Glossary
Customer Charge:
A charge assessed during each billing cycle without regard to the customer’s demand or energy consumption.
Demand:
The amount of electricity used at any given instant or averaged over a designated period of time. Demand is usually in measured in kilowatts or Megawatts. The Peak Demand is the highest 15- or 30-minute recorded demand period over 12-months.
Deregulation
The removal of pricing and competition barriers for natural gas and electricity providers in a given market, encouraging competition and customer choice.
Distribution
The delivery of natural gas or electricity to your home or business through local gas pipelines or electrical lines.
Electricity
A controllable form of energy that is used for power, lighting, appliances, electronics, heating and cooling. It is a secondary energy source, which means that we get it from the conversion of other primary sources including fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable sources.
Energy
The capacity or power to do work by the application of force, pressure or movement. Energy can exist in a variety of forms, such as electrical, mechanical, chemical, thermal, or nuclear and can be transformed from one form to another.
Energy Charge
A charge based on the electric energy (kWh) consumed.
Electricity Service Identifier (ESI ID #)
Your ESI ID is a unique number your local electric utility uses to identify a specific residence or business and make sure that your electricity service is set up at the correct address. If you have more than one address on your account, you will have multiple ESI IDs– one for each address.
Fixed Rate Plan
A fixed rate plan ensures your supply rate is fixed over a period of time. This type of plan provides protection from market price volatility.
Generation
The production of electricity or heat.
Green projects
Facilities and processes that reduce the negative environmental impact of our energy consumption. These include renewable energy and carbon offset projects.
Hydro facility
A building/project that is used to harness and generate hydro power. These include dams, mills and high-powered underground wells.
Hydro power
Electricity generated by the force of water such as waterfalls, rivers and streams.
Kilowatt (kW)
A unit of measure commonly used in reference of electricity whereby one kilowatt is equal to one thousand watts.
Kilowatt Hour (kWh)
A Kilowatt Hour is the standard unit of measuring electricity consumption. More specifically, it is a measure of electrical energy equivalent to the consumption of one thousand watts per hour.
Power Generator
Power generation companies own and operate facilities that create electricity. These facilities include all types of power plants including coal, nuclear, natural gas and renewable energy, such as wind and solar.
Retail Electricity Provider (REP)
A Retail Electricity Provider (REP) sells electricity to residential and commercial customers, offers a variety of plan rates and options and is responsible for customer service and billing. This is the company you are choosing as your electricity provider.
Renewable energy
A form of energy generated from a natural source, such as the sun, wind, tides, or waves.
Solar power
Electricity generated by the collection and transformation of the sun's energy, ultraviolet (UV) ray.
Sustainable
Being capable of existing or functioning with minimal long-term effect on the environment.
Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU)
These companies are responsible for the transmission and distribution of electricity service to all homes and businesses within a service area. A Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU) owns, maintains and repairs all of the lines, wires, poles, and meters in their service area. The six TDUs in Texas are: Centerpoint, Oncor, Texas-New Mexico Power, AEP North, AEP Central and Sharyland.
Usage
This is the amount of electricity you used during the billing period listed in kilowatt-hours. This will be listed on your electric bill as KWh used.
Variable Rate
A rate that fluctuates based on changes in the commodity market; usually this is a month to month rate.
Wholesale Market
The bilateral (buyer and seller) financial market in deregulated jurisdictions where block power is traded.
A charge assessed during each billing cycle without regard to the customer’s demand or energy consumption.
Demand:
The amount of electricity used at any given instant or averaged over a designated period of time. Demand is usually in measured in kilowatts or Megawatts. The Peak Demand is the highest 15- or 30-minute recorded demand period over 12-months.
Deregulation
The removal of pricing and competition barriers for natural gas and electricity providers in a given market, encouraging competition and customer choice.
Distribution
The delivery of natural gas or electricity to your home or business through local gas pipelines or electrical lines.
Electricity
A controllable form of energy that is used for power, lighting, appliances, electronics, heating and cooling. It is a secondary energy source, which means that we get it from the conversion of other primary sources including fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable sources.
Energy
The capacity or power to do work by the application of force, pressure or movement. Energy can exist in a variety of forms, such as electrical, mechanical, chemical, thermal, or nuclear and can be transformed from one form to another.
Energy Charge
A charge based on the electric energy (kWh) consumed.
Electricity Service Identifier (ESI ID #)
Your ESI ID is a unique number your local electric utility uses to identify a specific residence or business and make sure that your electricity service is set up at the correct address. If you have more than one address on your account, you will have multiple ESI IDs– one for each address.
Fixed Rate Plan
A fixed rate plan ensures your supply rate is fixed over a period of time. This type of plan provides protection from market price volatility.
Generation
The production of electricity or heat.
Green projects
Facilities and processes that reduce the negative environmental impact of our energy consumption. These include renewable energy and carbon offset projects.
Hydro facility
A building/project that is used to harness and generate hydro power. These include dams, mills and high-powered underground wells.
Hydro power
Electricity generated by the force of water such as waterfalls, rivers and streams.
Kilowatt (kW)
A unit of measure commonly used in reference of electricity whereby one kilowatt is equal to one thousand watts.
Kilowatt Hour (kWh)
A Kilowatt Hour is the standard unit of measuring electricity consumption. More specifically, it is a measure of electrical energy equivalent to the consumption of one thousand watts per hour.
Power Generator
Power generation companies own and operate facilities that create electricity. These facilities include all types of power plants including coal, nuclear, natural gas and renewable energy, such as wind and solar.
Retail Electricity Provider (REP)
A Retail Electricity Provider (REP) sells electricity to residential and commercial customers, offers a variety of plan rates and options and is responsible for customer service and billing. This is the company you are choosing as your electricity provider.
Renewable energy
A form of energy generated from a natural source, such as the sun, wind, tides, or waves.
Solar power
Electricity generated by the collection and transformation of the sun's energy, ultraviolet (UV) ray.
Sustainable
Being capable of existing or functioning with minimal long-term effect on the environment.
Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU)
These companies are responsible for the transmission and distribution of electricity service to all homes and businesses within a service area. A Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU) owns, maintains and repairs all of the lines, wires, poles, and meters in their service area. The six TDUs in Texas are: Centerpoint, Oncor, Texas-New Mexico Power, AEP North, AEP Central and Sharyland.
Usage
This is the amount of electricity you used during the billing period listed in kilowatt-hours. This will be listed on your electric bill as KWh used.
Variable Rate
A rate that fluctuates based on changes in the commodity market; usually this is a month to month rate.
Wholesale Market
The bilateral (buyer and seller) financial market in deregulated jurisdictions where block power is traded.