The Secret URL Codes That Unlock Cheaper Electricity Rates in Texas
By
Rafael Morales
|
Electricity shopping
The Texas deregulated electricity market is complicated. With more than 40 companies competing for your business in any given ZIP code, some providers rely on dynamic pricing to present different offers to different types of customers and maximize profits.
Unfortunately, customer segmentation is a common practice in the electricity market. It is the price we pay for an open market. This approach often rewards shoppers who have the time and experience to investigate multiple offers, while penalizing those who sign up quickly. Our goal is to reduce this gap and give you the tools to find the best available rate every time.
Through our research, we have identified several patterns that can help unlock real savings. One of the most effective methods involves hidden promo codes that change depending on how and where you search for plans.
Below are the three most common pricing tactics we found (as of January 2026) and how you can navigate them:
1 - The "Power to Choose" Routing
This is the most common form of routing. Companies often list cheaper plans on the official Power to Choose website. When you click on one of these plans, you are typically redirected to the provider’s website. In many cases, the provider automatically applies a promo code during this redirect.
This promo code is embedded in the website URL and is what unlocks the lower rate. In most cases, the only way to access this promo code is by entering the provider’s website through a Power to Choose link.
When a plan is published on Power to Choose, Clear Energy Facts performs the proper routing. If a plan is only accessible through Power to Choose, our website redirects you using the correct promo code so you can see the same pricing.
This distinction is important. If you discover a plan on Power to Choose or on Clear Energy Facts, save it, and decide to enroll later, you may run into an issue. When you return directly to the provider’s website, you might not see the plan you selected earlier. In many cases, that plan is only accessible through Power to Choose. Clear Energy Facts ensures you are routed correctly so you always land on the right plan and the correct rate.
Figure one shows the website URL with the promo code highlighted in yellow for the energy provider BKV when you access the site through a Google search or by typing the URL directly into your browser.
Notice that the promo code used in this case is labeled ORGSEO. This is a generic promo code that is automatically applied when you access the website through a direct visit, as described earlier.
The next figure shows the website URL when you access the provider through Power to Choose. You can see that the promo code changes to PTCALL001. Because of this change, you are redirected to a different set of plans. In this case, the available plans belong to the Daisy series.
Note: These are simplified screenshots taken to demonstrate the pricing logic. The full webpage includes additional elements and may look different during a real enrollment flow.
Tip 1: Always use the correct link and promo code when comparing electricity plans
When shopping for electricity in Texas, always make sure you use the correct link or promo code to access the plans you are evaluating. If you are using Power to Choose, you should always open the plan directly from the official Power to Choose website. This ensures the correct promo code is applied and that you are seeing the intended pricing.
If you are using Clear Energy Facts, we automatically route you to the correct URL so you always land on the right plan with the proper promo code applied, without needing to manually adjust links.
2 - The Google Sponsor Trap
Another common pattern we observed involves Paid Search results versus Organic results. As of Jan 2026, we have seen pricing discrepancies with providers like Amigo Energy, Tara Energy, Just Energy, TXU, and TriEagle.
Here is a live example with TriEagle Energy:
- The "Sponsored" Price: When you search for "TriEagle" on Google and click the "Sponsored" ad at the top of the page, you are often directed to a landing page with a specific rate, in this case, 14.9 Cents per kWH - Savvy Value 12.
- The "Organic" Price: If you scroll down and click the regular website link, you may see a lower price for the exact same plan.
In our test, the difference was 1 cent per kWh.
- Impact: For a home using 2,000 kWh, that tiny difference adds up to $20 per month (or $240 per year).
Tip 2: Do not rely only on Google ads links when shopping for electricity plans
When searching for electricity plans on Google, do not rely only on sponsored links. In some cases, the pricing shown through a Google ad can differ from the pricing available through the regular organic link to the same provider. Always check both the sponsored result and the organic result to confirm you are seeing the best available rate.
At Clear Energy Facts, we regularly evaluate this behavior and include it as part of a company’s Transparency Score. You can review how individual providers perform by visiting our detailed company reviews.
3 - URL routing patterns (Amigo & Just Energy)
As we continue to monitor electricity pricing across most energy providers in Texas, we have observed several interesting tactics used to attract customers. One clear example can be seen with Amigo Energy.
If you are shopping for plans, you can start by visiting https://amigoenergy.com/ and entering your ZIP code. For this example, we will use 77433. After entering the ZIP code and viewing the available plans, the enrollment URL typically looks similar to the following:
https://enroll.amigoenergy.com/US/TX/SVC/residential-plans?type=res&promoCode=AMIWEB&postalCode=77433...(URL for illustration purposes only)
As part of our rate checks, we have observed that when users click the Amigo Energy link from Google search results, excluding sponsored ads, the visit sometimes routes to the following page:
https://amigoenergy.com/home-9
From there, after entering a ZIP code and viewing the available plans, the enrollment flow redirects to a different URL, such as:
https://enroll.amigoenergy.com/US/TX/SVC/residential-plans?type=res&promoCode=AMIWEBAC&postalCode=77433...(URL for illustration purposes only)
A comparison of 17.1 cents per kWh versus 15.5 cents per kWh represents a meaningful discount. It is also important to note that the promo code applied in the URL changes from AMIWEB to AMIWEBAC during this process. This test was conducted on January 15, 2026.
We do not know the specific logic or algorithm Amigo Energy uses to decide whether a potential customer is routed through the standard path or through the home-9 landing page. Our goal here is simply to document that this behavior occurs based on publicly accessible navigation paths.
These routing rules and promo codes can be changed or removed by the provider at any time.
We observed a similar pattern with Just Energy. In that case, instead of using a home 9 landing page, the routing sometimes passes through home-12. It is likely that both Amigo Energy and Just Energy may change these landing paths or routing logic in the future. If that happens, the promo code may need to be adjusted directly from AMIWEB to AMIWEBAC or replaced with a different code altogether.
As with most dynamic pricing strategies, it is also possible that this behavior will change entirely over time as providers adjust their marketing and enrollment flows.
4 - Promo codes applied directly on the website
Some providers, such as APGE, allow customers to apply promo codes directly within the rate search experience. In these cases, the initial rates shown after entering a ZIP code may not reflect the lowest available pricing.
During our research, we found that APGE includes a link labeled Compare Rates on its website. When this link is used, a different promo code is automatically applied to the URL. As a result, the plans displayed through this path often show lower prices than those presented in the default search flow.
In practice, this means that two users visiting the same provider website, on the same day, and in the same ZIP code can see different pricing depending on which internal link they click. While both paths are publicly accessible, only one reflects the more competitive rates.
Conclusion
The pricing patterns described in this article are common in the Texas deregulated electricity market. Providers use different entry points, promo codes, and routing paths that can lead to different prices for the same plans.
At Clear Energy Facts, our Transparency Score rewards companies that consistently offer their lowest available rates regardless of how a customer arrives at the website, whether through a direct visit, a search engine, Power to Choose, or a comparison platform. This consistency is an important signal of transparency and helps users feel confident that they are seeing the best available pricing.
