh—the two usage levels where 16 TAC §25.475 does not require headline disclosure.
- Minimum Usage Fees & Base Charges: Check for $9.95–$19.95 monthly base charges or minimum-usage penalties triggered below 1,000 kWh.
- Early Termination Fee (ETF) Structure: Distinguish between a flat cancellation fee ($150–$200) and a "$20 per month remaining" structure. Under 16 TAC §25.475(c)(2)(C), no Texas REP may charge an early termination fee if you move to a new service address and provide forwarding documentation.
Compare All-In Effective Texas Electricity Plans
Instead of sorting by a single 1,000 kWh headline number, Get Electricity ingests live Texas provider catalogs daily, parses every EFL tariff rule, and ranks plans by true all-in monthly cost at your home or apartment's actual usage profile across Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Corpus Christi, and all deregulated ERCOT territories.