Texas · Home electricity
Texas Electricity Plans, Compared at Your Home’s Usage
Watt Alpha estimates what each available plan would cost at your usage, not just the advertised rate. Then you choose.
Free to use. Start with your ZIP. No phone number required.
The advertised rate
Why the Cheapest Advertised Rate Is Not Always the Cheapest Plan
Comparison sites usually sort plans by one advertised price. That price assumes one usage level. Two homes can sign the same plan and pay very different amounts per kWh, because the things below change the real cost.
Advertised at three usage levels
Every Texas plan lists its average price at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh a month. Your home rarely sits on one of those numbers.
Bill credits
A bill credit can make a plan look cheap at one usage level and expensive just above or below it.
Usage thresholds
Credits and tiered charges switch on or off at set usage levels, so a mild month can cost more per kWh than a hot one.
Free nights and weekends
Cheap hours come with a higher rate the rest of the time. They only pay off if your home uses power in the free window.
Delivery charges
Your utility (Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, or TNMP) adds its own charges to every plan, and they differ by area.
Contract length
A lower rate on a longer term is only a deal if you will stay that long.
Early-termination fees
Leaving a fixed plan early can cost a set fee. It matters most if you might move.
Your home's actual usage
Usage swings with the seasons. The cheapest plan is the one that costs least across your whole year, not in one month.
Plan types
Fixed, Bill-Credit, Time-of-Use, and Variable Plans
Fixed-rate
Your energy price stays the same for the contract term. Bills still move with your usage and delivery charges.
- Can fit
- Homes that want predictable pricing and plan to stay for the full term.
- Watch for
- An early-termination fee if you move or switch before the term ends.
Bill-credit
A fixed price plus a monthly credit that only applies when your usage reaches a set level.
- Can fit
- Homes whose usage reliably clears the credit level most months.
- Watch for
- Months just below the level lose the credit, and the cost per kWh jumps.
Time-of-use
Free or cheaper power in set hours, such as nights or weekends, and a higher rate the rest of the time.
- Can fit
- Homes that can shift heavy use, like EV charging or laundry, into the cheap hours.
- Watch for
- If your usage does not match the window, the higher daytime rate can cost more than a plain fixed plan.
Variable-rate
The provider can change the price from month to month, usually with no fixed term.
- Can fit
- Short stays, or a gap between fixed plans.
- Watch for
- The price can rise with little notice.
Texas law does not allow retail providers to sell homes plans priced directly off the wholesale market (Texas Utilities Code §39.110), so Watt Alpha does not offer them.
How it works
Find the Plan That Fits Your Home
01
Enter your ZIP
See plans available where you live, priced for a typical home in your area.
02
Tell us about your home
Pick your home type, answer a few questions, or upload a recent bill. It's optional, and it sharpens the estimate.
03
See your best options
Plans are ordered by estimated total cost at your usage, with the credit thresholds, fees, and terms shown.
You choose the plan. For plans marked Enroll now, you can sign up right on Watt Alpha, and your new provider handles the switch with your utility.
How we’re paid
Free for You. Paid by Providers.
Watt Alpha is free for homeowners to use. Electricity providers pay us a commission when a customer enrolls through Watt Alpha. We rank the plans we show by estimated cost at your usage, not by the commission we earn.
We currently show plans from providers we have agreements with. When broader market pricing data is available, we also show a market benchmark so you can see how our options compare.
After you switch, we monitor your plan and the market around the clock. When a better option for your home appears, or your contract is nearing its end, we let you know.
See Which Plan Costs Your Home the Least
See plans for my home→Free to use. Start with your ZIP. No phone number required.
Frequently asked questions
What does Watt Alpha do for Texas homeowners?
Watt Alpha estimates what each available electricity plan would cost at your home's usage, including bill credits and delivery charges, and orders the plans by that estimated cost. You see the tradeoffs and choose the plan. It is free to use, and you can start with only your ZIP code.
How does Watt Alpha make money?
Electricity providers pay Watt Alpha a commission when a customer enrolls through us. Homeowners never pay us directly. Some business customers pay an agreed advisory fee instead. Watt Alpha is a PUCT-registered broker, and the plans we show are ordered by estimated cost at your usage, never by what we earn.
