Prepaid Electricity Frequently Asked Questions

Prepaid Electricity Frequently Asked Questions

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Home Electricity Frequently Asked Questions

Prepaid electricity made easy, find your answers.

Q: Same-day energy service for my home?

A: Usually it takes about 3 hours, although it could be more or less. We have heard of clients whose electricity was up and running in less than 30 minutes. It all depends on how busy the grid is. If we received your call after 5:00 pm CST, then the power will be connected by the next business day.

Q: Same day electricity needs and extra payment?

A: No. The priority service or same-day connection fee is FREE with your initial payment. In DFW ONCOR, CenterPoint (Houston Area), AEP North and AEP Central, it is FREE to connect the same day! Misfortune for the TNMP area, they have a $64 connection fee for all new accounts.

Ask for other money-saving plans and even bigger savings. Up to 23% from regular plans.

Q: How does the prepaid energy billing work?


A: It’s very simple. We will send you a text message showing our Customer Care number 855-722-7199 and all you need to know about your account, including the balance, usage and approximated usage left.


A: A monthly statement will arrive at your mailbox, if you opt for paperless, you will get an email every month.

Q: With prepaid electricity, how long does it take to turn the power on?

A: For new customers with the regular connection it will take 3 business days. In the case that you need SAME DAY SERVICE, we can rush the order and connect your energy service the same day for FREE. This applies to requests received before 5:00 pm CST, Monday-Saturday.

Q: Prepaid electricity charge a deposit?

A: No. Electricity Express policy is to use the money you paid towards power you will actually use. Prepaid is not a deposit.

Postpaid deposit is not determined until a credit assessment is performed, if no credit check is in place, yes, a deposit will be required.

Q: Why do postpaid companies ask for a deposit? Prepaid Vs. Deposit.

A: This is a way companies make sure you stay with them for a long time. If you leave and break the contract they will then charge you a penalty out of the money you put down as a deposit. There are more reasons but this is the main one. With Prepaid we will never ask for a deposit, we ask you to buy the energy in advance.

Q: With prepaid electricity, is my personal information safe?

A: Remember that with prepaid energy we won’t run your credit or ask for your social security or driver’s license numbers. These things are not needed to establish your electricity with us. If the customer asks for postpaid electricity service, a credit assessment will be performed, and for this, the social security number or ITIN # will be asked.

Electricity Express has been in the industry for many years and we have many security measures so that the information that the customer provides does not go out or is sold to third parties for marketing purposes, we understand how difficult it is to establish credit and we would not risk our work and reputation by leaving behind our customer’s information.

Q: What is “true electricity”?

A: This means that after we receive daily meter readings for all of our customers, you are billed for exactly what your kilowatt usage was. Some postpaid power companies use the historical usage to bill you, meaning that if you were not living at this premises last year you will then be billed for what whoever was living there was using a year ago.

The prepaid electricity companies we are affiliated with will not do historical usage data research, you will be billed for what you used. Contract Fix Rate Plans will send you a statement telling you how much you are using in the period. We know that reading an energy bill is not easy, we can help you understand what each detail in your bill means.

Q: What is FLEX-PAY? – Prepaid Only

A: Flex-Pay is a way to break up large payments so that you can budget your power and finances. With Electricity Express you don’t have to wait for a bill to arrive at the end of the month which then must be paid by the beginning of the next month when your largest bills are due. With Flex-Pay you can make several payments during the month, enabling you to decide when to make your electricity payments.

Q: Where can I pay my energy bill?

A: We suggest making payments without any additional charge either online or by phone using our automated system. We are in many bill payment locations, including Fidelity Express, ACE Cash Express, PLS, and most 7-Elevens. Check out this tool to find your nearest payment center.

Q: Prepaid electricity will not send an energy bill, but I need a statement for address verification purposes, how can I get it?

Prepaid Electricity.

A: With our GREEN philosophy we do not send paper bills, however, you receive an energy usage text or email notification every day, if you need proof of residence you can request a statement and we will send it to you via email and so on you can print and show. This is free of charge, just call #ElectricityExpress –  to our Customer Care number 855-722-7199 or the number on your message during business hours, this must be requested by the account holder, otherwise, we will not provide any information, this is to secure the customer’s information.

With Postpaid energy services you will get a monthly bill.

