Prepaid electricity service is better than postpaid service for 4 main reasons: smarter living, accessibility, price consistency, and safety. Postpaid electricity services may be standard operating procedure for a majority of US consumers, but its due in large part to government regulations that have outlawed prepaid electricity in almost every state. Texas has been a pioneer for prepaid electricity services, and the 4 aforementioned reasons prove its superiority over the standard postpaid electricity services. Here are some details on those 4 key advantages:
Prepaid electricity in Dallas Texas allows you to only pay for the electricity you need, while postpaid electricity has no set limit or capacity. Many people feel that prepaid electricity service is superior to postpaid electricity because it is a catalyst for people to be more conscientious of their energy usage, which ultimately drives down consumption and cost. Sticking to a budgeted consumption of electricity can help eliminate unnecessary usage of energy and helps keep electric costs to a minimum. Having a tangible incentive to consume less energy also promotes healthy lifestyle choices like having less “screen time” and more time for exercising and family get togethers. With postpaid electricity, there is always the possibility that the consumer gets stuck with a massive, unexpected electric bill due to carelessness or to the mismanagement of resources. Prepaid electricity users may run out of their allotted electricity sooner than expected, but they won’t be blindsided by exorbitant costs. The costs associated with expending energy won’t change for prepaid users because it’s been paid up front, but postpaid users might find that their rates can change at a moment’s notice, even during the current billing cycle. Prepaid electricity customers are able to monitor their energy consumption on a smart meter app, which is another considerable advantage over postpaid electricity models. Customers are able to see complete data of their energy consumption, and can make an informed choice if they want to make the effort to use less energy, or to buy more energy.
One of the biggest benefits of prepaid electricity is the accessibility, especially for first time renters and homeowners. Postpaid electricity services require a credit check as well as a deposit on the front end, since the electricity being purchased is technically on loan until the postpaid money is turned in to the electric company. Prepaid electricity customers can pay on the front end and avoid the hassle of credit checks and costly deposits since the electricity is being purchased in advance of its consumption. Furthermore, prepaid electricity customers are inherently paying on the front end of the transaction, which means that there is no chance of late fees since the bill has already been paid. This also means that prepaid customers don’t need to worry about rates changing based on kilowatt-hours expended, nor do they need to worry about any hidden fees or penalties. Postpaid electricity doesn’t allow the consumer to monitor what energy they are expending until the end of the month, whereas prepaid electricity users and be updated of the electricity usage in 15-minute intervals thanks to the addition of the smart meter. Prepaid electricity also escapes the vice grip of contracts that most postpaid customers are forced to navigate. If there is a problem or issue with your electric provider, nothing is locking the customer in to prevent them from seeking other options for electricity.
A potential downfall that customers may be wary of before enrolling in prepaid electricity is imagining a scenario where a family expends the last of their prepaid electricity and are suddenly in the dark and unable to properly function as they prepare for work and school. To combat this, prepaid electric companies offer customers the ability to approve the electric company to use a credit card saved on file to purchase electricity until the gap can be bridged. This is a totally optional feature but can be a great way to utilize prepaid electricity services without worrying that you may someday have your lights cut off in the midst of an important assignment or gathering. Another aspect of safety that prepaid electricity boasts is the ability of the smart meter to relay the message back to the electric company when the power at a particular house or residence has gone down due to weather or other extenuating circumstances.
