Green Mountain Energy

Quick Facts

Is Green Mountain Energy good? Green Mountain is the real deal on renewable energy—but you’re paying 15-25% more than budget providers for that environmental credibility.

• Parent Company: NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG)
• Years in Texas: 27
• Best For: Customers willing to pay a premium for authentic renewable energy sourcing
• Avoid If: Price matters most—Green Mountain costs $15-$30 more per month than budget options
• Deposit Required: Conditional (credit score 650+ typically means no deposit)

Company Overview

Green Mountain started selling 100% renewable electricity in 1997 [Company website]—five years before Texas even deregulated. While other providers slap “green” on a plan to charge you extra, Green Mountain built their entire company around it.

That credibility comes at a cost: 15-25% above budget providers [ComparePower rate analysis]. On a typical Texas bill, that’s $200-$400 extra per year. Real money.

NRG Energy [NYSE: NRG] bought Green Mountain in 2010—same parent company as Reliant. So yes, your monthly payment goes to a Fortune 500 corporation that also profits from conventional electricity. But Green Mountain operates differently: they source from actual wind and solar farms, not just paper certificates.

Most “green plans” from TXU, Reliant, and others work like this: buy Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) that “offset” your conventional electricity. Green Mountain contracts with Texas wind farms and solar generators. The electrons on the grid are the same, but the infrastructure investment is different.

The Green Energy Difference

What separates Green Mountain from competitors who slap “green” on a plan:

Direct sourcing, not just offsets: TXU’s “green” plan buys RECs—paper credits that theoretically offset your coal-generated power. Green Mountain contracts directly with Texas wind farms. Your money funds actual renewable infrastructure, not accounting tricks.

27 years of receipts: Green Mountain went 100% renewable in 1997. This isn’t a 2020 marketing pivot—they’ve been doing this since before most Texans had email.

Transparent sourcing: Green Mountain publishes where their electricity comes from: specific wind farms, specific solar installations. Ask TXU or Reliant for that data on their “green” plans. They won’t provide it.

Where Green Mountain Operates

Green Mountain serves deregulated areas of Texas including Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, and regions covered by Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP, and TNMP.

Interestingly, Green Mountain is headquartered in Austin but cannot sell electricity there due to Austin Energy’s municipal monopoly.

Plan Types Offered

100% Renewable Fixed-Rate Plans Lock in a rate for 12-36 months with 100% renewable energy sourcing.

Variable-Rate Plans Month-to-month renewable options with no contract.

Pollution Free Plans Their signature offering—electricity with no carbon emissions.

What They Don’t Offer:

• Prepaid plans
• Free nights/weekends
• Non-renewable options (by design)

Deposit Requirements

Green Mountain runs credit checks on everyone. Score above 650? No deposit. Below that? You’re paying $200-$400 upfront, or bringing a letter of credit from a previous provider.

Green Mountain doesn’t offer prepaid. If your credit is rough, you can’t buy their environmental credibility—you’ll need to look at other providers first, then consider Green Mountain when your credit improves.

Pricing: Let’s Be Honest

Green Mountain charges a premium. Here’s the math:

• Average Texas household: ~1,200 kWh/month
• Green Mountain rate: Typically 12-14¢/kWh
• Budget provider rate: Typically 9-11¢/kWh
• Annual difference: $250-$400

That’s real money. Whether it’s worth it depends on one question: Does funding renewable infrastructure matter enough to you to pay an extra $25-$35/month?

If yes, Green Mountain is the legitimate option—not the greenwashed “green plans” from TXU. If “green” is just a nice-to-have checkbox, you’re overpaying by hundreds of dollars for marketing language.

Customer Service: The Real Story

Green Mountain’s service is mid-tier—better than budget providers, worse than TXU. Your premium goes toward renewable sourcing, not customer support infrastructure.

Worth knowing:

• Phone wait times: 10-15 minutes average [Service testing, Q4 2025]
• Website: Functional. Nothing impressive, nothing broken.
• Staff understand renewable energy. Ask about sourcing and they’ll give you real answers—not just marketing scripts.

The catch:

• No prepaid option. Credit problems mean you’re looking elsewhere.
• When billing issues arise, their premium rates make mistakes more expensive
• One trick pony: everything is green, which is great until you want a free-nights plan or time-of-use pricing

Who Green Mountain works for: People who’ve decided environmental impact justifies $250-$400/year in extra costs. That’s a legitimate choice. But if “green” is just one factor among many, you’re paying a steep premium for a single feature.