Q: Besides the kilowatt-hour, I’ve been quoted, what other fees should I expect?

A: Electricity Express wants to make things simple and hassle-free, our bilingual sales department will explain to you what is a bundled price, this means that delivery charges and surcharges are included, this is very important; postpaid companies will quote you the lowest price per kilowatt-hour and without telling you the most important charges like delivery charges, FCC, usage, etc. This is how they can come up to 7 or 8 cents per kilowatt-hour but when you add all those fees you end up paying a very similar price to us, ad we never asked you your social security number (prepaid electricity). There is a daily service charge of about $0.40 (40 cents) per day, 100% of electric companies charge this. The standard connection is free, with no fees for that! The base energy charge is around $9.95 per month. (depending on the product).

Q: How long have you been in the energy business?

A: Electricity Express is a broker that has been in the utility business since 2005, we used to sell home phones, cable, wireless, etc. Promoting electricity since 2008, 5 years ago we found that Payless Power is the best option for no deposit, no credit check, no contract (and more features) energy services in Texas. Since then we have not moved our eyes towards another energy provider, we believe that Payless Power is here to stay and as long as they stay we will. There are a lot of brokers out there that are not truly committed to their provider, #ElectricityExpress is 100% sure that Payless Power does the right thing.

For the customers looking for postpaid energy services, we got contracts with other magnificent companies like Frontier Utilities, Clearview Energy, Amigo Energy among others.

Q: My electricity was cut while I was away and now it’s too late to call customer service, what can I do?

A: As explained 4 questions above, make a payment online or through our automated system using your phone, the electricity will be re-established in less than 2 hours, our systems will detect the payment and your power will be back on in no time. Remember to cover all charges and fees.

Q: What is a SWITCH HOLD on a meter? Why is this is complicated to understand? (coming soon… I will be creating a whole page on this topic, stay tuned)

A: In a few words is like this; when a resident lived on certain premises and left an unpaid bill and never notify the electric company he/she was moving out. Since the electric company does not know he/she moved out, they are waiting for a payment or a settlement.

The old electric provider will do “as it’s best” to collect such debt. By PUC (Public Utility Commission) it is within the law to apply a SWITCH HOLD in order to keep any other company or electric provider to establish service without their consent so that the company has control of the meter and in the case, the customer wants to switch providers he/she will not be able until he/she settles the debt.

What does all this has to do with you if you are a new resident/tenant? Well, the other electric provider does not know you are a new “move-in” or new resident, the SWITCH HOLD on the meter will not be removed unless you can prove that you are a new resident at that specific address.

Here is how to remove the switch hold; by now, you must have an account number with us Electricity Express, you will need it and ask for the ESI ID for the premises you are moving in, get to your leasing office or landlord and get a copy of the lease agreement, or CD (Closing Disclosure) if the premises was purchased. It has to be typed, no handwritten or any kind of modifications, all dates and signatures and address must be in order. Ask us, your electric provider, for a “New Occupant Statement” form emailed or faxed, and your leasing agent or landlord must fill it out. Gather all this, add your account number on all pages and send it to us. Amen. All this is just to be safe with PUC regulations and tell the other company that another provider and resident is moving in.

Q: Summer energy rates are higher?

A: This is a myth, while in the summertime we use more electricity not necessary for the electricity prices to go up. I do happen that energy companies raise their rates in the summer, however, it is good to have a good energy-saving plan in effect at all times.

Q: How often the energy rates can change?

A: If you have an agreement, the rate should stay the same for the rest of the agreement. If you are in a variable rate or no agreement plan, your rate can change at any time. However, prepaid electricity has been steady for energy rates for years. Prepaid electricity rates vary very little.

Q: To save electricity, how often should I change my A/C filter.

A: Depends on the quality of the filter that you use. A high-quality filter should be replaced every 3-4 months. Low-quality filters may need to be replaced every month or less.

Q: How is it that saving water will save energy?

A: It takes energy to heat and transport water. Most water heaters are electric. Save water and you will save energy and pay less for electricity.

Q: Changing the windows in the house will help to save energy?

A: Yes. Definitely is a good way to make your home more efficient. I know it is a big investment but a good set of new windows can save you 30% of your electric bill.

Q: Having a solar panel system is really free?

A: No. Going solar is not free at all. This is a marketing strategy.

