Tara Energy

This lens describes the history of Tara Energy which is a retail electric provider in Texas. Tara started business in Texas when the state deregulated. This energy company was one of the very first providers into the Texas electricity market. They started out advertising on their website how they offer a fixed electric rate unlike other companies who offer variable electric rates. The basic idea of their fixed electric rate was that an energy customer of theirs could take comfort knowing that they were locking into a fixed electric rate that would not change.

Many of their customers were surprised to find that in December 2005 their fixed Texas electric rate was subject to change as Tara Energy began adding additional charges to their rate referred to as S&TP charges as listed in a litigation filing on the Public Utility Commission of Texas website. You can read one sampling of the many complaints filed against Tara Energy to the PUCT by a customer of theirs here: Tara Energy Complaint



Tara Energy eventually settled with most of their customers who fought them in court after anywhere from 6 months to a 1 year of battling in the courts. You can read a short summary of a sampling of their customers who eventually settled out of court with Tara Energy here:



Case 1



Case 2



Case 3



Case 4



Case 5





We do not know what Tara Energy settled with their customers because they are under a confidentiality agreement from disclosing anything about the settlement, case, or pretty much anything else at all to do with Tara. I am sure most of you can imagine on your own what the settlement could have been. Although Tara Energy in our opinion is not an electric provider we want to do business with we do not recommend current Tara Energy customers to break their current energy agreement with Tara Energy. As a citizen of the United States I have the right to freedom of speech and would like to express the facts about Tara Energy but in no way would I encourage any customer of theirs to break their energy agreement with them.



There is a current legal battle still being waged in the Judicial Court of Harris County, Texas Cause no 2006-45366 between Mark Goodson, of Public Utility Brokers, which assists trade associations and businesses with energy consulting, aggregation, and disputes with electric providers. In a recent case he has been listed in a news story regarding the accusation that Tara Energy was overbillng their customers. You can read this news story here: Tara Energy Accused of Overbilling Their Customers



You can read recent court filings on a longer ongoing case with Tara Energy and PUB as it proceeds in the Judicial Court of Harris County. This case started back in 2006 and is still going on. This court case between Greater Houston Retailer Association and Tara Energy is a little different then the other cases. This particular case involves the GHRA terminating their electric agreement with Tara Energy and switching to Affordable Power Plan after deciding that Tara was in the wrong for raising their fixed electric rates without their approval. Tara Energy claims that this is Tortious Interference because they say that Public Utility Brokers encouraged GHRA to break their energy contract and have them sign up with Affordable Power Plan. The reason GHRA switched in the midst of being on contract with Tara Energy is because they believe as did others that Tara Energy raised their fixed electric rate without their approval. Tara Energy is fighting this with their legal team as they do not believe that they have done anything against their contract terms and this would cause them to loose over 300 commercial energy customers.



Tara Energy has settled out of court with quiet a few complainants that have fought this in the courts but this lengthy litigation between them and GHRA is still yet to be decided.