November 10, 2003 --Texans are known nationally for their competitive spirit – in football, barbeque and now, electricity. A new poll shows a majority of Texans believe electric competition is good. The study, conducted by the Center for Research and Public Policy (CRPP) for the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), also shows strong awareness of electric choice.
Overall, 65 percent of residents favor electric competition. Nearly eight in ten residents (77 percent) know they have the power to choose the company that provides their electric service, a 15 percent increase over last year and a 46 percent gain since 2001.
The top three reasons cited for choosing a different electric provider are lower prices, better customer service and a desire for renewable energy. According to 66 percent of customers, the process of changing electric providers is easy.
“Texas customers know a competitive electric market brings potential savings, innovation and better customer service, “ said PUC Commissioner Paul Hudson. “Even customers who stay with their power company say choice is good for our state. The survey shows great progress in raising the awareness of customer choice.”
The survey, conducted the last week of August 2003, randomly sampled 1,103 customers in 183 Texas counties where electric competition is available. The CRPP is a Connecticut-based national research firm specializing in public policy research and has conducted similar studies in seven other states with electric competition.
Jerry Lindsley, president of the CRPP, said, “Texas lawmakers and regulators took great care to learn from the experience of other deregulated states before moving forward, and the tracking study confirms that their homework really paid off.”
For a free brochure on Texas Electric Choice in either English or Spanish, call toll-free 1-866-797-4839 or visit the Texas Electric Choice website at www.powertochoose.org or www.poderdeescoger.org.
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The complete results of the 2003 Tracking Study are online at:
www.powertochoose.org
