Electric in Wylie--No Choice???? (Murphy, West: coop, bad credit, house)

[ScooterMama]

Moving to Wylie in 2 weeks & getting worried that we will be FORCED to use this Farmers Electric Co-op. Can that be true????

[ETex2]

Originally Posted by ScooterMama

Moving to Wylie in 2 weeks & getting worried that we will be FORCED to use this Farmers Electric Co-op. Can that be true????

Maybe. Depends on where in Wylie you're moving to. Look into it at your specific address, since I doubt anyone here can comment on every single neighborhood.

[ScooterMama]

Well, two companies have already indicated they don't serve that address, so it's looking like we must use Farmers.

[pappy97]

I live in Wylie, and I'm not forced to use anyone. BUT I have heard that certain people in Murphy and Wylie, have no choice depending on where they live (it's usually because the subdivision/HOA or something agrees to one provider). So yes, it can theoretically be true, and it's not just limted to Murphy/Wylie. There are many areas of cities in Texas that don't have a choice on elec/gas/etc.

Ask people who live very close to the new address, but also, when you get there, just try to use power2choose to sign up for someone else.

[MurphyPl1]

Why don't you want Farmers? Is it just the lack of choice or is it the company itself?

I have had Farmers for 6 years and when I first moved to Murphy they were having infrastructure issues. Basically the area boomed faster than they anticipated and they were trying to get the infrastructure up to speed. And after the first year we've had zero service outages.

Also, they recently came thru our neighborhood and leveled the transformers that serve the homes. Most of the other service providers will not do that. As a matter of fact, most other electrical service providers are just a reseller and don't own their own equipment. So if you have Jim Bob's Electric, and the transformer blows, you will call them, and they'll just pass own the complaint.

As far as rates, ours are comparable to what we see on PowerToChoose. And this October they will be holding the Co-Op meeting at Southfork. I'm planning to attend so that I can find out more information about how they operate, what their expansion plans are and what the outlook for electrical is for the state moving forward

[MurphyPl1]

Originally Posted by pappy97

I live in Wylie, and I'm not forced to use anyone. BUT I have heard that certain people in Murphy and Wylie, have no choice depending on where they live (it's usually because the subdivision/HOA or something agrees to one provider). So yes, it can theoretically be true, and it's not just limted to Murphy/Wylie. There are many areas of cities in Texas that don't have a choice on elec/gas/etc.

Ask people who live very close to the new address, but also, when you get there, just try to use power2choose to sign up for someone else.

Most HOAs in this area do not have the power to determine which utilities can serve their community. Most likely it was an agreement with the city from waaaaay back. And quite possibly was a binding property owner decision. If this ranch wanted to be part of the Co-op, they signed up. Later on when that ranch was developed into a 500 home neighborhood, the original electrical decision followed to them.

It's very similar to the PISD/WISD boundaries in south Murphy. One street has the boundary totally mangled up on it. Western dozen or so homes are WISD. Going east (toward Wylie) the next dozenish homes are PISD. Then the remaining easternmost homes are WISD. All because the original landowners of those very large properties picked WISD or PISD and forever after those homes will be tied to that. Even if it doesn't make sense looking at a map now.

[biafra4life]

I'm concerned about this as well. We are closing on a house in Wylie that has to use Farmers, and I've heard wildly different thing about it. One lady told us she had to pay a really hefty deposit ($900) to turn on the electricity, but the bills have been cheap...another lady who used to live in Wylie ended up leaving in part due to the really high electric bills from Farmer's...so I really dont know what to make of it having never used a coop before.

[aggieplaya]

We live in Wylie and use farmers, and have never had a problem with them. The bills seem as normal as any other place we have lived. If someone was asked to pay a $900 deposit, it is probably because they either had bad credit or never paid another outstanding balance

[MurphyPl1]

Yeah, I'd remember a $900 deposit and I'm sure my neighbors would be ranting about that. I don't think that's typical.

[Philip T]

Co-ops kind of get to do their own thing.

Some are really good and work well with the folks they serve -- some not so much.

About the biggest rip in the state is Grayson-Collin County Co-op. They charge something like 30% above the state average rate.

Farmers Electric Co-op (serves the non-Oncor areas of Wylie area) tends to be middlin on the prices but is very generous on Charitable actions. FEC also has good Net Metering agreements for folks with renewable.

The deposits (when required) are supposed to cover the risk to the Co-op for non-payment. About a month and a half to two -- about how long they will let you get behind before disconnecting you.