"Small REP, must be cheaper" is the wrong default for APG&E.
Most articles assume a small REP must undercut the big brands to win customers. That logic applies to teaser-driven REPs that need to buy market share. APG&E does not work that way.
Because they are privately held since 2004, APG&E does not have quarterly growth targets that force aggressive customer acquisition. Their EFL tends to sit at or slightly above the cheapest plans on Power to Choose, paired with mid-length 12 to 36 month fixed terms and a 100% renewable option. They sell stability and a Houston call center, not the lowest kWh on the board.
That makes the honest comparison less about "is APG&E the cheapest" and more about "does the price gap with the cheapest plan buy you something". Sometimes it does (a smaller REP that has actually been around for 20 years carries less mid-contract POLR risk than a 2-year-old reseller). Sometimes it does not.
Three lines. Every APG&E bill. Always.
Whatever APG&E plan you sign, the monthly total is built from the same three pieces. Knowing which line is which is the difference between comparing rates and comparing marketing.
Layer 1, APG&E sets it
Energy charge
The ¢/kWh price for the electricity itself. This is the only line APG&E actually controls. On their True Cost plans it is flat for the contract term; on month-to-month it can change every billing cycle.
Layer 2, Fixed
Base monthly charge
A flat monthly fee APG&E bills on top of a smaller fixed line from your wires utility. You pay it even at zero usage, which is why ¢/kWh blows up on a small bill.
Layer 3, Pass-through
TDU delivery
The wires charge from Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP or TNMP. APG&E collects it and forwards it. Identical at every REP in your TDU area; the PUCT sets it.
A switch from APG&E to another REP only changes Layer 1 and Layer 2. Layer 3 stays with the meter, not the brand.
Every APG&E plan family, mapped.
APG&E keeps its lineup short: a True Cost fixed-rate family in 12, 24 and 36 month terms, a 100% renewable option, and a month-to-month variable rate. No bill-credit games, no free-nights cross-subsidy.
| Plan family | When it wins | When it loses | Typical ETF |
|---|---|---|---|
| True Cost 12 (fixed) | You want a single locked rate for one year; usage above 800 kWh. | Wholesale prices fall during your term; you stay above market. | ~$150 |
| True Cost 24 (fixed) | You expect ERCOT rates to climb; you value 2-year predictability. | You may move before month 24; ETF wipes out savings. | ~$295 |
| True Cost 36 (fixed) | You own the home; you want to lock the longest term Texas allows. | Rate is usually a few tenths above the 12 month plan; you pay the premium. | ~$295 |
| Green Power 12 (100% renewable) | You want REC-matched green power at a small premium. | You only care about ¢/kWh; non-green fixed plans cost a bit less. | ~$150 |
| Month-to-month (variable) | Short stay (renter, snowbird); you need no-ETF flexibility. | Wholesale spikes (winter storms, summer heat); rate can climb fast. | $0 |
| Small business (commercial) | Small commercial load; APG&E started in this segment in 2004. | Large commercial; brokered deals usually beat any direct REP. | Varies by contract |
Always pull the live EFL for your ZIP before signing. APG&E plan names are stable across years, but the energy ¢/kWh moves with wholesale costs; today's True Cost 12 rate is not last quarter's.
The base charge can swing your effective rate by 4¢/kWh.
An APG&E True Cost 12 plan at 11.5¢/kWh looks like an 11.5¢/kWh plan. It is not. Once you fold in the $9.95 base charge, the TDU base, the TDU per-kWh delivery and ERCOT/PUCT riders, the effective rate at 1,176 kWh is closer to 17¢/kWh.
The smaller your monthly use, the more the fixed fees dominate. At 500 kWh, the same plan works out to about 19.7¢/kWh effective. At 2,000 kWh, it drops to about 16.0¢/kWh.
This is why APG&E plans look "fine" for an average-use Houston home and look bad for a small condo. The headline rate did not change; the base charge just hits a smaller bill harder.
effective rate at 1,176 kWh (TX household average)
Who APG&E is, and why "small and private" matters.
APG&E does not sit inside a Vistra or NRG holding company. That ownership shape directly shapes the rate book and the customer support floor.
2004: Houston founding, small business first
APG&E was founded in 2004 in Houston by small business owners, two years into Texas deregulation. The first segment served was Texas small business, not residential; residential plans were added once the operations and billing platform proved out.
Multi-state expansion: 6 markets
APG&E now holds regulatory certificates in six deregulated states: Texas, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois. Across these markets it sells both electricity and, in some, natural gas. The Texas residential book remains the biggest piece.
Privately held, no public-market pressure
APG&E remains privately held in 2026. Compared to Vistra (NYSE: VST) or NRG (NYSE: NRG), there is no quarterly earnings call forcing aggressive customer-acquisition spend. The company describes this on its own About page as the reason it focuses on "the long-term".
