Texas Electricity Ratings Bill Calculator

We advise you to read the following to better understand the ins and outs of various electricity plans, but if you're in a hurry, feel free to jump ahead.

Why is my electric bill higher than it should be?

The PUC only requires companies to post their average rates for billing cycles at 500, 1000 and 2000 kWh. What goes on at other usage levels is not required to be disclosed on the web (except on the EFL). That's what allows you to see that 4.9¢ rate that you can't feasibly get on other comparison sites. The rate you see is only at that certain usage amount, and odds are, you aren't going to use 1,000 kWh in every billing cycle.

What do the houses mean?

The houses below represent the plan's rate at the 500, 1000, and 2000 kWh thresholds. The colors show the rate at those usage amounts relative to that plan's lowest rate. All green means the rate is fairly constant, regardless of usage amount. If part of the bar is orange, that means the rate at that amount is somewhat higher than the rate at the lowest usage amount. Red means the rate is significantly higher. Each plan will have at least one green section.
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Plan Profiles

Below are a few example plans we've created to illustrate how different rate structures work:

Fixed Rate
Regardless of how much energy you use, you will pay 10¢ per kWh. This is because the provider has included the TDSP fees into their price. If you use 500 kwh, you will pay $50. If you use 5,000, you will pay $500. The rates may not look as attractive, but you won't get any surprises on your bill.

Flat Rate
This plan has a fixed "monthly" charge of $75 with no energy charge up to 2,000 kWh. At 1,001 kWh, another fixed charge of $75 kicks in. At 2,001 kWh, an energy charge of 15¢ kicks in per kWh over 2,000. Depending on what the energy rate is, these plans could be ideal for large homes.

Bill Credit
This plan has a bundled energy charge of 15¢ per kWh. At 1,000 kWh, a $75 bill credit kicks in, dropping your average rate to 7.5¢/kWh. This credit is per billing cycle, not per month. If you use 1,100 kWh in January but only 950 in February, your February bill almost doubles!

Bill Credit with Cap
This plan also has a bundled energy charge of 15¢ per kWh and a $75 bill credit at 1,000 kWh. The difference is that the bill credit does not apply if you use more than 2,000 kWh in a billing cycle. Even though the EFL rates may look the same, these plans are very different.

To keep our examples simple, we've bundled the rates. Most plans are un-bundled, meaning the company you select will charge a fixed price per kWh and pass the TDSP (utility) fees on to you. TDSP fees usually include a base charge of $3-10 and an energy charge of 3-5¢/kWh. In bundled rate plans, the TDSP fees are not passed through to you. Your electricity company will absorb these costs and pay them to the utility for you. It is important to remember that TDSP fees are charged by your utility (Centerpoint, Oncor, AEP, TNMP). These are NOT bogus fees added to your bill by your electric company.

Other Factors

Keep in mind that there are other charges that can get added to your bill that may not be included in your rate. Some companies charge you for paying your bill online while others charge for paying by phone. There are also some companies that will charge you a monthly fee for not enrolling in auto-pay.

Read the EFL. Know what you're getting into before you sign a contract.


Get calculating!

Average Usage:
If you don't know your average usage, you can enter previous bill info below:

Note: The average bills shown are based on the average kWh entered extrapolated across an entire year based on aggregate customer usage data. Your yearly profile will differ based on factors like in-ground pools, electric heating, small data-centers in your garage, walk-in freezers, etc.

Company

Avg. Bill		 Profile
Smart Value 12 Online
view EFL
$114
Eagle 36
view EFL
$121
Eagle 12
view EFL
$123
Eagle 24
view EFL
$123
Entrust 12
view EFL
$124
Entrust 24
view EFL
$124
Power of Texas 12
view EFL
$124
Champ Saver-24
view EFL
$125
Green Eagle 12
view EFL
$125
Green Eagle 36
view EFL
$125
Solarize 12
view EFL
$126
Solarize 36
view EFL
$126
12 Month w/ Bill Credit
view EFL
$126
Green Eagle 24
view EFL
$126
SMART Energy 36
view EFL
$126
12 Month (No Min Usage Fee)
view EFL
$127
Texas Fixed 36
view EFL
$127
GridEdge 12
view EFL
$127
Spark Green Secure 24
view EFL
$128
Solarize 24
view EFL
$128
Champ Saver-12
view EFL
$128
Wise Buy 24
view EFL
$129
Choice 15
view EFL
$130
Entrust 18
view EFL
$130
Power of Texas 18
view EFL
$130
Texas Fixed 12
view EFL
$130
SMART Energy 24
view EFL
$130
Clear Flex Plan
view EFL
$131
Solarize 18
view EFL
$132
Texas Saver 12
view EFL
$132
SMART Energy 12
view EFL
$132
36 mo Nest Rate
view EFL
$133
Gexa Saver Deluxe 12
view EFL
$134
Solarize 15
view EFL
$134
Power To Connect Usage Bill Credit
view EFL
$134
Gexa Saver Supreme 24
view EFL
$134
Amigo Web - 12
view EFL
$134
Amigo Web - 24
view EFL
$134
Free Energy Nights 12
view EFL
$135
Solarize 9
view EFL
$136
Free Energy Weekends 12
view EFL
$136
Gexa Saver Supreme
view EFL
$136
Free Energy Nights 36
view EFL
$137
Free Energy Weekends 36
view EFL
$137
Tara Web - 12
view EFL
$137
Tara Web - 24
view EFL
$137
60-month Partner Saver
view EFL
$137
60-Month Partner Simple
view EFL
$137
You Got This 12
view EFL
$137
You Got This 24
view EFL
$137
You Got This 36
view EFL
$137
Free Energy Nights 24
view EFL
$137
Free Energy Weekends 24
view EFL
$137
Spark Green Secure 12
view EFL
$137
Live Brighter 12
view EFL
$138
Live Brighter 36
view EFL
$138
Just Energy Web - 12
view EFL
$139
Just Energy Web - 24
view EFL
$139
Live Brighter 24
view EFL
$139
Eagle 6
view EFL
$139
24Mo Usage Bill Credit + A/C Protection for 2 Units and HVAC Diagnostics
view EFL
$140
Gexa Saver Advantage 12
view EFL
$142
Green Eagle 6
view EFL
$142
12 Month w/ Bill Credit + A/C Protection
view EFL
$142
Gexa Saver 12
view EFL
$142
Secure Advantage 12
view EFL
$143
Solarize 6
view EFL
$143
Texas Saver 36
view EFL
$144
Stay Cozy 12
view EFL
$146
TXU Energy Clear Deal 12
view EFL
$146
Free Power Weekends 12
view EFL
$147
Just400 - 24
view EFL
$148
Smart Lock 24 Online
view EFL
$153
Premier 6+
view EFL
$154
TXU Energy Flex Forward
view EFL
$155
TXU Energy Clear Deal 24
view EFL
$157
Frontier Max 12
view EFL
$160
Gexa Saver Freedom 36
view EFL
$164
TXU Energy Simple Rate 12
view EFL
$168
Best Value 12
view EFL
$170
Simple Power 12
view EFL
$174
Beat the Heat 12
view EFL
$181
Free Nights & Solar Days 12
view EFL
$184
Pollution Free e-Plus Preferred Month-To-Month
view EFL
$186
Twelve Hour Power 12
view EFL
$251