"Often, people are under the impression that their electric provider is the same company that bills them for the electricity. That is not so. Say, if for example, if you're in Texas, chances are that your utility company that provides your electricity is Centerpoint, but that you have an account with another company, like Reliant, or Champion, or TXU to mention a few, which is the one that bills you. They are not the ones that provides the electricity, but rather, the distributor.