Compare plans at your own usage
Find it on your bills. Summer and winter months often differ a lot.
The starting numbers are made-up examples. Replace them with the prices on the labels you are comparing.
Estimated cost over 12 months
Plan A: about 12.4 cents per kWh all in, $124 a month on average.
Plan B: about 13.6 cents per kWh all in, $136 a month on average.
Plan C: about 12.8 cents per kWh all in, $128 a month on average.
Prices come from the label, include recurring charges and exclude taxes. The tool joins the three label points with straight lines. A plan with a bill credit that applies only in a usage range can behave differently between those points.
Why the lowest advertised rate is not the lowest bill
A provider advertises one number, and a bill adds up many. The price on a label includes recurring charges, and it is stated at three usage levels. A plan can be the cheapest at 2,000 kWh and one of the dearest at 500 kWh, because a fixed monthly charge is spread over fewer kWh.
Even among the large providers, the average price customers actually paid in 2025 varied. EIA data show averages from 8.03 cents per kWh at Southern Federal Power to 20.86 cents at Young Energy. Those are averages across all of a provider's residential customers and plans, not the price of a plan you could buy today, and the households differ in usage. They show that where you buy matters.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 (final 2025 data), retail power marketers in Texas, 2025. See the largest providers.
A four-step way to find your cheapest plan
- Get your usage. Write down the kWh from your last twelve bills. Your provider or delivery company can send your history, and a Smart Meter Texas account shows it too.
- Pick the label price that matches. If your average is about 1,100 kWh, read the 1,000 kWh price. For summer months of 1,600, look between the 1,000 and 2,000 prices.
- Add up a year. Enter your months into the comparer above. A plan that wins in July can lose in January.
- Read the term and the exit cost. A cheap price for 24 months is not cheap if you move in month eight and owe a fee. Rules waive the early termination fee when you move, but check the Terms of Service for the details.
Features that change the real price
- Base charge. A flat monthly fee. It matters most for low usage.
- Bill credit. A credit that applies only above a usage threshold. Compare the label prices on both sides of it.
- Free nights or weekends. Good for households that shift usage, and often paid for by a higher price at other hours.
- Minimum usage fee. A charge if you use less than a set amount, which hurts empty homes and small apartments.
- Renewal price. What happens after the term. The default is a month-to-month plan, so decide before it starts.
Check again once a year
Prices move. Set a reminder a few weeks before your term ends, since providers must send you written notices before it does. Compare your current plan with what is on offer at your usage, and switch if the difference is worth the effort and the exit rules allow it. See the switching guide for the steps.
Sources and rules
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest electricity rate in Texas?
It depends on your usage and the day you shop, and no fixed answer is reliable. In 2025, the average price customers of the largest providers paid ranged from 8.03 to 20.86 cents per kWh in EIA data. Use the label price at your own usage to compare plans.
Is the lowest price per kWh always the cheapest plan?
No. Base charges, bill credits and minimum usage fees change the cost at your usage level. Compare total cost over a year, not the headline rate.
How often should I compare Texas electricity plans?
At least once a year, and before a fixed term ends. Providers must send written expiration notices before a fixed rate contract ends.
Does a cheaper plan lower the delivery charge?
No. The delivery charge comes from the delivery company and is passed through. Your provider competes on the energy part of the bill.