Two Texas commercial buyers with nearly identical operations signed 24-month electricity contracts on the same day. One buyer started the renewal process 9 months before contract expiration, ran a structured procurement RFP, and locked a new contract at $54/MWh during a favorable forward curve window. The other buyer waited until the last week before expiration, took the incumbent REP's rushed renewal offer, and locked at $71/MWh. On identical 30,000 kWh monthly usage, the timing difference produces roughly $6,100 per year in higher energy cost, or about $12,200 over the new 24-month term.
The primary variable was not price shopping. Both buyers ended up with reputable REPs. Both signed fixed-rate contracts. The difference was timing: one buyer treated commercial electricity contract renewal in Texas as a scheduled procurement process, the other treated it as a reactive task. This guide covers exactly how to time renewal correctly, including the three-phase framework that separates the two outcomes above.
Why Renewal Timing Matters
Three factors make timing the primary determinant of commercial electricity renewal outcomes.
The ERCOT forward curve moves
Wholesale electricity prices in Texas trade continuously on the ERCOT wholesale market. The forward curve, the set of prices for future delivery periods, moves daily based on natural gas prices, weather forecasts, generation resource adequacy, and other factors. A block of energy for delivery in summer 2026, priced on a specific date in early 2025, may cost 15% more or less if priced three months later.
Retail commercial contracts are priced against this curve. When your contract's fixed rate gets locked, it reflects the forward curve at that specific moment. Timing matters because the curve can move meaningfully between when you start looking and when you sign.
Rushed timelines produce bad decisions
A buyer inside 30 days of expiration has limited options. There's no time to run a competitive RFP. There's limited time to negotiate contract terms. The incumbent REP knows the customer is under pressure and prices accordingly. The buyer accepts whatever's on the table because the alternative is holdover pricing.
A buyer 90 days out has room to solicit multiple quotes, negotiate terms, and select the best combination of price and contract structure. The negotiating dynamic is completely different.
Holdover rates penalize inaction
If a Texas commercial contract expires without a new contract in place, the customer typically transitions to a holdover rate that runs 2 to 3 times the expired rate. A 30,000 kWh account can accumulate several thousand dollars of holdover overage in a single billing cycle. Timing renewal properly prevents this outcome; timing it poorly guarantees it. For more on holdover mechanics and how to escape them, see our guide to holdover rates on Texas commercial electricity contracts.
The Three-Phase Renewal Framework
A defensible commercial electricity renewal process breaks into three distinct phases based on time to expiration.
Phase 1: Watch (12 to 6 months before expiration)
The watch phase is passive monitoring. You're not actively soliciting quotes and not yet negotiating. You are:
- Confirming the exact contract expiration date
- Identifying the individuals (or roles) responsible for the renewal decision
- Tracking general market direction through publicly available ERCOT forward curve data or supplier newsletters
- Reviewing the current contract's post-expiration provisions (auto-renewal? month-to-month? notification requirements?)
- Beginning to pull historical billing data that will feed the eventual procurement
The watch phase is where you build situational awareness before the decision window opens. Businesses that skip this phase enter the evaluation phase without the context they need.
Key actions during the watch phase:
- Calendar the expiration date with reminders at 6 months, 3 months, and 60 days before
- Assign renewal responsibility to a specific role in your organization
- Pull 12 months of billing history and identify the underlying trend (usage growing? shrinking? seasonal patterns changing?)
- Note the applicable TDSP and rate schedule
- Locate the signed contract and Terms of Service documents
Phase 2: Evaluate (6 to 3 months before expiration)
The evaluate phase is active preparation and initial market engagement. You are:
- Compiling a complete load data package
- Deciding contract term preference (12, 24, or 36 months)
- Deciding product type preference (fixed, block-and-index, or other)
- Beginning to solicit quotes from multiple REPs
- Reviewing initial quotes against the current ERCOT forward curve
The evaluate phase is where you build the competitive dynamic that produces good pricing. Multiple bidders, all knowing they're competing, will price more aggressively than a single incumbent quoting into a no-competition environment.
Key actions during the evaluate phase:
- Compile 12 to 24 months of billing history with monthly kWh and peak kW
- Pull 15-minute interval data from Smart Meter Texas for at least the highest-usage months
- Prepare a standardized RFP document with your requirements (term, product, start date, expected usage)
- Identify 3 to 5 REPs to request quotes from
- Send the RFP with a specific response deadline
- Review responses against a common evaluation framework
For a walkthrough of the interval data pull and reconciliation process, see our commercial electricity bill audit guide for Texas businesses. If you don't know your ESI ID, our ESI ID lookup for Texas commercial addresses finds it from your service address.
