Electricity is a basic, crucial commodity, and choosing an energy provider with good pricing can have a big impact on your monthly spending.
Sites like ambitenergy.com show plans from numerous electricity providers, giving you the options you need to find a plan that works for you.
But how do you know whether Ambit Energy is reliable, or whether it offers good electricity rates? Here’s what you need to know about Ambit Energy, including a little bit about its history, the plans it makes available, and whether it offers renewable energy options.
What Is Ambit Energy?
Ambit Energy is a retail energy provider (REP) that offers natural gas and electricity services in various deregulated energy markets in the United States. They put their electricity plans together by working with different utility companies and electricity providers, and they market these electric services through direct sales undertaken by thousands of independent consultants.
Ambit Energy was founded in 2006 by Jere Thompson, Jr. and Chris Chambless. From humble beginnings in a warehouse in downtown Dallas, Texas, Ambit has grown (literally and figuratively) into a powerhouse, becoming one of the most important REPs in Texas.
What Are Ambit Energy’s Best Electricity Rates?
Ambit’s service areas cover quite a lot of the United States, and they offer different energy plans for different energy markets, including the deregulated markets in Texas.
Since most of our readers are in Texas, we’ve assembled the following list of plans by putting ourselves in the shoes of a potential customer moving to a home in the Greenway neighborhood of Houston, with a 77089 ZIP code, using an average of 1,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month.
If you’re an Ambit customer in a different part of Texas — or if you’re moving to a state like California, New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland, or New York, or to Washington D.C. — you will likely see different offerings.
When we searched in March 2023, we found eight different plans, with prices per kWh varying from 14.9 cents on the low end, up to 20.4 cents per kWh. Seven out of the eight are fixed-rate plans, and the last is a month-to-month, variable-rate plan.
The following information is up to date as of March 22, 2023, but it’s subject to change in the future. Also be aware that by default, the filters on Ambit Energy’s website are set to 2,000 kWh used per month and have applied the E-Plan discounts, which require you to use automated payments along with paperless billing. In the plans you see below, we’ve changed the settings to 1,000 kWh per month and removed the E-Plan discount.
Ultimate Perks (12/24/36 months): Ambit Energy’s Ultimate Perks is a fixed-rate plan charging 17.4 cents per kWh for a 12-month contract and 16.8 cents per kWh for both the 24-month and 36-month contracts. This plan features a monthly base charge of $9.95, and there are early termination fees of $199 for the 12- or 24-month contracts and $299 for the 36-month contract. These are called “perk” plans because they feature a monthly reward of $50 dollars that can be spent at various retail outlets, restaurants, or on travel.
Free & Clear Nights 12: This renewable energy plan offers free electricity between 9 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. and charges 21.9 cents per kWh for electricity used at any other time. There is a $9.95 monthly base charge and an early termination fee of $199. You must have a smart meter to utilize the Free & Clear Nights 12 plan.
Secure Savings 12: At only 14.9 cents per kWh and the possibility of an even lower price if you use over 1,000 kWh per month, this deal is perfect for the budget-conscious. Even better, it has no monthly base charge (but there is a $199 cancellation fee).
Secure Savings 36: This three-year plan is the longer-term cousin of the Secure Savings 12. It has a fixed rate of 15.3 cents per kWh and no monthly base charge. As with the Secure Savings 12, the price per kWh goes down if you use more than 1,000 kWh per month, but there is a $299 cancellation fee.
Lone Star Classic 24: Ambit’s Lone Star Classic 24 locks in a price of 16.8 cents per kWh for two years. There’s a monthly base charge of $9.95 and an early termination fee of $199.
Lone Star Flex: With Ambit’s only variable-rate plan, you pay month to month. It has the highest price per kWh at 20.4, but if you want flexibility, this is your best option. There are no cancellation fees, but there is a monthly base charge of $4.95.
It’s always a good idea to read the Electricity Facts Label (EFL) for each of these plans before you commit to one. Also be sure to see if a plan qualifies for free energy payments and other discounts, such as Ambit’s E-Plan.
You can obtain important standardized information that will allow you to compare this product with other offers. Contact (Ambit Energy, (877) 282-6248 or www.ambitenergy.com)
Ambit Energy FAQs
Potential Ambit Energy customers may have questions about different aspects of Ambit’s offerings, so let’s address them now.
