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
Price Protect 24
view EFL
$111
Choice 15
view EFL
$112
Spark Green Secure 12
view EFL
$113
Free Weekends-12
view EFL
$114
Gexa Straight Saver 24
view EFL
$116
Spark Green Secure 24
view EFL
$116
Easy Saver 12
view EFL
$117
Prepare and Protect 12
view EFL
$117
Clear Deal 12
view EFL
$118
Power of Credit 12
view EFL
$119
Texas Saver 12
view EFL
$119
Champ Saver-24
view EFL
$120
Power of Credit 24
view EFL
$120
Texas Saver 24
view EFL
$120
Texas Fixed 36
view EFL
$121
Eagle 24
view EFL
$121
Eagle 36
view EFL
$121
Gexa Straight Saver 12
view EFL
$122
Power of Credit 36
view EFL
$122
Texas Saver 36
view EFL
$122
Texas Fixed 24
view EFL
$123
Gexa Saver Deluxe 12
view EFL
$123
Free Energy Nights 36
view EFL
$123
Free Energy Weekends 36
view EFL
$123
Solar Value 12
view EFL
$123
Value Saver 12
view EFL
$123
Champ Saver-12
view EFL
$125
Texas Fixed 12
view EFL
$125
Solar Saver 12
view EFL
$125
12 Month Usage Bill Credit
view EFL
$125
12 Month Usage Bill Credit + PowerPlug
view EFL
$125
Free Energy 12
view EFL
$126
You Got This 24
view EFL
$126
Free Energy Nights 24
view EFL
$126
Free Energy Weekends 24
view EFL
$126
SMART Energy 36
view EFL
$126
Best Value 12
view EFL
$127
Green Energy-24
view EFL
$127
You Got This 12
view EFL
$127
Free Energy Nights 12
view EFL
$127
Free Energy Weekends 12
view EFL
$127
Green Eagle 24
view EFL
$127
Live Brighter 36
view EFL
$128
Eagle 12
view EFL
$129
Green Eagle 36
view EFL
$129
SMART Energy 24
view EFL
$129
TrueClassic 12
view EFL
$129
12 Month GREEN (No Min Usage Fee)
view EFL
$129
You Got This After Hours 12
view EFL
$129
Maxx Saver 12
view EFL
$130
Gexa Saver Advantage 12
view EFL
$130
Clear Deal 24
view EFL
$131
Gexa Energy Saver 24
view EFL
$131
Gexa Easy Saver 12
view EFL
$132
Live Brighter 12
view EFL
$132
Gexa Saver Supreme 12
view EFL
$132
Pollution Free e-Plus 12
view EFL
$133
Eagle 6
view EFL
$133
Live Brighter 24
view EFL
$134
Green Eagle 12
view EFL
$135
Smart Saver 15
view EFL
$136
Wise Buy 24
view EFL
$137
Easy Bill 12
view EFL
$137
Green Eagle 6
view EFL
$138
SMART Energy 12
view EFL
$138
TrueClassic 6
view EFL
$138
Gexa Saver Select 12
view EFL
$139
You Got This Free Weekends 12
view EFL
$140
24Mo Usage Bill Credit + A/C Protection for 2 Units and HVAC Monitoring
view EFL
$142
Stay Cozy 12
view EFL
$142
Free Power Weekends 12
view EFL
$142
Helpful Saver 24
view EFL
$143
Gexa Superb Saver 12
view EFL
$144
12Mo Usage Bill Credit + A/C Protection for 2 Units and HVAC Monitoring
view EFL
$144
Gexa Saver Freedom 12
view EFL
$145
Gexa Saver Freedom 36
view EFL
$145
Smart Value 12 Online
view EFL
$146
Frontier Max 12
view EFL
$146
Twelve Hour Power 12
view EFL
$152
Free 3 Day Weekends 12
view EFL
$154
Flex Forward
view EFL
$155
Simple Rate 12
view EFL
$155
Gexa Energy Saver 36
view EFL
$156
Gexa Saver Value 12
view EFL
$160
Gexa Saver Premium 24
view EFL
$161
Gexa Saver Premium 12
view EFL
$161
Power of One 12
view EFL
$166
Truly Free Nights 12
view EFL
$169
Power of One 24
view EFL
$169
Simple Power 12
view EFL
$169
Free Nights & Solar Days 12
view EFL
$171
Power of One 36
view EFL
$172
Free Mornings & Nights 12
view EFL
$176
Beat the Heat 12
view EFL
$189
Gexa Saver 12
view EFL
$200