Compare electricity and natural gas providers
If you live in a state with a deregulated electricity or natural gas market, you can choose the energy provider and plan that’s best for you. Unlike traditional energy markets, where you have to purchase electricity from your local utility, you can select from a variety of options.
By using the Choose Energy marketplace, you can compare energy plans available in your area. It’s as easy as entering your ZIP code and using our filters to narrow your search based on your needs, such as term length, plan type, provider, and more. You can sign up for the best energy companies in a matter of minutes on our free marketplace.
Check if you live or work in one of the 18 states or territories that have electricity and natural gas deregulation. Read on to learn more about which providers serve your area.
States with a deregulated electricity market
States with a deregulated natural gas market
States with a deregulated electricity and natural gas market
What’s the difference between providers and utility companies?
The Choose Energy marketplace offers customers electricity, natural gas, and green energy, such as solar and wind options. And if you’re new to deregulation, you should know the distinction between energy providers and utility companies in a deregulated market.
- Energy providers: Also called suppliers, retail energy providers (REPs), or energy service companies (ESCOs), energy providers sell you the energy that powers your home or business. Providers manage your account billing, electricity plan, and energy usage.
- Utility companies: Utilities deliver electricity to your home or business and are responsible for maintaining power lines and infrastructure. Unlike your provider, you can’t choose your utility, which is determined by where you live. If you experience an outage or other power emergency, you should contact your utility — not your supplier.
For customers shopping in Texas, check out our guide to the best electric company in Texas.
Energy providers in deregulated markets
The location of your home or business determines the providers and plans available to you. Electric rates vary by location and can fluctuate daily. Enter your ZIP code on this page to explore the electric companies and current energy rates near you. The following are some of the top electric and natural gas companies offering residential or business energy in deregulated areas.
4Change Energy
- Headquartered in Dallas, TX.
- Plan lengths vary from 3 to 24 months and include options such as fixed, variable, and green energy plans.
- Company donates 4% of its annual profits to charities, including Feeding Texas, the American Red Cross, Heroes for Children, and the American Cancer Society.
Ambit Energy
- Headquartered in Dallas, TX.
- Ambit Energy is licensed in 14 states and the District of Columbia. It also provides service in Canada.
- Offers fixed-rate and variable-rate plans with contracts lasting up to 36 months.
Amigo Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Amigo Energy was founded in 2003, making it one of the oldest electricity suppliers in the state. It's now part of the Just Energy Group.
- Amigo Energy's services include 100% green energy plans and no-deposit plans.
Bulb Energy
- Headquartered in Austin, TX.
- Acquired by Green Mountain Energy in 2022.
- Bulb keeps things simple by offering just one plan, powered by 100% renewable energy.
Champion Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Founded in 2005, Champion Energy Services is now part of Calpine.
- Champion Energy provides weekly usage reports and bill estimates to help you track your energy usage and avoid surprises on your electricity bills.
Chariot Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Chariot Energy provides 100% renewable energy plans.
- Offers energy plans designed to pair with rooftop solar panels.
Cincinnati Bell Energy
- Headquartered in Cincinnati, OH and provides natural gas and electric service for Duke Energy Ohio customers.
- Cincinnati Bell Energy electricity plans feature a variety of green energy options.
- In 2021, Cincinnati Bell Energy was acquired by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, which made the provider a private company.
Cirro Energy
- Headquartered in Plano, Texas.
- Cirro Energy was founded in 2001 and is now a subsidiary of NRG Energy.
- The provider offers short and long-term plans, fixed rates, and additional options such as surge and electric line protection.
Clearview Energy
- Headquartered in Dallas, TX.
- The company was founded in 2006 and currently serves 11 states plus Washington, D.C.
- The company offers 100% green energy plans powered by wind, solar, and hydropower energy sources.
Constellation Energy
- Headquartered in Baltimore, MD.
- The company serves about 2.5 million residential customers in 16 states and Washington, D.C.
- Constellation Energy offers fixed-rate plans with contracts ranging from 12 to 36 months.
Direct Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Direct Energy serves more than 4 million electricity and natural gas customers in the U.S. and Canada.
- The company also offers home services, including smart HVAC service, electrical service, home safety, and more.
Discount Power
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- The company was acquired by NRG Energy in 2018 and merged with Pennywise Power in 2019.
- Discount Power offers fixed-rate plans for residential and small business owners.
Electricity Maine
- This provider’s parent company is Provider Power, which is headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Electricity Maine serves customers in the Central Maine Power and Versant Power utility areas.
- Offers fixed-rate plans lasting from six to 24 months.
Energy Harbor
- Headquartered in Akron, OH.
- Offers retail energy in Ohio, Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
- Energy Harbor is a carbon-free electric company focusing on plans powered by nuclear energy.
ENH Power
- This provider’s parent company is Provider Power, which is headquartered in Houston, TX.
- ENH Power serves residents and businesses in New Hampshire.
- This company offers energy plans with contract lengths from three to 24 months.
Evolve Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Acquired by Octopus Energy in 2020.
- Wholesale electricity from renewable sources.
Express Energy
- Headquartered in Irving, TX.
- Offers fixed-rate, variable-rate, and 100% renewable energy plans.
- Focus on simplicity with the slogan "No Frills. Low Bills."
Frontier Utilities
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Frontier Utilities serves customers in Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and Illinois. It began operations in 2008.
- This provider offers fixed-rate and variable-rate plans for residential and commercial customers.
Georgia Natural Gas
- Headquartered in Atlanta, GA.
- Founded in 1998, Georgia Natural Gas serves nearly half a million customers in Georgia.
- This provider is part of SouthStar Energy Services, a subsidiary of Southern Company.