Phase 3: Lock (90 to 60 days before expiration)
The lock phase is decision and execution. You are:
- Finalizing bidder selection based on pricing and contract terms
- Negotiating final contract redlines
- Executing the new contract
- Coordinating the transition with the current REP if needed
- Confirming the switch process with the new REP
The lock phase is intentionally not "the last week before expiration." It's 60 to 90 days out, which provides buffer for:
- Contract negotiations and legal review
- The standard 30-day switching process
- Any unexpected delays (paperwork errors, credit checks, TDSP processing)
- Some flexibility if forward curve pricing moves before the lock date
Locking 60 to 90 days ahead is the difference between a competitive procurement and a rescue operation.
Key actions during the lock phase:
- Select the winning bidder based on total delivered cost, contract terms, and REP reputation
- Redline the contract for any problematic clauses (auto-renewal traps, minimum usage penalties, ambiguous pass-throughs, bandwidth clauses)
- Execute the new contract with a start date aligned to your current contract's expiration
- Notify the incumbent REP if required
- Confirm the switch is processing through ERCOT with the new REP
- Retain copies of the signed contract, EFL, and Terms of Service
The Renewal Notice: What your REP must Send
Texas REPs are required to notify commercial customers of contract expiration before the term ends. The specific notice requirements are less prescriptive for commercial accounts than for residential, but reputable REPs typically send:
Initial notice 60 to 90 days before expiration. This first notice alerts the customer to the impending expiration and outlines the customer's options.
Reminder notice 30 to 45 days before expiration. This second notice serves as a final reminder before contractual auto-renewal or transition-to-holdover provisions activate.
Post-expiration notice in some cases, confirming the transition to holdover pricing or auto-renewed terms.
The notices are typically sent by email to the address of record on the account, sometimes by physical mail as well. This creates a common failure mode: renewal notices reach outdated email addresses, former employees, or shared inboxes that no one monitors.
If you cannot recall receiving a renewal notice for a contract that's within 90 days of expiration, contact your REP directly and confirm. Don't rely on the notice reaching you passively. Notices sometimes fail; the responsibility for tracking your own expiration is yours.
ERCOT Forward Curve Behavior and Seasonal Patterns
Understanding how the ERCOT forward curve behaves helps inform when to lock a new contract. While no one can predict wholesale prices precisely, certain patterns tend to recur.
Seasonal contract pricing patterns
Late winter through early spring (February through April) has historically been a favorable window for locking commercial contracts in Texas. Summer is not yet imminent, natural gas prices are typically past their winter peak, and forward curve prices for the coming summer often trade at a discount to what they'll be closer to summer.
Late spring through early summer (May through June) has historically been a less favorable window. Forward curve prices for the coming summer months tend to firm as summer approaches, particularly if weather forecasts suggest above-normal heat.
Late summer through early fall (August through October) has historically been a favorable window for locking longer-term contracts. Summer peaks have priced through, market uncertainty is somewhat lower, and forward curves for the coming year's summer often trade at a discount to spring pricing.
Late fall through early winter (November through January) is a more mixed period. Winter weather uncertainty and natural gas market dynamics can drive volatility.
None of these patterns are guarantees. In specific years, market conditions can invert normal seasonal patterns. But the general observation is that locking during spring or fall shoulder periods, when market anxiety about the coming season is not at its peak, has historically produced better outcomes than locking during peak-season windows.
Weather event dynamics
Extreme weather events can move forward curve pricing sharply, either up (a projected hot summer, a winter storm warning) or down (mild weather forecasts, high wind and solar production). Buyers in the lock phase should monitor weather-related market news and be prepared to accelerate or briefly delay their signing if pricing moves substantially.
Note that this is not "market timing" in the speculative sense. It's tactical awareness of when the forward curve is in a temporary state. A buyer who was planning to lock this week may benefit from waiting seven days if a specific weather event has spiked the curve, or from accelerating if a favorable dip appears.
Long-term trend factors
Beyond seasonal patterns, several structural factors influence Texas commercial electricity pricing over multi-year horizons:
Natural gas prices are the largest single driver of ERCOT wholesale pricing, since natural gas is the marginal fuel for most Texas power generation.
Wind and solar generation growth has generally softened overnight and shoulder-period pricing while increasing volatility during net-load peaks (which occur later in the evening as solar generation drops).
