Monthly Archives: July 2015

07.29.15
by

Energy Simply’s Algorithm: Technology and Consumer Focus Save You Money

Question: What do you get when you put a McKinsey and Co. Management Consultant together with a Microsoft Engineer with a statistics background? 

Answer: Energy Simply’s proprietary algorithm that helps select the BEST energy plan FOR YOU.

We look at ALL energy plans available to you, not just ones that pay us a “kick-back.” In fact we don’t take kick-backs or any incentives from energy companies. We’re only paid by you, so we’re always in your corner.

We understand MARKET TIMING and look at short-term and long-term plans and optimize for your lowest cost. That way you don’t get stuck in a long-term plan if rates are dropping and don’t get a short-term plan if rates are rising.

We FREQUENTLY ANALYZE the market looking for the best plans. If a plan is available that could save you money, we calculate and, with your permission, automatically switch you.

We MONITOR CONTRACT EXPIRATION dates so you don’t get stuck paying huge rates when your contract switches from fixed price to variable.

We customize the plan FOR YOU. A plan that might be great for you in July when you need air conditioning may not be the best plan for you in the spring when the temperature is moderate. We look at your past energy use to help choose a plan that’s right for you now and right for you in the future.

07.06.15
by

Texans Energy creates a new low in market manipulation

Texans Energy, a new power company, has come onto the scene with a seemingly appealing offering that shows up on the first page of Power To Choose offerings.  With Texans Energy, if you use over 999 kWh you get a $65 bill credit.  Seems great right?  There is one big catch though, you don’t get the credit if you use more than 1200 kWh.  You might be scratching your head right now thinking, “what are the chances I’ll be within a 200 kWh range of usage?”  Seems unhelpful right…

Why would they do this?  One reason, to manipulate their ranking on Power To Choose.  As I’ve written about before, Power To Choose ranks plans based on their average kWh cost for 1000 kWh of usage.  That means that even though it’s unlikely that a customer will hit Texans Energy’s narrow range, it’s 100% likely that they will succeed in artificially inflating their ranking on Power To Choose.

What’s next, a $100 credit if you hit exactly 1000 kWh?  That way a company can be assured to be at the top of the rankings while still screwing over it’s customers. Hey Power to Choose! It’s time to change the “rules” so they work for customers and not market manipulators.MiLkAzLgT