Texas-only · Product explainer

Skip the ZIP. Rank Texas plans at your real kWh.

Live Link is a ComparePower product that signs you in through Smart Meter Texas, pulls your actual 12-month usage history, and ranks every available Texas plan at your real numbers — not a 1,000 kWh marketing default.

Last updated: May 2026

Live Link is a product of ComparePower.com, the Texas enrollment platform built by the same operating team behind this site. Texas-only — depends on Smart Meter Texas.

What it actually does

No more "average household" math.

Every Texas comparison tool asks for two things: your ZIP code and your monthly usage in kWh. The ZIP determines which plans are available on your TDU. The usage number determines which plan is cheapest at your draw.

Most people don't know their real usage. They guess. They pick "1,000 kWh" because that's the default, or they pull a number from one recent bill that happens to be a mild month. The comparison then runs against a number that isn't theirs, and the "cheapest" plan that comes back isn't actually cheapest at their actual load.

Live Link removes the guess. You sign in through Smart Meter Texas — the official program every Texas smart meter reports into — and authorize ComparePower to pull your last 12 months of meter data. The comparison runs against your actual kWh, summer peaks and winter floors included, and the ranking reflects what you'd pay if you switched today.

How it works

Three steps, about 30 seconds.

  1. 1

    Sign in through Smart Meter Texas.

    Smart Meter Texas is the official state program — the same system your TDU and retail electric provider use to read your meter. You authenticate once and approve ComparePower's access. No password sharing, no third-party scraping.

  2. 2

    Your 12-month usage gets pulled in.

    ComparePower reads the same usage data your REP uses to bill you — month by month, with seasonal variation captured. Nothing is estimated.

  3. 3

    Every available plan ranked by your real cost.

    Each plan's monthly bill is calculated against your actual usage. Bill credits, base charges, minimum-usage fees, TDU delivery charges — all applied to your numbers. Enroll in one click when you've picked.

Use Live Link if

  • You've lived at your current address for 6+ months (so the usage history reflects your draw).
  • You want the comparison to reflect actual seasonal patterns, not a flat 1,000 kWh assumption.
  • Your home has a smart meter (Texas TDUs have near-universal deployment).
  • You'd rather click through one authentication than dig up an old bill for a kWh number.

Skip it if

  • !You're moving to a new Texas address — no usage history exists yet. Use the standard ZIP-based flow.
  • !You live outside Texas. Live Link is Texas-only because it depends on Smart Meter Texas. Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts shoppers use our Smart Enroll path instead.
  • !You're shopping for a future address (e.g. comparing markets before relocating).
  • !You live in a Texas regulated zone (Austin Energy, CPS Energy, El Paso Electric) — Live Link is for the deregulated competitive market only.

Relationship disclosure

How ElectricRates and ComparePower fit together.

ElectricRates.org and ComparePower.com are part of the same operating team. ElectricRates is the multi-state rate-comparison and research site — the one you're reading now. ComparePower is the Texas enrollment platform — where Texas sign-ups actually complete with the retail electric provider you choose. For Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, enrollment runs through our Smart Enroll partner instead.

Live Link is a ComparePower product. We surface it on Texas pages because it's the in-network shortcut: if you'd rather skip the ZIP-and-usage entry step that the standard comparison flow requires, Live Link does that step for you. Same plans, same checkout, less typing.

We don't earn more if you use Live Link than if you use the standard ZIP-based flow. Both routes pay the same flat referral fee when you enroll. We surface Live Link because it's a better fit for some Texas users — not because the math favors us.

Next step

Pick the path that fits your situation.

How enrollment works for Texas

For Texas plans, enrollment happens at ComparePower.com — the enrollment platform built by the same operating team.

Outside Texas (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts)? Our Smart Enroll path covers your state — Live Link is Texas-only because it relies on Smart Meter Texas.