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.
500
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1000
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2000
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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
Budget Saver 12
view EFL
$165
Eco Saver Plus 12
view EFL
$166
Generous Saver 36
view EFL
$144
Generous Saver Plus 12
view EFL
$162
Helpful Saver 24
view EFL
$152
Smart Power 12
view EFL
$140
Smart Power 18
view EFL
$144
Amigo Web - 12
view EFL
$175
Amigo Web - 24
view EFL
$173
Champ Saver-12
view EFL
$148
Champ Saver-24
view EFL
$147
Smart Lock 15
view EFL
$156
Smart Lock 24 Online
view EFL
$157
Smart Value 12 Online
view EFL
$134
12 Month Usage Bill Credit
view EFL
$143
12 Month Usage Bill Credit
view EFL
$143
12Mo Usage Bill Credit + A/C Protection for 1 Unit
view EFL
$154
12Mo Usage Bill Credit + A/C Protection for 2 Units
view EFL
$154
18 Month Usage Bill Credit
view EFL
$143
18 Month Usage Bill Credit
view EFL
$143
24Mo Usage Bill Credit + A/C Protection for 1 Unit
view EFL
$152
24Mo Usage Bill Credit + A/C Protection for 2 Units
view EFL
$152
A/C Protect 24
view EFL
$152
A/C Protect 36
view EFL
$147
A/C Protect Plus 24
view EFL
$155
A/C Protect Premier 24
view EFL
$167
GREEN 12 Month
view EFL
$145
Standard Plan 24
view EFL
$153
Bright Choice
view EFL
$151
Free Power Weekends 12
view EFL
$164
Live Brighter 12
view EFL
$150
Power on Command 24
view EFL
$149
Weekends on Command 24
view EFL
$160
Entrust 12
view EFL
$139
Entrust 24
view EFL
$137
Monthly Freedom Plan
view EFL
$150
You Got This 12
view EFL
$149
You Got This 24
view EFL
$147
Beat the Heat 12+
view EFL
$147
Fantastic 12 Green+
view EFL
$147
Light Saver 12+
view EFL
$147
Light Saver 24+
view EFL
$153
Light Saver 6
view EFL
$158
No Hidden Fees
view EFL
$140
Straight Power 12
view EFL
$155
Gexa Saver 12
view EFL
$152
Gexa Saver 16
view EFL
$146
Gexa Saver 36
view EFL
$146
Gexa Saver Freedom 16
view EFL
$145
Gexa Saver Freedom 36
view EFL
$142
Gexa Saver Select 12
view EFL
$152
Gexa Saver Supreme 16
view EFL
$140
Gexa Saver Supreme 36
view EFL
$140
Gexa Savvy Saver 16
view EFL
$138
Gexa Savvy Saver 36
view EFL
$138
Gexa Steady Saver 16
view EFL
$145
Pollution Free e-Plus 12
view EFL
$170
Pollution Free e-Plus Preferred Month-To-Month
view EFL
$182
18-month Partner Saver
view EFL
$153
3-month Partner Saver
view EFL
$113
60-month Partner Saver
view EFL
$141
9-month Partner Saver
view EFL
$157
Just Energy Web - 12
view EFL
$181
Just Energy Web - 24
view EFL
$173
PowerLife 12 ePlan 100% Green
view EFL
$137
PowerLife 24 ePlan 100% Green
view EFL
$135
PowerLife 36 ePlan 100% Green
view EFL
$133
Wise Buy 12
view EFL
$153
Wise Buy 14
view EFL
$152
Power of Texas 12
view EFL
$144
Power of Texas 18
view EFL
$135
Power of Texas 6
view EFL
$124
Clear Flex Plan
view EFL
$165
Reliant Secure Advantage 24
view EFL
$168
Reliant Truly Free Nights 24
view EFL
$180
Reliant Truly Free Weekends 24
view EFL
$165
Secure Advantage 12
view EFL
$165
Choice 24
view EFL
$152
Green Price Protect 12
view EFL
$166
Price Protect 12
view EFL
$161
Price Protect 24
view EFL
$168
Price Protect 6
view EFL
$148
Sure Saver 12
view EFL
$171
Tara Web - 12
view EFL
$175
Tara Web - 24
view EFL
$173
Eagle 12
view EFL
$135
Eagle 24
view EFL
$132
Eagle 36
view EFL
$130
Green Eagle 12
view EFL
$138
Green Eagle 36
view EFL
$135
SMART Energy 12
view EFL
$144
SMART Energy 24
view EFL
$139
SMART Energy 36
view EFL
$135