Grid reliability investments following Winter Storm Uri have added to the fixed costs that flow through the ERCOT market.
Data center and industrial load growth in Texas has added meaningful demand growth, which puts upward pressure on wholesale pricing over multi-year horizons.
For a full overview of how ERCOT wholesale market pricing flows through to retail commercial contracts, see our guide to ERCOT and how Texas electricity is priced.
Contract Term Selection: 12, 24, or 36 months?
The optimal contract term depends on current market conditions and the customer's operational situation.
12-month terms
Advantages: Shorter commitment allows for more frequent re-pricing. Useful if you expect market conditions to improve or if your business situation is uncertain (planning to sell, close, or relocate).
Disadvantages: More frequent renewal cycles mean more administrative overhead. Also, 12-month terms are typically priced somewhat higher than 24-month terms because REPs charge a premium for the shorter tenor.
Best for: Businesses with uncertain futures, businesses that expect market conditions to soften, or businesses that want to test out a new REP before committing longer.
24-month terms
Advantages: Standard commercial term. Usually offers the best combination of price and flexibility. Provides two-year budget certainty.
Disadvantages: Commits the business for two years, which limits response to changing market conditions.
Best for: Most Texas commercial buyers most of the time. If you're not sure what term to pick, 24 months is usually the safe default.
36-month terms
Advantages: Longest commitment provides the most budget certainty. Often priced at a slight discount to 24-month terms in stable market conditions.
Disadvantages: Long commitment means you're locked in if market conditions improve substantially. Early termination fees can be substantial if you need to exit early.
Best for: Businesses with stable, predictable operations and a preference for maximum budget certainty. Best when the current forward curve looks favorable and you want to capture pricing for as long as possible.
The market-timing consideration
If the ERCOT forward curve is trading at a discount to recent history, longer terms lock in more of that favorable pricing. If the curve is elevated, shorter terms preserve flexibility to reprice when conditions improve.
This is not a call for speculation. It's a reasonable tactical adjustment based on where the curve currently sits. If you're not confident in your read of the market, defaulting to 24 months is a defensible choice.
Portfolio-Level Renewal Timing for Multi-Site Operators
Businesses with multiple locations across Texas face additional complexity. Different sites may be on different TDSP tariffs, have different contract expiration dates, and have different load characteristics.
Consolidating renewal timing
Where possible, consolidating contract expirations onto similar dates across sites can simplify future renewal cycles and enable portfolio-level negotiations. If a company has 12 locations with contracts expiring on 12 different dates, syncing them (either through short-term bridge contracts or through negotiated renewals with different term lengths) can produce operational efficiency.
The tradeoff: consolidating expirations means larger renewal decisions concentrated at single moments. If those moments happen to be unfavorable market windows, all locations get affected.
Portfolio-level RFPs
Even with staggered expirations, running portfolio-level RFPs (where multiple REPs bid for the entire portfolio rather than site-by-site) can produce better pricing than individual site procurement. REPs value larger accounts and often price aggregate bids more aggressively than individual site bids.
Assigning responsibility
For multi-site operators, renewal responsibility usually needs to sit with a single role (energy manager, procurement director, or CFO's office) rather than being distributed to individual site managers. Local site managers rarely have the bandwidth or expertise to manage renewal timing consistently across the portfolio.
For sector-specific portfolio guidance, our overviews of Texas commercial real estate electricity procurement and the energy strategy by industry hub cover multi-site operational considerations.
What to do at Each Phase: A Practical Checklist
The following is a condensed checklist for use as a renewal cycle approaches.
12 months before expiration
- Confirm the exact contract expiration date
- Assign renewal responsibility to a specific role
- Calendar reminders at 6 months, 3 months, and 60 days
- Locate the signed contract and Terms of Service
- Review post-expiration provisions (auto-renewal? month-to-month?)
