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
kWh
1000
kWh
2000
kWh

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
36 Inflation Fix
view EFL
$171
Free Energy Nights 36
view EFL
$185
Free Energy Weekends 36
view EFL
$186
Champ Silver-24
view EFL
$187
Champ Saver-24
view EFL
$188
Free Weekends-18
view EFL
$188
Texas Fixed 36
view EFL
$190
Solarize 36
view EFL
$191
Gexa Energy Saver 36
view EFL
$196
Bigger Than Texas 24
view EFL
$199
TX Breeze 36
view EFL
$199
Texas Fixed 24
view EFL
$203
Solarize 24
view EFL
$205
Secure 24
view EFL
$206
Free Energy Nights 24
view EFL
$206
Gexa Saver Deluxe 24
view EFL
$207
Free Energy Weekends 24
view EFL
$207
36 Month A/C Protect Premier for 2 Units
view EFL
$208
Come & Take It 12
view EFL
$208
Amigo Web - 24
view EFL
$210
Tara Web - 24
view EFL
$210
Gexa Energy Saver 24
view EFL
$211
Gexa Straight Saver 24
view EFL
$211
Champ Saver-12
view EFL
$212
Secure Green 24
view EFL
$213
TX Breeze 24
view EFL
$214
Just Energy Web - 24
view EFL
$215
The Gruene 18
view EFL
$216
Base Saver III - 12
view EFL
$219
Simply Green 18
view EFL
$219
Green Energy-24
view EFL
$219
Solarize 18
view EFL
$221
One Rate 12
view EFL
$221
TX Shine 24
view EFL
$222
Chapman Ranch 24
view EFL
$223
Gexa Saver Deluxe 12
view EFL
$226
Eagle 36
view EFL
$229
Texas Fixed 12
view EFL
$232
Gexa Straight Saver 12
view EFL
$232
Solarize 15
view EFL
$233
Savvy Value 36
view EFL
$235
Green Eagle 36
view EFL
$237
Amigo Web - 12
view EFL
$239
Just Energy Web - 12
view EFL
$239
Tara Web - 12
view EFL
$239
Gexa Superb Saver 24
view EFL
$241
Eagle 24
view EFL
$241
Secure 12
view EFL
$242
12 Month Usage Bill Credit
view EFL
$244
Energy Texas Monthly
view EFL
$244
Solarize 12
view EFL
$245
TX Breeze 12
view EFL
$247
Green Eagle 24
view EFL
$247
Savvy Value 24
view EFL
$247
Free Energy Nights 12
view EFL
$248
Free Energy Weekends 12
view EFL
$248
12 Month GREEN (No Min Usage Fee)
view EFL
$249
Sure Value 36
view EFL
$250
Live Brighter Lite 24
view EFL
$253
Rise 12
view EFL
$260
Eagle 12
view EFL
$261
Sure Value 24
view EFL
$262
Simple Rate 12
view EFL
$263
Green Eagle 12
view EFL
$267
Savvy Value 12
view EFL
$267
Flex Forward
view EFL
$267
Smart Saver 15
view EFL
$268
Just400 Advantage - 24
view EFL
$272
Value Plus 12
view EFL
$277
Reliant Basic Power 24 plan
view EFL
$280
Sure Value 12
view EFL
$281
Pollution Free e-Plus 24 Preferred
view EFL
$289
Reliant Conservation 24 plan
view EFL
$290
Go Local Solar 12 Preferred
view EFL
$301