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Frontier Utilities

Frontier Utilities charges 10-15% less than TXU and Reliant. Same grid, same electrons. The trade-off? Basic service. Here's the real story.

Company Overview

Here’s the truth about Frontier Utilities: This is the company most Texans should consider first.

While TXU spends millions on Cowboys sponsorships and Reliant plasters billboards across I-45, Frontier skips the circus. Same grid. Same electricity. Same wires to your house. Typically 10-15% cheaper because you’re not funding their marketing department.

Frontier has been in Texas since 2008, owned by Centrica plc—a massive British energy company worth more than TXU’s parent. They’re not going anywhere. They just don’t need you to know their name.

The trade-off is real: their app is basic, customer service can mean longer hold times, and they won’t send you Texans tickets. But if you’d rather save $20-30/month on your electric bill than get rewards points you’ll never redeem, Frontier is the smarter play.

Where Frontier Operates

Frontier serves deregulated areas across Texas including Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, parts of the San Antonio area, Corpus Christi, and regions covered by Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, and TNMP.

Plan Types Offered

Fixed-Rate Plans Standard lock-in rates from 1-36 months. Often priced competitively against larger competitors.

Variable-Rate Plans Month-to-month with no commitment. Rates fluctuate with the market.

Green Energy 100% renewable options available for environmentally-conscious customers.

Deposit Requirements

Frontier runs credit checks for all plans. If your credit qualifies (typically 650+), no deposit is needed. For customers who don’t qualify, a deposit of $50-150 may be required depending on credit score.

Budget First, Everything Else Second

Frontier’s pitch: why pay for Reliant’s app and TXU’s call center if you never use them?

What you won’t find at Frontier:

Rewards points
Free nights or weekends promos
Home security bundles
An app worth downloading

What you will find: rates that are often 10-15% lower than the big brands. That’s real money—$15-$25/month on a typical Texas home.

Customer Service: The Real Story

Frontier runs lean. Very lean. That’s how they keep rates low.

Worth knowing:

Phone support exists, but hold times can stretch 20-30 minutes
Their website is functional but dated
Prepaid customers get daily usage texts—helpful for budgeting

The catch:

Don’t expect the white-glove treatment
If you have a billing dispute, patience required
Online reviews are mixed—great rates, mediocre service

The real question: would you rather pay $120/month with great service, or $100/month with okay service? Frontier is for the second group.

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Good For

You shop rates and want to pay less—Frontier often beats TXU and Reliant by 10%+
Your credit is decent (650+) and you qualify for no deposit
You're renting short-term and want flexible terms
You don't call customer service—you just pay bills and move on