Green Mountain vs TXU Energy: Green-First vs Plan Variety

At a Glance

Factor	Green Mountain Energy	TXU Energy
Parent Company	NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG)	Vistra Corp (NYSE: VST)
Years in Texas	29	24
Credit Check	Yes	Yes
Prepaid Available	No	No
Green Plans	Yes (100% renewable, all plans)	Yes (GreenUp add-on, Solar Club)
On ComparePower	Yes	Yes

Bottom Line: Green Mountain is the green company. TXU is the plan variety company with a green option. Green Mountain costs $10-$20/month more but every electron is 100% renewable. TXU gives you 15+ plan types where green is an add-on.

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The Corporate Reality

Green Mountain Energy is NRG Energy’s environmental brand. Same parent as Reliant, Direct Energy, Cirro, and Discount Power. Green Mountain has been 100% renewable since 1997—they’ve never sold a conventional electricity plan in 29 years. NRG bought them for $350 million in 2010.

TXU Energy is Vistra Corp’s flagship residential brand. Same parent as 4Change Energy, Veteran Energy, and Ambit Energy. TXU has been in Texas for 24 years and offers more plan types than almost anyone. Their green option (GreenUp) is an add-on, not their identity. Vistra operates coal and natural gas plants alongside renewables.

Different parent companies. Different philosophies. NRG profits from Green Mountain’s environmental premium. Vistra profits from TXU’s volume and plan diversity.

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)
• Go Local Solar, Pollution Free Nights, Weekend Warrior specialties
• Green-e Energy certified
• 24/7 phone and chat support
• 4.8/5 on Texas Electricity Ratings (17,329 reviews)

TXU Energy (15+ plan types, green as add-on):

• Fixed-rate plans (1-24 months)
• Free Nights & Solar Days
• Free Weekends & Solar Days
• Time-of-use plans
• Variable and month-to-month options
• GreenUp add-on (100% renewable via RECs, adds ~$5/month)
• Solar Buyback for rooftop panels
• Solar Club (support Texas solar farms)
• 60-day satisfaction guarantee
• 24/7 support with ~5-minute average hold times

The price comparison: Green Mountain’s fixed rates run $10-$20/month above TXU’s comparable fixed-rate plans. Over a year, that’s $120-$240. But compare Green Mountain to TXU’s renewal rates (not teaser rates) and the gap shrinks. TXU’s promotional pricing expires; Green Mountain’s rates are more stable.

The Credit & Deposit Question

Both require credit checks. Neither offers prepaid.

Green Mountain: Soft credit check. Deposit based on two months’ estimated usage if you fail. Deposit returned after 12 on-time payments.

TXU: Credit check with more flexible deposit options—you can split the deposit into two installments. Deposit waived for customers 55+ (lower threshold than the standard 65+). Personal guarantee from a current TXU customer is also an option.

TXU has slightly more flexible deposit workarounds, but neither offers prepaid.

The Verdict

Choose Green Mountain if:

• 100% renewable energy is your identity, not a checkbox
• You want a provider whose entire 29-year history is green
• Green-e third-party certification matters
• You don’t need free nights, time-of-use, or specialty plan variety
• You’re willing to pay $120-$240/year more for authentic environmental commitment

Choose TXU if:

• Plan variety matters—free nights, time-of-use, indexed, solar buyback
• Price matters more than energy source
• 5-minute average hold times and 24/7 support matter
• You’d rather add TXU’s GreenUp ($5/month) than pay Green Mountain’s premium
• The 60-day satisfaction guarantee reduces your risk

The honest take: If you’re comparing these two, you probably care about green energy. The question is whether you care enough to pay $120-$240/year for a company whose entire mission is renewable electricity—vs adding TXU’s GreenUp for ~$60/year and getting the same grid-level outcome with more plan flexibility.