Green Mountain vs Discount Power: Same Parent, Opposite Products

At a Glance

Factor	Green Mountain Energy	Discount Power
Parent Company	NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG)	NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG)
Years in Texas	29	18
Credit Check	Yes	Yes
Prepaid Available	No	No
Green Plans	Yes (100% renewable, all plans)	No (only ~20% renewable content)
On ComparePower	Yes	Yes

Bottom Line: Same parent company. Opposite products. Green Mountain charges 17.5-21.7 cents/kWh for 100% renewable energy. Discount Power is among the cheapest in Texas with no green options. NRG profits either way.

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The Corporate Reality

This is the same company selling you two opposite products. Green Mountain Energy and Discount Power are both owned by NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG). They even share the same PUCT certificate number in some filings (both operate under US Retailers LLC infrastructure).

NRG’s strategy is transparent once you see it: Green Mountain captures environmentally conscious customers willing to pay 40-75% more. Discount Power captures price-first shoppers who want the cheapest rate possible. Different brands, same corporate parent, same infrastructure, same shareholder returns.

Other NRG brands in Texas include Reliant (premium with rewards), Direct Energy (plan variety), Cirro (budget green), Stream Energy, and XOOM Energy. NRG covers every market segment.

What They Actually Sell

Green Mountain (premium green, all plans 100% renewable):

• Pollution Free Conserve 12/24 at 17.5 cents/kWh
• Pollution Free e-Plus 12/24 at 17.8 cents/kWh
• Green Savings Plus 24 at 21.7 cents/kWh
• Renewable Rewards solar buyback (three tiers)
• Go Local Solar (specific Texas solar farms)
• Green-e Energy certified
• 24/7 phone and chat support
• 4.8/5 on Texas Electricity Ratings (17,329 reviews)

Discount Power (budget, zero green options):

• Fixed-rate plans often among the cheapest in Texas
• Variable-rate plans
• Bill-credit structures that reward specific usage levels
• ~20% renewable content (standard grid mix, not a green product)
• No solar buyback, no green plans, no specialty features
• Basic customer service

The honest math at 1,200 kWh/month:

• Green Mountain at 17.5 cents: ~$210/month
• Discount Power at budget rates: ~$120-$140/month
• Gap: $70-$90/month, $840-$1,080/year

At Green Mountain’s highest rate (21.7 cents), the gap widens to roughly $1,300/year. That’s a car payment. Every year. For renewable energy certificates from the same parent company.

The Credit & Deposit Question

Both run credit checks. Neither offers prepaid. Same NRG infrastructure handles both.

If your credit fails at Green Mountain, it’ll fail at Discount Power too—same parent, same credit check system. Neither has a prepaid fallback. Look at Payless Power or Frontier’s prepaid if credit is the issue.

The Verdict

Choose Green Mountain if:

• 100% renewable energy with Green-e verification is worth $700-$1,300/year
• You want 29 years of renewable-only track record
• Solar buyback for rooftop panels matters
• You’re comfortable knowing the green premium flows to NRG’s bottom line

Choose Discount Power if:

• Price is your only priority
• Green energy is something you’d skip entirely to save $700+/year
• You want Fortune 500 stability at budget prices
• Bill-credit plan structures work for your usage level

The honest take: NRG built these brands for opposite customers. If you’re comparing them, you probably already know which priority wins—environmental credibility or maximum savings. Both are legitimate products from the same corporation. Pick based on your values and your budget.

The middle path: If you want green energy without Green Mountain’s premium, Rhythm offers 100% renewable from 10.8 cents/kWh. Or Cirro (also NRG) includes green at no extra charge at mid-tier rates.