Houston call center, English and Spanish support
Customer service is run out of Houston, with bilingual English/Spanish coverage. Phone hours are Mon to Thu 8 am to 7 pm, Fri 8 am to 5 pm, Sat 9 am to 1 pm Central. Call 1-877-544-4857 for residential support.
Why this matters for a 24 or 36-month contract: a privately held REP that has operated in Texas continuously since 2004 has, by definition, survived ERCOT scarcity events, Winter Storm Uri and several wholesale price spikes without folding. That track record is part of what you are buying when the headline ¢/kWh is not the lowest on Power to Choose.
Where APG&E shoppers quietly overpay.
Five patterns we see repeatedly in customer reviews and complaints filed with the PUCT against small Texas REPs. Each one is fixable before you sign or in the first 14 days after.
Where APG&E sits in the Texas REP landscape.
Texas has more than 100 licensed REPs. The market is dominated by two holding companies: Vistra Corp (TXU, Ambit, Dynegy, Public Power) and NRG Energy (Reliant, Direct Energy, Green Mountain, Cirro). Between them they hold roughly half of residential meters.
APG&E sits in the independent tier: privately held, no public parent, multi-state but Texas-focused. It is in the same bucket as Champion, Constellation (independent through Exelon retail), Gexa (NRG-owned, but operated separately) and TriEagle. Cross-shopping APG&E against one Vistra brand, one NRG brand and one other independent is the cleanest way to see your real price floor.
What to actually do with an APG&E offer.
Shop Power to Choose first
Use the state-run powertochoose.org. Filter by your ZIP and your usage band, then sort by total cost at YOUR kWh; that is where APG&E either earns its place or does not.
Estimate at YOUR usage
Use the estimator at the top of this page. Punch in last August's kWh (Texas peak) and last February's. Pick the plan that lands lowest in both, not just average.
Read the EFL line by line
The Electricity Facts Label shows the price at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh, the term length, the ETF and every fee. If the rate looks great at 1,000 kWh but worse at 500 and 2,000, the base charge is doing the work.
Confirm your TDU territory
Delivery rates differ between Oncor (DFW), CenterPoint (Houston), AEP (West and Central) and TNMP. APG&E's energy ¢/kWh is the same; your TDU charge is not. This sets your floor cost.
Apply for assistance if eligible
Texas runs LIHEAP as the Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) via TDHCA. APG&E accepts CEAP payment commitments like any TX REP. Apply at TDHCA.
Know who to call for outages
APG&E does not run the wires. For an outage call your TDU: Oncor 1-888-313-4747, CenterPoint 1-800-332-7143, or AEP 1-866-223-8508. For billing or to start service call APG&E at 1-877-544-4857.
Common questions about APG&E.
Yes. APG&E is the brand name; the registered legal name is AP Gas & Electric. The company was founded in Houston in 2004 by small business owners, originally serving small commercial accounts before adding residential plans. They remain privately held and are not part of Vistra Corp or NRG Energy.
The electricity itself is identical regardless of REP because every Texas REP delivers power over the same TDU wires (Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP, TNMP). What varies is billing, customer service and financial stability. APG&E has operated in Texas continuously since 2004, through ERCOT scarcity events and Winter Storm Uri (Feb 2021), which is a meaningful track record for a privately held REP. Smaller REPs without that history have folded mid-contract.
APG&E holds regulatory certificates in six deregulated markets: Texas, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois. The Texas residential book is the biggest. In some states it sells natural gas alongside electricity. Each state has its own approved tariff sheet, so plan names and pricing in OH or PA are not the same as in TX.
Residential customer service phone is 1-877-544-4857. Hours are Monday to Thursday 8 am to 7 pm, Friday 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 1 pm Central Time; closed Sunday. Support is available in English and Spanish. The company is headquartered at 6161 Savoy Drive, Suite 500, Houston, TX 77036.
Inside a fixed-term contract (True Cost 12, 24 or 36) an Early Termination Fee applies, typically $150 to $295 depending on plan length, shown explicitly on the EFL. Three standard exceptions across all Texas REPs: you are moving outside APG&E service territory (free move with proof of address change); you are within the final 14 days of your contract (PUCT rule, no ETF); or you accept the renewal offer (no switch, no fee). Month-to-month plans have no ETF at all.
Yes. APG&E sells a 100% renewable residential plan matched with RECs. The energy ¢/kWh tends to sit about 0.5 to 1¢ above an equivalent non-green True Cost plan. Whether it is worth the premium depends on whether you care about the REC accounting; the electrons hitting your house are identical because everyone shares the ERCOT grid.
More U.S. states with energy choice
Same playbook, different utility. Pick another deregulated state to compare utilities, suppliers and switching rules.
