Since 2002, much of the Texas electricity market has had the ability to choose a retail electricity provider (REP), such as Discount Power.1 In these areas of Texas, REPs aren’t the only companies involved in providing electricity. Transmission and Distribution Service Providers (TDSPs) also play an important role.
TDSP charges are the fees assessed by your TDSP to cover the cost of its services, like maintaining the wires to your home and reading your meter, as well as transmitting and distributing your electricity. The amount assessed may fluctuate based on your usage and price changes allowed by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), which regulates all TDSPs in the state.
It’s important to note that the same TDSP charges for your premises are billed by the TDSP to your REP, regardless of your REP. Discount Power passes these charges through to their customers without markup.