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
Easy Saver 12
view EFL
$113
Eco Saver Plus 12
view EFL
$158
Free Energy 12
view EFL
$124
Generous Saver Monthly
view EFL
$160
Generous Saver Plus 12
view EFL
$155
Generous Saver Plus 36
view EFL
$167
Helpful Saver 24
view EFL
$155
Maxx Saver 12
view EFL
$130
Value Saver 12
view EFL
$124
Amigo Web - 12
view EFL
$131
Amigo Web - 24
view EFL
$132
Simple Choice - 10
view EFL
$112
TrueClassic 12
view EFL
$135
TrueClassic 6
view EFL
$110
Champ Saver-12
view EFL
$128
Champ Saver-24
view EFL
$125
Solarize 12
view EFL
$124
Solarize 18
view EFL
$119
Solarize 24
view EFL
$123
Solarize 36
view EFL
$119
Solarize 6
view EFL
$119
Smart Lock 15
view EFL
$151
Smart Lock 24 Online
view EFL
$152
Smart Value 12 Online
view EFL
$121
12 Month Flat Tier Plan
view EFL
$132
12 Month Flat Tier Plan
view EFL
$132
12 Month Usage Bill Credit
view EFL
$121
12 Month w/ Bill Credit
view EFL
$121
12 Month w/ Bill Credit + A/C Protection
view EFL
$143
24 Month Usage Bill Credit
view EFL
$142
24 Month w/ Bill Credit + A/C Protection
view EFL
$141
30 Month Usage Bill Credit + Starter Package
view EFL
$135
A/C Protect 12
view EFL
$143
A/C Protect 24
view EFL
$141
A/C Protect Plus 24
view EFL
$143
A/C Protect Premier 24
view EFL
$148
Bright Choice
view EFL
$176
Free Power Weekends 12
view EFL
$145
Live Brighter 12
view EFL
$134
Power on Command 24
view EFL
$136
Weekends on Command 24
view EFL
$146
Wise Buy 12
view EFL
$137
Wise Buy 24
view EFL
$136
Wise Buy Complete 12
view EFL
$136
Entrust 12
view EFL
$126
Entrust 24
view EFL
$124
Monthly Freedom Plan
view EFL
$176
Select Choice 6
view EFL
$130
You Got This 12
view EFL
$134
You Got This 24
view EFL
$133
Beat the Heat 12+
view EFL
$143
Easy Bill 12
view EFL
$128
Gexa Saver 12
view EFL
$135
Gexa Saver Advantage 12
view EFL
$139
Gexa Saver Select 24
view EFL
$136
Gexa Saver Supreme
view EFL
$129
Gexa Saver Supreme 24
view EFL
$132
Pollution Free e-Plus 11 Preferred
view EFL
$170
Pollution Free e-Plus Preferred Month-To-Month
view EFL
$182
36 mo Nest Rate
view EFL
$137
60-Month Partner Simple
view EFL
$134
Just Energy Web - 12
view EFL
$136
Just Energy Web - 24
view EFL
$137
Power of Texas 12
view EFL
$126
Texas Fixed 12
view EFL
$121
Texas Fixed 36
view EFL
$119
Texas Saver 12
view EFL
$133
Texas Saver 36
view EFL
$134
Clear Flex Plan
view EFL
$173
Reliant Pay as you Go plan
view EFL
$174
Reliant Secure Advantage 24
view EFL
$156
Reliant Truly Free Nights 24
view EFL
$167
Reliant Truly Free Weekends 24
view EFL
$167
Choice 12
view EFL
$117
Choice 18
view EFL
$122
Price Protect 24
view EFL
$120
Price Protect 36
view EFL
$119
Spark Instant 12
view EFL
$129
Tara Web - 12
view EFL
$133
Tara Web - 24
view EFL
$134
Eagle 12
view EFL
$123
Eagle 24
view EFL
$121
Eagle 36
view EFL
$120
Green Eagle 12
view EFL
$125
Green Eagle 24
view EFL
$125
Green Eagle 36
view EFL
$124
SMART Energy 12
view EFL
$132
SMART Energy 24
view EFL
$129
SMART Energy 36
view EFL
$125
Free Nights & Solar Days 12
view EFL
$185
TXU Energy Clear Deal 12
view EFL
$147
TXU Energy Clear Deal 24
view EFL
$158
TXU Energy Flex Forward
view EFL
$161
TXU Energy Simple Rate 12
view EFL
$164