- Begin passive monitoring of ERCOT forward curve
6 months before expiration
- Pull 12 months of billing history
- Compile monthly kWh, peak kW, and load factor
- Pull 15-minute interval data from Smart Meter Texas
- Identify preferred term (12, 24, or 36 months)
- Identify preferred product type (fixed, block-and-index, or other)
- Draft RFP specifications
- Identify 3 to 5 REPs to request quotes from
3 months before expiration
- Send formal RFP to selected REPs with response deadline
- Confirm the incumbent REP is aware of your RFP process
- Review responses against a common evaluation framework
- Verify each response against your actual expected usage (not the REP's assumed tier)
- Calculate all-in effective rate for each bidder
- Compare contract terms across bidders (ETF, minimum usage, bandwidth, pass-throughs)
60 to 90 days before expiration
- Select the winning bidder
- Redline contract for problematic clauses
- Legal and finance review of the final contract
- Execute the contract with start date aligned to expiration
- Coordinate switch with the new REP
- Notify incumbent REP if required
- Retain all signed documents
30 days before expiration
- Confirm the switch is processing through ERCOT
- Verify the new REP's start date
- Retain the current contract and Terms of Service
- Prepare for the first bill under the new contract
First bill under the new contract
- Review the first bill line by line
- Confirm the contracted rate is being applied correctly
- Verify TDSP charges match the current tariff
- Note the new expiration date and add to calendar
- Set reminders for the next renewal cycle
What NOT to do During Renewal
Several common patterns produce bad outcomes. Avoid these.
Don't wait for the incumbent to reach out
Some businesses treat the incumbent REP's renewal notice as the trigger for action. This is backward. The incumbent's notice arrives when it benefits the incumbent, not when it benefits you. Start your renewal process based on your calendar, not theirs.
Don't sign the incumbent's first offer without shopping
Even if the incumbent's renewal offer looks reasonable, always request competing quotes. The incumbent's offer is influenced by the assumption that you might not shop. Competing quotes change that assumption.
Don't decide based on headline rate alone
The lowest headline ¢/kWh rate is not necessarily the lowest all-in cost. Compare on total effective delivered cost including all pass-throughs, riders, and demand charges.
Don't skip the contract review
Standard contract templates from REPs often include terms that favor the REP. Read the contract, or have someone read it for you, before signing. Common problem areas: auto-renewal clauses, bandwidth adjustments, minimum usage penalties, and ambiguous pass-through language.
Don't sign at the very last minute
The final week before expiration is a bad time to sign. Time pressure produces bad negotiations and eliminates the ability to shop meaningfully. If you're inside 30 days of expiration, prioritize getting any reasonable contract signed to avoid holdover, but recognize you're accepting worse terms than a proper timeline would have produced.
Don't ignore the forward curve
Signing at market highs is worse than signing at market lows. Pay some attention to where the ERCOT forward curve sits relative to recent history. If the curve is at multi-year highs, consider whether shorter-term products or delayed lock timing might help.
Don't accept auto-renewal by default
If your current contract has an auto-renewal clause, actively decide whether to accept or opt out. Auto-renewal at reasonable rates isn't inherently bad, but auto-renewal at unfavorable rates that you didn't review carefully is worse than doing nothing.
When to Accelerate or Delay from the Standard Framework
The three-phase framework works for most Texas commercial buyers most of the time. Certain situations warrant adjustment.
Accelerate the timeline when:
- The ERCOT forward curve moves sharply downward and you want to capture the drop
- Your business is going through operational changes (expansion, contraction, or relocation) that affect your load profile
- You're consolidating multiple contracts and need extra time to coordinate
- You want longer-term certainty (36 months) and prefer to lock in favorable conditions when they appear
Delay the timeline (slightly) when:
- The ERCOT forward curve is at a temporary spike (following a weather event, for instance) and short-term normalization is likely
- You have a specific reason to believe near-term market conditions will improve
- Contract negotiations with your preferred bidder require more time
Delaying should never mean waiting past the 60-day mark. Once you're inside 60 days of expiration, execute on whatever's available; don't push closer to the holdover threshold.
Special Situations
Some specific circumstances warrant additional consideration.
Businesses currently on holdover
If your contract already expired and you're on holdover pricing, the timing framework compresses. Skip the watch phase. Move immediately to a compressed evaluate phase (2 to 4 weeks). Lock a new contract as fast as reasonably possible. Even a mediocre contract at market rates is dramatically better than continuing on holdover. Our guide to holdover rates on Texas commercial electricity contracts covers the recovery process in more detail.
Businesses with contracts expiring during unfavorable market windows
If your contract expires during a period when forward curves are unusually high (mid-summer, immediately following a major weather event), the trade-off between committing to a bad rate for a long term versus taking a short-term bridge contract becomes real. A 6- to 12-month bridge contract at unfavorable rates, followed by a longer-term contract when conditions improve, may produce better total cost than a 24- or 36-month contract locked at the current peak.
This is one of the more sophisticated timing decisions and typically benefits from consultation with an experienced energy consultant.
