Power to Choose vs NoDepositLights: What's the Difference?

If you’ve searched for light plans in Texas, you’ve probably landed on Power to Choose. It’s the official state website run by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT). It lists hundreds of plans from dozens of light companies.

But if you have credit challenges or need no-deposit options, Power to Choose can leave you more confused than when you started. Here’s why.

What Power to Choose Is

Power to Choose (powertochoose.org) is the state-mandated electricity comparison website. Every retail light company in deregulated Texas is required to post their plans there.

What it does well:

Lists every post-paid plan available at your address
Shows the “Electricity Facts Label” (EFL) for each plan — the fine print about rates, fees, and contract terms
Lets you sort by price, contract length, and company
It’s free and has no bias toward any particular company

It’s a useful tool. But it has serious blind spots.

What Power to Choose Doesn’t Show

1. No prepaid plans

Power to Choose only lists post-paid (traditional) plans. Prepaid plans — the ones that require no credit check and no deposit — aren’t listed at all.

If you need lights today and your credit isn’t great, the entire prepaid market is invisible on Power to Choose. That’s a big gap when prepaid is the only realistic option for many Texans.

2. No deposit information

Power to Choose shows you the rate, but it doesn’t tell you what deposit you’ll need. You can find a plan at 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, apply for it, and then discover you need to put down $300-$400 before they’ll turn your lights on.

There’s no filter for “no deposit required” or “low deposit” on Power to Choose. You’re flying blind on the upfront cost.

3. No credit check preview

When you apply for a plan through Power to Choose, the light company runs a credit check. If your credit isn’t great, you might get denied or hit with a surprise deposit. Power to Choose gives you no way to know beforehand.

4. Too many choices, not enough guidance

Power to Choose can show 200+ plans for a single ZIP code. For someone who just needs their lights on today, scrolling through 200 plans with different rate structures, contract lengths, and hidden fees is overwhelming.

The site was designed for comparison shoppers with good credit who want to find the cheapest rate. It wasn’t designed for someone in crisis mode.

Where NoDepositLights Fits In

We built this site specifically for the people Power to Choose doesn’t serve well:

Feature	Power to Choose	NoDepositLights
Shows prepaid plans	No	Yes
Shows deposit requirements	No	Yes
Credit check preview	No	Yes (comparison across companies)
Crisis-focused	No (comparison shopping)	Yes (get lights on today)
Number of plans shown	200+ (overwhelming)	Filtered to what works for you
Audience	Good credit shoppers	Credit-challenged, no-deposit seekers

We’re not trying to replace Power to Choose. If you have good credit and want to compare every plan in the market, it’s a great tool. But if you need no-deposit options, prepaid plans, or you just need your lights on fast without a credit check — that’s what we’re for.

When to Use Power to Choose

Use Power to Choose when:

Your credit score is above 650
You want a long-term fixed-rate plan
You’re comfortable reading Electricity Facts Labels
You want to see every single option in the market
You don’t need same-day service

When to Use NoDepositLights

Use us when:

Your credit isn’t great and you want to avoid a deposit
You need prepaid plans (not listed on Power to Choose)
You want to see deposit requirements before you apply
You need lights on today — same-day service matters
You want filtered results instead of 200+ confusing options
You’ve been turned down by a light company and need alternatives

Can You Use Both?

Absolutely. Here’s a smart approach:

Start with us if you’re not sure about your credit. We’ll show you no-deposit and prepaid options so you know you have a backup plan.
Check Power to Choose if you want to compare fixed-rate plans. Some companies there might approve you without a deposit.
Come back to us if the Power to Choose plans require deposits you can’t afford. Prepaid is always available as a safety net.

For more on your options when credit is a challenge, check our bad credit options guide or use our deposit checker to see what’s available at your address.

The Bottom Line

Power to Choose is the state’s official tool, and it’s good at what it does. But it wasn’t built for people who need no-deposit or prepaid options. It doesn’t show deposits, doesn’t list prepaid plans, and doesn’t filter for credit-challenged situations.

That’s the gap we fill. No judgment, no deposit, no credit check. Just the plans that actually work for your situation.

Enter your ZIP code to see your options.

Related reading:

This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. For official rules, visit the Public Utility Commission of Texas. NoDepositLights.com is powered by Compare Power (PUCT License BR190020).