That "9 cent Rate" Isn't 9 cents. Here's What You'd Actually Pay.
Providers optimize their rates for exactly 1,000 kWh. Your usage is probably 847. Or 1,247. And at YOUR numbers, the math changes completely. Let us show you.
The Advertised Rate Problem
See It For Yourself
Slide to your actual monthly usage. Watch the "cheapest" plan change. This is why advertised rates are useless.
This is why we built Total Annual Cost.
The only number that matters is what you'll actually pay over 12 months, based on how YOU use electricity. Everything else is theater.
Advertised Rate vs. Total Annual Cost
The Advertised Rate Game
- Shows rate at exactly 1,000 kWh
- Hides usage credits and penalties
- Ignores base charges and fees
- Makes all plans look similar
- Rewards providers who game the tiers
- Leaves you guessing what you'll pay
Total Annual Cost Approach
- Uses YOUR actual monthly usage
- Includes ALL credits and tier penalties
- Factors in every fee and charge
- Reveals huge differences between plans
- Rewards plans that actually cost less
- Shows your exact expected annual cost
How We Calculate Your Real Cost
No estimates. No averages. Your actual usage through every plan's actual rate structure.
We Get Your Real Usage
Upload your bill or connect via Live Link to Smart Meter Texas.
No guessing. No estimating. Your actual 12-month usage history.
We Calculate Every Plan
We run YOUR usage through EVERY available plan's rate structure.
Including tiered rates, usage credits, base charges, TDU fees-everything.
You See the Truth
Plans ranked by what YOU'd actually pay over 12 months.
Not by advertised rate. Not by 1,000 kWh math. YOUR math.
The Rate Games They Play
How providers make their rates look better than they are-and what it actually means for your bill.
Rate Advertising
"9cents/kWh - One of the lowest rates in Texas!"
— Typical provider advertisement
That 9cents only applies if you use EXACTLY 1,000 kWh. Use 800? You're at 12.3cents. Use 1,200? You're at 10.8cents. The rate structure is specifically designed to hit 9cents at exactly 1,000 and nowhere else.
"Compare rates on Power to Choose"
— State marketplace
Power to Choose shows rates at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh only. If your usage is 847 kWh (like most apartments), you're interpolating-and usually getting it wrong. The tiers are designed for those exact numbers.
"Lowest price in your area!"
— Provider marketing
Lowest price at WHAT usage? A plan that's cheapest at 2,000 kWh might be most expensive at 800 kWh. "Lowest price" without specifying usage is meaningless-and probably intentionally misleading.
Hidden Mechanics
"$50 bill credit when you use over 1,000 kWh!"
— Plan details
This credit is why the "rate" looks so good at 1,000 kWh. At 999 kWh? No credit. Your effective rate jumps by 5cents/kWh. Providers use credits to game the advertised rate while penalizing everyone else.
"Fixed rate - your rate won't change"
— Contract terms
The ENERGY rate is fixed. TDU delivery charges, which make up 30-40% of your bill, can and do change. When Oncor or Centerpoint raises rates, your bill goes up-even on a "fixed" plan.
"Simple, straightforward pricing"
— Various providers
Read the EFL (Electricity Facts Label). Count the tiers. Count the credits. Count the fees. "Simple" plans often have 3+ rate tiers, usage thresholds, and seasonal adjustments. Simple is marketing; complex is reality.
We're not trying to trash the competition.
These are real issues real Texans run into. We think you deserve to know before you sign up for anything—including us. We have our own limitations too, and we're upfront about them.
What Goes Into Your Total Annual Cost
Your Exact Usage
We use your actual monthly consumption from your bill or smart meter-not industry averages or estimates.
All Fees Included
Base charges, TDU delivery, tier adjustments, usage credits, and every other fee that shows up on your bill.
12-Month Projection
We calculate what you'd pay over a full year, accounting for seasonal usage variations from your history.
Apples to Apples
Every plan compared using the same methodology. No gaming, no cherry-picking. Just math.
Real-Time Rates
We pull current rates directly from providers. What you see is what's available right now.
Honest Rankings
Plans ranked by your actual cost. Sometimes the "expensive" advertised rate is actually cheaper for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't providers just show the real cost?
Because they'd lose the rate war. If Provider A advertises "9cents" and Provider B advertises "Your cost: $127/month," most people click on 9cents-even if it would actually cost them $145/month. The system rewards misleading advertising.
What if I don't know my usage?
We can estimate based on your home size and location-but it's just an estimate. For the real truth, upload your bill (we read your 12-month history) or connect Live Link to Smart Meter Texas. Takes 3 minutes and shows your exact numbers.
Do usage credits actually help anyone?
They help people whose usage lands exactly at the credit threshold. Everyone else subsidizes them. A "$50 credit at 1,000 kWh" means the base rate is inflated by ~5cents/kWh to fund that credit. Use 999 kWh? You're paying the inflated rate with no credit.
Is the advertised rate ever accurate?
Only if your usage matches EXACTLY what they advertised-usually 1,000 kWh. For the 3% of Texans who use exactly 1,000 kWh every month, sure. For the other 97%, it's marketing fiction.
Why does Power to Choose use 500/1000/2000 tiers?
Because the PUC requires standardized comparison points. The problem: providers know these are the only numbers shown, so they optimize their rate structures specifically for those tiers. It's Goodhart's Law-when the measure becomes the target, it stops being a good measure.
How is Total Annual Cost different from what I see elsewhere?
Everywhere else shows you rates at fixed usage tiers. We show you YOUR cost at YOUR usage. It's the difference between "this plan is 9cents" and "this plan would cost you $1,547/year." One is marketing; the other is your budget.
Ready to See What You'd Actually Pay?
Enter your zip code. Upload your bill or connect Live Link. In 5 minutes, you'll see every plan ranked by YOUR actual cost-not their marketing math.
The Only Number That Matters
Stop asking "what's the rate?" Start asking "what will I actually pay?" Rates are marketing. Costs are math. We do the math.
Upload Your Bill
We read your 12-month usage history directly from your bill. No typing. No estimating.
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