Before deregulation, one company provided all aspects of your electric service: generation, delivery, sales, billing and support. After deregulation, these components are separated. Electricity is now generated in competing power plants all across Texas.

These plants connect to a network called "The Grid." The Grid is managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT. ERCOT oversees the transmission of electricity from the power plants to the population centers.

Once electricity reaches a city, its delivery across wires to your home or business is handled by a single operator. This regulated transmission and delivery provider [TXU Electric Delivery, Centerpoint, AEP Central, AEP North or Texas New Mexico Power] cares for all power lines and responds to any and all outages.

Finally, the marketing of electricity to consumers is handled by Retail Electric Providers, or "REPs". They are licensed by the state and include Ambit Energy and companies like TXU, Reliant, CPL, WTU and First Choice.

So, what's so special about electricity?

As it is in most states, New York's energy utilities were once operated as regulated monopolies, providing the transmission wires (delivery) and the electricity you use (supply). Today in New York, consumers can choose not to pay monopoly providers for supplying electricity. Ambit Energy is now an Energy Services Company (ESCO) approved by the New York Public Service Commission to sell electricity and natural gas service in the State of New York. Ambit buys power in bulk from energy power plants so we can pass the savings on to New York consumers with a competitive price on energy supply.

In New York, a customer's energy bill is divided into two parts—supply and delivery. The utility company charges for delivering power to the residence. Delivery charges typically encompass 50% of the total charges. As a state-approved ESCO, Ambit Energy charges for the supply of energy—in other words, for the amount of power actually used.

When a customer chooses Ambit Energy, both the utility delivery charges and the ESCO supply charges will be included on the same bill.

Meanwhile, the PSC ensures safe and reliable delivery through continued regulation of energy utilities.