About RatepayersFirst
Utility lobbyists are in Austin every single day. We're a coalition of Texas homeowners, farmers, ranchers, and small business owners who show up with something rarer: the unfiltered perspective of the ratepayers those rules are written about.
Texas nearly lost its grid during Winter Storm Uri. Since then, we've been building the wrong things at the wrong price — and every mistake lands on a Texan's electric bill.
RatepayersFirst exists because the Public Utility Commission holds hearings on rules that will cost Texans billions of dollars, and the people most affected — residents, small business owners, farmers — are almost never in the room. Utility lobbyists are. Energy company consultants are. But the people paying the bills usually aren't.
We change that. We track the PUC docket, write plain-language briefings on what's at stake, mobilize Texans to attend public hearings, and make sure commissioners hear from the people whose bills are the subject of every rule they pass.
We go in with facts, not anger. We go in with respect, not confrontation. A kind, credible, personal testimony from a homeowner carries more weight with commissioners than a hundred form letters.
Texas electricity should be affordable — not 28% more expensive than it was three years ago.
Texas electricity should be reliable — capable of surviving a 5-day winter storm, not just a sunny afternoon.
Texas ratepayers should have a voice — not just the utilities billing them.
We are not affiliated with any political party. We are not a lobbying firm. We don't take money from energy companies. We are Texans who pay electric bills and believe the people at that PUC table should hear from us.
We track every PUC proceeding, rule-making, and open hearing that could affect what Texans pay for electricity. When something significant comes up, we read the rules, understand the stakes, and translate it into plain English.
For every campaign, we produce a one-pager: the key numbers, the talking points, a 2-minute testimony template, and the links to file written comments. Any Texan can walk into a hearing with this and speak with confidence.
We email our network, post on our Facebook group, and make it as easy as possible for Texans to show up at the right place at the right time. The more ratepayers in that room, the harder it is for commissioners to rule in favor of utilities alone.
RatepayersFirst works alongside established Texas energy advocacy organizations. We are independent but coordinated — aligned on the goal of affordable, reliable electricity for every Texan.
AEW researches and communicates the real costs of energy policy on Texas families, farmers, and businesses. They provide the data and analysis that informs our one-pagers and testimony campaigns.
americanenergyworks.com →The Secure the Grid Coalition advocates for grid reliability and energy security across Texas and the nation. We partner with them on PUC proceedings and public outreach around grid reliability issues.
Facebook Group →Interested in partnering? If your organization shares our commitment to affordable, reliable electricity for Texas ratepayers, we'd like to hear from you. Email us at info@ratepayersfirst.org.
Whether you want to testify, help organize in your community, or just learn more about what we do — reach out. We're happy to talk.