>> Reporter: GOOD AFTERNOON
MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW HERE IN 
TEXAS MOST PEOPLE HAVE THE 
POWER TO CHOOSE THEIR 
ELECTRICITY PROVIDER. 
MAYBE YOU JUST NEVER WANTED THE 
TIME TO DO THAT. 
NOW, GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY 
SURROUNDING COVID-19, YOU MAY 
HAVE HEARD OF 
CHOOSE.ORG. 
IT ALLOWS YOU TO SEARCH 
PROVIDERS AND COMPARED TO FIND 
THE CHEAPEST RATE. 
KNOWING HOW MUCH POWER YOU ARE 
USING IS KEY BECAUSE YOU CAN 
LOOK AT PAST BILLS OR GO ONLINE 
TO SMART METER TEXAS.COM. 
YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR RATE, 
WHETHER YOU WANT IT FIXED, 
VARIABLE OR INDEXED. 
CHOOSE THE LENGTH OF YOUR 
CONTRACT AND POWER TO CHOOSE 
WILL FILTER THE COMPANIES THAT 
MATCH YOUR NEEDS. 
IT'S IMPORTANT YOU READ THE 
FINE PRINT TO AVOID EXTRA FEES. 
KEEP IN MIND IF YOU ARE UNDER A 
CONTRACT, YOU WILL BE PENALIZED 
FOR CANCELING EARLY. 
WE HAVE TIPS ON ABC13.COM ON 
HOW TO LOWER USAGE  UNTIL YOUR 
CONTRACT ENDS. 
ALSO, IF YOU HAVE LOST YOUR JOB 
AND CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY YOUR 
ELECTRICITY BILL, YOU NEED TO 
ENROLL IN THE PUBLIC UTILITY 
COMMISSION OF TEXAS COVID-19 
ELECTRICITY RELIEF PROGRAM. 
IT TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS 
DISCONNECTS AND OFFERS 
ASSISTANCE IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY 
RECEIVING EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS 
THROUGH THE TEXAS WORKFORCE 
COMMISSION YOU QUALIFY BUT 
THERE ARE STEPS YOU TWO FIRST.  
>> FIRST AND FOREMOST IF YOU GO 
TO YOUR RETAIL ELECTRIC 
PROVIDER YOU ARE ENTITLED TO A 
DEFERRED PAYMENT PLAN. 
IF YOUR RISK OF NOT BEING ABLE 
TO PAY YOUR BILL, WE ENCOURAGE 
YOU TO REACH OUT TO YOUR RETAIL 
ELECTRIC PROVIDER AND LET THEM 