Q: What is the cost to have a solar panel system in my house?

A: Well, every house is different, every house consumes a different amount of electricity. The cost of a solar system depends on the size of the system, this depends on how much energy you want to offset from your consumption. A solar system can range from $15,000 to $45,000 dollars.
You can have an idea of the cost of a solar panel system for your house by making the average spend per month then multiply by 12 months then by 12 years, plus the financing.

Q: Why it’s said that a solar system installation is free?

A: The correct way to say this would be that there is no extra spending by having a solar system.

Q: How often should I service my A/C?

A: It is recommended to call a technician every 6 months, however, you can clean and maintain the A/C by yourself.

Q: What kind of maintenance can I do for my A/C?

A: Aside from changing the filters, you can clean the coils and condensers, check if there are any leaks, check the pressure, and check the freon levels.

Q: How does a maintained A/C impact my electricity bill?

A: If an A/C is not well maintained, you may not notice but it can be running nonstop for hours, this can add a couple of hundred dollars to your monthly budget of electricity.

Q: How can I know if the A/C needs maintenance?

A: You will notice that the A/C is running continuously, the air coming from the vents is not cold enough, if you use prepaid electricity, you will see a huge increase in your energy consumption (something you will not notice if you have traditional electricity service with a monthly statement.

Q: If it says “no deposit required”, why do I have to pay to start a new service?

A: For the prepaid electricity service, the energy is paid in advance, what the customer is paying is for the electricity that will be used in the next few days.

Q: How much is recommended to pay to start a prepaid electric service?

A: As of 09/25/21 the minimum to start a prepaid electric service is $40, however, I strongly suggest adding to the account at least what you think you will use in a month or so.

Q: How often do I have to add money to the account?

A: Well, this is up to you. Check the daily balance and you will see when to add more money to the account. The more money you add to the account, the fewer times you have to add money. The less you add to the account the more times you have to add money.

Q: When is good to turn off the A/C to pay less for electricity?

A: Usually, we leave it in “AUTO”, however, if you know that there will be mild temperatures forecasted, I suggest turning the A/C off. This is a good idea if the A/C will be off for more than 3 days.

Q: Why do we need to change the A/C filter every 3 months?

A: Every season change brings different temperatures and we are more likely to keep the doors open, this brings dust and particles. There are some air filters designed to be changed more often because the material will not collect the dust and particles. If we do not change the A/C filter it will take more energy and time for the A/C to reach the desired temperature. Pay less electricity with good airflow in your A/C.

Q: Prepaid electricity will show my electricity savings?

A: Yes. With the daily text notifications, you can know how many kWh you use the day before and the one before that. This way you will know if your energy-saving efforts are working or not.

Q: Do Christmas lights use a lot of electricity?

A: It depends, LED lights are the most energy-efficient way to decorate your home with Christmas lights.

Q: How can I reduce energy usage during Christmas?

A: Change to LED lights, let the natural light of the day avoid using artificial light in your home, save hot water, do not turn off the heating unit, or change the thermostat temperature drastically.


Remember that with prepaid electricity you can measure your energy savings. See how much electricity you use every day with prepaid electricity with Payless Power, how sends you a daily text with your energy usage.

Q: What is the best solution when a power outage occurs?

A: I can recommend having a PV system with a backup battery. However, if that is too much for an investment, a power generator will help you.

Q: How long does a power outage can last?

A: Usually, a power outage lasts for a few minutes, nevertheless, depending on the grid to fix the problem, it could last 3-4 hours.

Q: How can my ceiling fan help me to save energy?

A: The ceilings fans have a setting that changes the spinning direction to make the air circulates downward or upward. In the summertime, make the ceiling fan push the air down. In wintertime, make the ceiling fan push the air up. Save electricity with the help of your ceiling fan.

Q: How much money I can save if I use the ceiling fans?

A: Well, that depends on the temperature you set your thermostat. Also if your heating system uses natural gas or is electric. However, savings can range from $200 – $500 a year.

Q: What personal information is required to get prepaid electricity?

A: Prepaid electricity will only ask for basic personal information which is, name, address, date of birth and a cellular phone number.

Q: How long would take to connect an electric service?

A: After paying for the electricity you will be using and if the electrical meter has no issues, it can take about 30 minutes to connect the residential electricity service.