Is the lowest advertised electricity rate always the best plan?
No. The advertised price per kWh assumes a single usage level and often reflects bill credits, tiered pricing, and delivery charges that only work out at that level. A plan that looks cheapest at 1,000 kWh can be expensive at your actual usage.
What is the Electricity Facts Label (EFL)?
The EFL is a standard disclosure every Texas retail provider publishes for each plan. It shows the average price per kWh at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh, the plan type, the contract term, and fees. Reading it at your own usage level, not just at the headline rate, is the most important step before signing.
What information do you need about my home?
Only your ZIP code to start. We first price plans for a typical home in your area. Picking your home type, answering a few questions, or uploading a recent bill makes the estimate closer to your real usage. A move-in or move-out date helps us match the contract length.
What is the difference between fixed, variable, and time-of-use plans?
A fixed-rate plan keeps your energy price the same for the contract term. A variable-rate plan can change month to month, usually with no term. A time-of-use plan, such as free nights or weekends, has cheap hours and a higher rate the rest of the time. It only saves money if your usage matches the cheap hours.
What is a bill-credit plan and why can it be misleading?
A bill-credit plan gives a fixed credit when your monthly usage reaches a threshold, often around 1,000 or 2,000 kWh. If your usage lands just below the threshold, you lose the credit and your cost per kWh jumps. Whether it is a good deal depends on how many months your home clears the threshold.
Can Watt Alpha help renters or people about to move?
Yes. Contract length and early-termination fees matter as much as the rate when you might move. If you give us a move-out date, we show plans whose terms fit your stay, or tell you when none are short enough.
Does Watt Alpha only work in Texas?
Yes. Watt Alpha works only in the competitive parts of the Texas electricity market, where customers can choose their retail provider. Areas served by a city-owned utility or a co-op that has not opted into competition do not have plans to compare.
When should I review or switch my electricity plan?
Before your current contract expires, or as soon as you find yourself on a month-to-month variable rate. Variable rates can rise with little notice, so waiting can be costly. Starting early gives you more plans to choose from.
What is the Power to Choose website and what are its pitfalls for Texas electricity shoppers?
Power to Choose (powertochoose.org) is the official electricity-shopping site of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, where every certificated retail provider can list plans. Its pitfall is ranking plans by the advertised average price at preset usage points (500, 1,000, or 2,000 kWh), which lets bill-credit plans rank first even when they cost far more at a household's actual usage.
Can I switch electricity providers in Texas without paying a deposit?
Yes. Texas retail electricity providers waive deposits for applicants who establish satisfactory credit, and PUCT Substantive Rule 25.478 requires waivers for customers 65 or older with no delinquent electric balance and for certified victims of family violence. A reference letter from a previous provider showing twelve months of on-time payments also establishes satisfactory credit.
How long does it take to switch electricity providers in Texas and will I lose power?
Switching retail electricity providers in Texas causes no outage, because the same transmission and distribution utility keeps delivering power over the same wires while only the billing relationship changes. With smart meters deployed across ERCOT's competitive territories, a standard switch completes in one to seven days, and you can also schedule it for a chosen future date.
Why is my Texas electricity bill so high in summer?
Texas summer bills climb mainly because usage rises, not because your contracted rate changes: air-conditioning load pushes home consumption to its annual peak in July and August, when ERCOT demand crests in the late-afternoon hours around 3 to 7 p.m. Every additional kilowatt-hour also carries the TDU's per-kWh delivery charge, so delivery costs scale up with the same summer usage.
What is the difference between my electricity provider and my TDU in Texas?
Your retail electricity provider (REP) sells the power and sends the bill, while your transmission and distribution utility (TDU), such as Oncor, CenterPoint Energy, AEP Texas, or Texas-New Mexico Power, owns the poles and wires, reads the meter, and restores outages. Report an outage to the TDU, whose service does not change no matter which of Texas's REPs you choose.
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Topics · Gexa Energy, Frontier Utilities, Atlantex Power, Texas Electricity Providers, Provider Risk Grades, Public Utility Commission of Texas, ERCOT, Compare Plans at Your Usage