Gexa Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX
- Gexa Energy is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, one of the nation’s largest energy generators.
- This provider offers fixed-rate and variable-rate plans for residential and commercial customers in Texas.
Green Mountain Energy
- Headquartered in Austin, TX.
- Green Mountain was founded in 1997 and specializes in 100% green energy plans.
- The company estimates that its plans have helped customers avoid over 111 billion pounds of carbon dioxide.
Hudson Energy
- Headquartered in Suffern, NY.
- Part of the Just Energy Group, serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and California, as well as some parts of Canada.
- Hudson Energy is one of the largest commercial energy and natural gas suppliers in North America.
Inspire Clean Energy
- Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA and Santa Monica, CA.
- Inspire Energy focuses on renewable energy plans powered by sources like wind and solar energy.
- The company was founded in 2014 and is a subsidiary of Shell’s Renewables & Energy Solutions.
Just Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX and serves customers in 11 states and several Canadian provinces.
- Just Energy brands include Hudson Energy, Amigo Energy, Tara Energy, and TerraPass.
- This provider offers fixed-rate and variable-rate plans lasting as long as 60 months, as well as renewable energy options.
North American Power
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- North American Power provides energy to more than a million customers in 12 deregulated states.
- This provider offers residential and commercial energy plans in deregulated areas.
Payless Power
- Headquartered in Fort Worth, TX.
- Payless Power has been selling energy service to Texans since 2005.
- The company offers no-deposit and prepaid energy plans for residential and commercial customers.
Penstar Power
- Headquartered in Fort Worth, TX.
- Specializes in short-term electricity plans, particularly prepaid.
- Options with no contract requirements or cancellation fees.
Pronto Power
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Pronto Power is a subsidiary of Summer Energy.
- Specializes in prepaid and no-deposit electricity plans for residential customers.
Public Power
- Headquartered in Dallas, TX.
- Public Power was founded in 2008 and is a subsidiary of Crius Energy, which was acquired by Vistra Energy in 2019.
- Service areas include New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Illinois, and Washington, D.C.
Pulse Power
- Headquartered in The Woodlands, TX.
- Pulse Power was founded in 2018 and emphasizes it is “powered by Texans that know the deregulated electricity.”
- Specializes in fixed-rate and renewable plans for homes and businesses with contracts lasting up to 36 months.
Reliant Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Reliant Energy is part of the NRG Energy family and serves more than 1.5 million residential and commercial customers in Texas.
- The company offers green energy plans powered by solar and plans specifically designed for electric vehicle owners.
Rhythm
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Rhythm was founded in 2020 with the goal of providing green energy plans in Texas.
- The company specializes in 100% renewable energy plans and offers protection plan options and solar services.
Southwest Power and Light
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Parent company is Texpo Power.
- Southwest Power and Light offers 100% renewable energy plans and has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees for customers enrolled in specific green plans.
Spark Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Spark Energy was founded in 1999 and provides electricity and natural gas services in Texas, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, and Ohio.
- Spark Energy offers fixed-rate energy plans, including 100% renewable energy options, carbon-neutral natural gas plans, and contracts lasting up to 18 months.
Stream Energy
- Headquartered in Dallas, TX.
- Stream Energy was founded in 2004 and offers electricity and natural gas plans in Texas, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Washington, D.C., Illinois, and Delaware.
- This provider’s plans include fixed-rate and variable-rate options, as well as renewable energy plans.
Tara Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Tara Energy was founded in 2002 and is a subsidiary of Just Energy Group.
- The company offers a variety of options, including fixed-rate plans and plans with free usage periods. Contracts last from three to 36 months.
Texpo Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Texpo Energy was founded in 2006 and offers residential and commercial energy plans, including plans tailored for large and small businesses.
- The company offers fixed-rate contracts lasting up to 48 months, allowing customers to lock in their rate for several years.
Think Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Think Energy focuses on green energy plans and operates in 13 states and Washington, D.C.
- This provider offers community solar plans in Maine and New York.
TriEagle Energy
- Headquartered in Dallas, TX.
- TriEagle Energy has been in business since 2003 and serves customers throughout Texas.
- The company offers a range of fixed-rate plans, including plans ideal for larger homes and higher usage.
TXU Energy
- Headquartered in Dallas, TX.
- Founded in 2002, TXU Energy is a subsidiary of Vistra Energy.
- TXU Energy offers commercial and residential customers energy-efficient options, renewable energy programs, and other electricity-related products and services in Texas.
V247 Power
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- V247 Power was founded in 2012 and provides residential and commercial energy plans in Texas.
- V247 Power offers fixed-rate and variable-rate plans ranging from one to 24 months. Some plans include free usage periods.
Verde Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- Founded in 2009, Verde Energy is a 100% renewable energy provider operating in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
- Verde Energy offers no-deposit plans, does not charge cancellation fees on select plans, and won’t charge a fee if you want to switch plans.
Veteran Energy
- Headquartered in Dallas, TX.
- The company offers a discount for military veterans and service members.
- Veteran Energy is a subsidiary of Value Based Brands, and its annual profits go towards charities supporting veterans.
XOOM Energy
- Headquartered in Princeton, NJ.
- XOOM Energy provides electricity and natural gas plans for residential and commercial customers in 19 states plus Washington, D.C.
- Options from Xoom Energy include fixed-rate, variable-rate, and renewable energy plans.
YEP Energy
- Headquartered in Houston, TX.
- YEP Energy serves electricity and natural gas markets in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
- YEP Energy’s referral program offers existing customers an incentive to refer their friends and family members. For every successful sign-up, customers receive $25 credit on their bill.