Green Mountain Energy vs Frontier Utilities: Green Premium vs Budget Rates

At a Glance

Factor	Green Mountain Energy	Frontier Utilities
Parent Company	NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG)	NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE)
Years in Texas	29	18
Credit Check	Yes	Yes
Prepaid Available	No	Yes (Power As You Go)
Green Plans	Yes (100% renewable, all plans)	Yes (25-30% renewable standard)
On ComparePower	Yes	Yes

Bottom Line: Green Mountain charges 17.5-21.7 cents/kWh for 100% renewable. Frontier sits around 12-13 cents/kWh. The $720-$1,100/year gap is the cost of Green-e certified environmental credibility.

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The Corporate Reality

Two different energy giants with different strategies.

Green Mountain Energy is NRG Energy’s environmental brand. NRG bought them for $350 million in 2010. Same parent as Reliant, Direct Energy, Cirro, and Discount Power. Green Mountain has operated as 100% renewable since 1997—29 years of commitment.

Frontier Utilities is NextEra Energy’s budget play in Texas. NextEra is the largest energy company in North America and the world’s largest generator of wind and solar power. Frontier skips marketing and passes savings to customers.

Here’s the irony: NextEra (Frontier’s parent) generates more renewable energy than NRG (Green Mountain’s parent). But Green Mountain’s product is 100% renewable while Frontier’s is only 25-30% green. You’re paying for product structure, not parent company greenness.

What They Actually Sell

Green Mountain (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)
• Green-e Energy certified
• 24/7 phone and chat support
• 4.8/5 on Texas Electricity Ratings (17,329 reviews)

Frontier Utilities (budget rates, partial green):

• Fixed-rate plans regularly among the cheapest in Texas
• Power As You Go prepaid (no credit check, no deposit)
• Bill-credit plan structures
• 25-30% renewable content standard
• Bilingual support with native Spanish speakers
• Daily usage texts for budget tracking
• Basic customer service

The honest math at 1,200 kWh/month:

• Green Mountain at 17.5 cents: ~$210/month
• Frontier at ~12.5 cents: ~$150/month
• Gap: ~$60/month, ~$720/year

At Green Mountain’s highest plan (21.7 cents), the gap hits ~$110/month or $1,320/year.

The Credit & Deposit Question

Green Mountain: Credit check required. No prepaid option. If your credit fails, you pay a deposit or look elsewhere. No escape hatch.

Frontier: Credit check for standard plans, but Power As You Go prepaid skips the credit check entirely. No deposit required on prepaid. If your credit is rough, Frontier has a path forward that Green Mountain can’t match.

The Verdict

Choose Green Mountain if:

• 100% renewable energy with Green-e certification is worth $720-$1,100/year
• You want 29 years of environmental credibility
• Solar buyback for rooftop panels matters
• 24/7 customer support and high service ratings matter

Choose Frontier if:

• Price matters more than energy source
• You’d rather save $720+/year and donate to environmental causes directly
• You need prepaid electricity
• Bilingual support matters
• You want NextEra-level stability at budget prices

The middle path: Rhythm offers 100% renewable from 10.8 cents/kWh—green energy closer to Frontier’s price. Or Cirro (also NRG) includes green at no extra charge at mid-tier rates.