Your bill, line by line
Six lines cover almost every Texas bill. Here's what each one really means — and whether you can do anything about it.
Energy Charge
Your rate per kWh times how many you used. This is the part you're actually shopping when you compare plans — and the only line where switching providers changes the number.
Base / Monthly Charge
A flat fee your provider charges no matter what — often $9.95. On a light month it can quietly double your effective rate. Some plans have none; that's worth looking for.
TDU Delivery Charges
FIXED — SAME FOR EVERYONEYour utility's fee for the poles, wires, and meters — a fixed monthly amount plus a per-kWh charge. It's identical for every provider in your area, so it's not where you save. About 30–40% of your bill.
Bill Credit (if any)
A discount that only applies if your usage lands in an exact window. Great when you hit it, brutal when you miss by one kWh. If your bill jumps for no reason, a missed credit is the usual suspect.
Taxes & Fees
FIXED — SAME FOR EVERYONEState and local taxes, plus a PUCT assessment. Small, fixed, and the same everywhere. Not worth a second look.
Usage (kWh) & Meter Reads
How many kWh you used this cycle, from your smart meter. Compare it to the same month last year — a big jump with no lifestyle change points to a rate problem, not a you problem.
Red flags: you're probably overpaying
If any of these are on your bill, it's not you — it's a rate problem with a fix.
Your rate went up but you didn't do anything
Your fixed-term contract probably ended and rolled you onto a month-to-month variable rate — usually the provider's most expensive one. This is the #1 cause of surprise bills in Texas.
A "credit" line that isn't there this month
You missed the usage window a bill credit requires. Your rate didn't change on paper — but your effective price per kWh may have jumped 4–6¢.
A minimum-usage fee
You used too little power for your plan and got charged a penalty — often $9.95. Common in small apartments. The fix is a plan built for low usage.
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Every word on your bill, defined in plain English in the electricity glossary.
Open the glossaryQuestions about your bill
Which parts of my bill can I actually lower?
Only the provider portion — the energy charge, base fee, and any bill credit. The TDU delivery charges and taxes are identical for every provider in your area, so switching plans changes roughly 60–70% of your bill, not all of it. Anyone promising to cut the whole thing is selling you something.
My bill doubled. Did I use twice the power?
Probably not. Check your kWh against last year first. If usage is similar but the bill jumped, the cause is almost always a rate change — an expired contract, a missed bill credit, or a variable rate drifting up. That's a fixable problem, and it's not your fault.
Should I call my provider to negotiate?
You can, but the retention rate they offer is rarely their best plan. It's faster to see every provider's real price at your usage and switch if it saves money. Sometimes the honest answer is you're already fine — and we'll tell you that too.
Now check if your rate is the problem
You've read the bill. Enter your ZIP and we'll show you the TRUE cost of every plan at your real usage — and tell you honestly if you're already on a good one.