By: Rob Dolin, Co-Founder and CTO, Energy Simply LLC
I don’t know anyone who would not choose 100% renewable energy IF it was the same cost as non-renewable energy.
In fact, in the City of Seattle, over 10,000 residents pay between $3/month and $12/month EXTRA to increase the portion of renewable energy in the electricity they purchase from the local utility. But maybe you’re not in the temperate climate of Seattle and you experience the sweltering summers of Houston, TX or the harsh winters of Chicago, IL; and you don’t want to be faced with a sky high power bill because there was extreme weather and you wanted to do something good for the earth.
Based on our monitoring of the Illinois and Texas power markets, I’m pleased to report that with the help of Energy Simply to keep you in the cheapest (or cheapest 100% renewable) plan, at today’s rates, lighter electricity users can get 100% renewable energy for ZERO premium and heavier energy users pay only 10% – 15% more.
- Residents of the Chicago, IL area would not spend more for 100% renewable power
- Residents of the Dallas, TX area would spend only about 12% – 13% more for renewable power
- Residents of the Houston, TX area would spend 10% – 15% more for 100% renewable power
CHICAGO – In Chicago, the cheapest price on power is currently a 100% renewable plan.
| Usage | Cheapest | Cheapest 100% Renewable | Renewable Premium |
| 500 kWh | $11 or $0.02 (w/$75 rebate) | $11 or $0.02 (w/$75 rebate) | 0% |
| 1,000 kWh | $46.9 or $0.0469 (w/ $75 rebate) | $46.9 or $0.0469 (w/ $75 rebate) | 0% |
| 2,000 kWh | $118.8 or $0.0594 (w/ $75 rebate) | $118.8 or $0.0594 (w/ $75 rebate) | 0% |
DALLAS – Using the Texas Energy Commission’s Power to Choose website for a quick comparison, we find:
| Usage | Cheapest | Cheapest 100% Renewable | Renewable Premium |
| 500 kWh | $35 or $0.07 / kWh | $35 or $0.07 / kWh | $0 / 0% |
| 1,000 kWh | $56 or $0.056 / kWh | $63 or $0.063 / kWh | $7 / 12.5% |
| 2,000 kWh | $108 or $0.054 / kWh | $122 or $0.061 / kWh | $14 / 13.0% |
HOUSTON – Using the Texas Energy Commission’s Power to Choose website for a quick comparison, we find:
| Usage | Cheapest | Cheapest 100% Renewable | Renewable Premium |
| 500 kWh | $40.50 or $0.081 / kWh | $40.50 or $0.081 / kWh | $0 / 0% |
| 1,000 kWh | $66 or $0.066 / kWh | $73 or $0.073 / kWh | $7 / 10.6% |
| 2,000 kWh | $122 or $0.061 / kWh | $140 or $0.07 / kWh | $18 / 14.8% |
If you want to be in the cheapest 100% renewable (or just cheapest) energy plan, we can help. Visit www.EnergySimp.ly
Thanks–
–Rob
Rob Dolin is the Co-Founder and CTO of Energy Simply. He has over a dozen years experience in the technology industry including work in the Office, MSN, and Windows divisions of Microsoft Corp. and technical partnerships with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Sina Weibo. Rob holds a B.S. in Engineering with Honors from the University of Illinois and a Graduate Certificate in User-Centered Design from the University of Washington.
Beyond Power To Choose Blog | Energy Simply 