Businesses with auto-renewal clauses
If your current contract has an auto-renewal provision, opt-out is typically required within a specific window before expiration (often 30 to 60 days). Missing this window locks the customer into the auto-renewed terms, which are typically less favorable than what a competitive process would produce.
Whether to accept auto-renewal depends on the specific renewed rate and the specific alternative available. If the renewed rate is competitive and the contract terms are acceptable, auto-renewal can be a low-effort continuation. If the renewed rate is punitive and the terms are unfavorable, opt out and shop competitively.
Businesses considering a change in REP
If you're planning to change REPs at renewal, the timeline is essentially the same as any renewal but requires additional coordination. The new REP submits a switch request to ERCOT, which typically processes in 30 days. Sign the new contract with a start date that aligns with your current contract's expiration. Confirm the switch is processing with both REPs (new and current) to avoid gaps or overlaps in service.
For an overview of the REP switching process, our guide on how to switch Texas electricity providers covers the mechanics.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I renew my Texas business electricity contract?
Start the renewal process 6 to 12 months before contract expiration and aim to lock a new contract 60 to 90 days before expiration. This provides time to solicit competitive quotes, negotiate contract terms, and coordinate the switch through the standard 30-day ERCOT switching process. Waiting until the final month before expiration limits options and typically produces worse pricing.
How far in advance should I lock in a commercial electricity rate in Texas?
The 60- to 90-day window before contract expiration is the standard lock timing for Texas commercial buyers. This provides time for contract negotiations and the ERCOT switching process while capturing recent market pricing. Some buyers with strong market outlooks lock further in advance (up to 6 months out); some accept the risk of locking closer to expiration when forward curve conditions look unfavorable. Locking within 30 days of expiration typically produces worse pricing due to time pressure.
What is the best time to renew a commercial energy contract in Texas?
Historically, late winter through early spring (February through April) and late summer through early fall (August through October) have been favorable windows for locking Texas commercial electricity contracts. These are shoulder periods when market anxiety about the immediately-following season has typically subsided. However, specific years can invert normal patterns; monitor the ERCOT forward curve rather than relying on seasonal rules alone.
What happens if my Texas commercial electricity contract expires?
Depending on the contract's post-expiration provisions, you may be automatically enrolled in a new fixed-term contract (auto-renewal), transitioned to a variable month-to-month holdover rate, or continue receiving service at another specified rate structure. Holdover rates typically run 2 to 3 times the expired fixed rate, so avoiding contract expiration without a new contract in place is important. For more on this, see our guide to holdover rates on Texas commercial electricity contracts.
How long does it take to switch electricity providers in Texas?
The standard ERCOT switching process takes approximately 30 days from the date the new REP submits the switch request. Some expedited switches are possible in specific circumstances, but 30 days is the norm. This is one reason for locking a new contract 60 to 90 days before your current contract expires: it provides buffer for the switching process to complete before expiration.
What is the ERCOT forward curve and why does it matter for renewal timing?
The ERCOT forward curve is the set of wholesale electricity prices at which market participants can buy or sell energy for future delivery periods in Texas. It moves daily based on natural gas prices, weather forecasts, generation resource adequacy, and other factors. Retail commercial contract rates are priced against the current forward curve at the time of signing, so the specific date you sign directly affects the rate you receive. Signing during periods when the forward curve is elevated (for the term you're locking) produces higher rates than signing during favorable periods.
Should I sign a 12, 24, or 36-month commercial electricity contract?
24 months is the standard commercial term and works for most buyers most of the time. Shorter terms (12 months) offer more flexibility to re-price but typically cost slightly more per kWh. Longer terms (36 months) offer maximum budget certainty and often price at a slight discount to 24-month terms, but commit the buyer for longer. The right term depends on business stability, current market conditions, and risk tolerance.
Can I renew my electricity contract with my current REP without shopping other REPs?
Yes, but this typically produces worse pricing than a competitive shop. Even if you plan to stay with the incumbent, requesting competing quotes signals that you're evaluating alternatives and typically produces a more competitive renewal offer from the incumbent. Businesses that accept incumbent renewals without shopping generally pay 5% to 15% more than businesses that shop competitively.
What if I don't get a renewal notice from my REP?
Contact your REP directly to confirm your contract's expiration date and the applicable post-expiration provisions. Renewal notices sometimes fail to reach the intended recipient (outdated email addresses, former employees, unmonitored inboxes), but this doesn't extend the contract term. The responsibility for tracking your own expiration is yours. Business customers cannot rely on notice failure as grounds to avoid holdover pricing.