How Can I Become an Ambit Energy Customer?
It’s not difficult to sign up for Ambit Energy Service. You simply need to go to Ambit Energy’s rates and plans page on their website, put in your ZIP code, and find out what plans are available in your area.
Since Ambit Energy is a retail electricity provider, they create different plans for different regions of the U.S., so the service options you’d receive in California could be very different from the service options you’d receive in Texas.
How Do Ambit Energy’s Tiered Rate Product Plans Work?
Ambit’s tiered rate product plans are more or less what they sound like: Electricity usage amounts are bucketed into tiers, and different tiers are charged at different amounts. For example, you might be charged 5.2 cents per kWh for up to 800 kWh, 4 cents per kWh for 801-1,400 kWhs, and 5.2 cents per kWh for anything over 1,400 kWhs.
Be sure to check out the EFL for specific details.
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What Are Ambit Energy’s Texas Featured Plans?
Ambit Energy was founded in Texas and continues to serve Texans in cities like Dallas, Houston, and Plano. Customers in the Lone Star state can avail themselves of plans like the Ultimate Perks plan, the Secure Savings plan, and the Summer Break plan. The plan that makes the most sense for you will depend on the specifics of your situation, so be sure to examine your options carefully before making a decision.
What Are Ambit Energy’s Featured Plans in the Midwest and the Northeast?
For customers in the Midwest (i.e., Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana) and the Northeast (i.e., New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island), Ambit offers plans like the Winter Break Plan.
When shopping for a plan, always keep in mind that different plans make sense for different circumstances, so carefully weigh your options before committing to a plan.
What Is Ambit Energy Commercial?
Ambit Energy has maintained an interest in business customers since its founding. For this reason, Ambit maintains a team of commercial account specialists whose sole focus is the energy requirements of businesses.
Ambit tries to make switching as easy as possible. Switching is free, takes only a few minutes, and requires no interruption in service.
Does Ambit Energy Offer a Solar Plan?
If you care about green energy or forms of renewable energy such as solar, you might be wondering if Ambit Energy has a plan for you. Ambit Energy does have solar plans available for residents of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, and several other states.
How Can I Contact Ambit Energy?
If you want to report an outage or have an energy-related emergency you need to discuss, you can find Ambit Energy’s contact information on their website. Because Ambit Energy covers so much territory, it has different phone numbers and different mailing addresses and P.O. boxes for different parts of the country, so check to make sure you’ve got the right one for your service area.
How Can I Pay My Ambit Energy Bill?
Ambit Energy offers a number of different payment options. In Texas, you have these payment avenues available:
- MyAmbit: MyAmbit is Ambit Energy’s online portal, where you can pay your bill and inspect past bills, change your profile settings, use paperless billing, and more.
- Automatic payments: Ambit Energy has an automatic payment system that allows you to use your bank account information or a credit card to set up scheduled monthly payments.
- Pay on the phone: Ambit has an automated phone system that allows you to pay your bill any time by calling 877-282-6248. You can also speak to an agent on weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Central time, and from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday (the phone number is the same in either case).
- Pay in person: If you’d rather pay in person or pay in cash, you can do so at select locations. Check the Ambit Energy website for details.
- Pay by mail: You can mail a check or money order to Ambit Energy, P.O. Box 660462, Dallas, TX 75266-0462
Non-Texas residents need to contact their local utility to find their payment options.
Why Is My Ambit Energy Bill So High?
The monthly bill you receive from Ambit Energy will depend on your energy usage and local energy rates. The more power you use, the higher you can expect your bill to be.
There are, however, many things you can do to get a lower energy bill. You can unplug devices you’re not using, regularly change the air filters in your home, buy energy-efficient appliances, keep your windows closed when the heat or air conditioner is on, and turn off lights when you leave the room, for example.
Is Ambit Energy Right for You?
Ambit Energy is a retail energy provider offering electricity plans to customers across the United States. Deciding whether it’s the right choice for you will depend on your energy requirements, whether you’re a residential or commercial client, and many other unique factors. Be sure to carefully assess your own situation before committing to any particular plan.
To learn more about how to choose a good provider, check out our blog! It has resources on different energy providers and what to look for, as well as information on different kinds of renewable energy, electric vehicles, and much more.
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