Can I lock in a rate now for delivery starting later?
Yes. Most Texas REPs will quote new commercial contracts with start dates up to 6 months in the future. This is called "forward booking" and it's how the standard 60- to 90-day-before-expiration lock timing works. You sign the contract 60 to 90 days before your current contract ends, with the new contract's start date set to the day after your current contract expires.
Do I need to give my current REP notice before switching?
Generally no, if you're switching at contract expiration. The new REP submits the switch request to ERCOT, and the process handles the transition automatically. If you're switching before contract expiration, you'll typically owe an early termination fee to the current REP. Some contracts require specific notice provisions; read your contract's termination clauses.
What is a POR (Price on Renewal)?
Price on Renewal (POR) is a specific contract clause where the customer automatically renews at a new rate the REP sets at the time of renewal, typically for a new 12-month term. Distinct from holdover in that POR is technically a new contract (with associated early termination fees for exiting early) rather than a month-to-month arrangement. POR clauses typically require active opt-out to prevent renewal at the REP's designated rate.
What happens to my TDSP delivery charges when I renew?
TDSP delivery charges are regulated pass-throughs set by PUCT-approved tariffs and are identical regardless of which REP you use. Renewal with the same REP or switching to a different REP does not change your delivery charges. Only your REP-side energy charge changes at renewal. For a full breakdown of TDSP delivery components, see our overview of TDSP delivery charges across Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, and TNMP.
Can weather forecasts affect renewal timing?
Yes, tactically. Extreme weather forecasts (unusually hot summers, projected winter storms) can move the ERCOT forward curve sharply higher for near-term delivery periods. Buyers in the lock phase may benefit from waiting a week or two if forward curves have spiked temporarily on weather news, or from accelerating a lock if favorable weather forecasts suggest curves may fall further. This is tactical adjustment, not speculation; the underlying signal is real forward curve movement, not a bet on future weather.
How do I know if my current rate is competitive?
Calculate your all-in effective rate (total pre-tax bill divided by billed kWh) and compare it to current market pricing for your specific TDSP territory, contract term, and load profile. Third-party benchmarking services publish general market pricing indices, and a supplier-neutral energy consultant can provide a competitive assessment. If your current effective rate is more than 10% above current market comparable pricing, you're likely paying above-market.
What if my business situation changes during the contract term?
Standard commercial contracts include provisions for changes in operations, but the specifics vary. Common change scenarios include site closure (usually requires notice and payment of any early termination fee), site addition (may require adding new accounts to the contract or entering separate contracts), operational expansion or contraction (may trigger bandwidth clauses if usage changes substantially). Review your contract's provisions for change of operations, and communicate with your REP if you anticipate meaningful changes.
Where to go From Here
If your contract is 6 to 12 months from expiration, the highest-return action right now is simply to calendar the expiration date and set reminders. Everything else follows from timely awareness.
If your contract is 3 to 6 months from expiration, begin the evaluate phase immediately: pull your billing history, compile interval data, and start drafting your RFP.
If your contract is 60 to 90 days from expiration, prioritize the lock phase: run a competitive procurement, redline the contract, and execute with buffer time for the switching process.
If your contract is inside 30 days of expiration (or has already expired), read our guide to holdover rates on Texas commercial electricity contracts and move as fast as possible to lock any reasonable contract.
Electric Decisions works with Texas commercial buyers on renewal procurement across all timing phases, including holdover rescue for buyers already past expiration. We do not sell electricity. We benchmark quotes against the live ERCOT forward curve, verify contract terms in plain English, and coordinate the switching process with new and incumbent REPs. Our 5-step energy procurement process for Texas commercial buyers applies whether your contract expires next quarter or next week.
For related reading, our overview of how to read an EFL for commercial contracts in Texas covers what to verify on every renewal quote. Our guide to block-and-index and hybrid energy products for Texas commercial buyers covers product options beyond fixed-rate contracts for larger buyers. And our commercial electricity bill audit guide covers how to verify the first bill under any new contract is being calculated correctly.
Renewal timing is not the most complicated part of commercial electricity procurement, but it may be the most consequential. A business that starts 6 to 9 months early routinely locks contracts 10% to 20% below what the same business would have accepted if it had waited until the final month. The savings are real, they compound over multi-year contract terms, and they require nothing more sophisticated than a calendar and a defensible process.
