Texas Electricity.Plain English.
Everything you've ever been too embarrassed to ask about how Texas electricity works.
How does deregulated electricity work in Texas?
Texas is one of 16 U.S. states with a deregulated retail electricity market. Your local wires company (the Transmission & Distribution Utility, or TDU — Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP, TNMP) still owns the poles and delivers power to your home. But you, the homeowner, pick the retail electricity provider (REP) who actually sells you the electricity. Over 100 REPs compete for your business, which is why prices vary so much plan to plan.
Why are advertised rates misleading?
An advertised rate is usually the lowest-cost slice of a plan — not the total cost. The Public Utility Commission of Texas requires every plan to publish its Electricity Facts Label (EFL) with tiered rates at 500, 1000, and 2000 kWh. The 'headline' rate you see in ads is often the cheapest tier. If your household uses a different amount of kWh, your effective rate (and bill) is completely different. Voltcheckr calculates the real all-in cost based on YOUR usage, not the marketing headline.
What is an ESI ID and where do I find it?
Your ESI ID (Electric Service Identifier) is a 17-digit number that uniquely identifies the meter at your address. It always starts with '10'. In Dallas-Fort Worth (Oncor) it starts with 1044. In Houston (CenterPoint) it starts with 10089. Find it on your current electricity bill — usually near your account number, sometimes in small print. If you can't find it, call your current provider and ask; they'll read it off in 30 seconds.
How do I actually switch electricity providers?
It's easier than you think. Pick a new plan on Voltcheckr, click Switch, and your new provider handles the cancellation of your old plan automatically via ERCOT (the Texas grid operator). You'll need your ESI ID and your basic contact info — that's it. No calls to your old provider. No paperwork. No service interruption. Your new rate typically starts within 1–3 business days.
Will I pay an early termination fee?
Only if you're inside a fixed-term contract and still more than 14 days from its end date. Typical ETFs in Texas run $150–$295, often a flat fee regardless of how long you've been on the plan. If you're on a month-to-month or variable-rate plan, there's no ETF. Voltcheckr surfaces your ETF (if you enter it) and subtracts it from your first-year savings so you see the real break-even point.
What's the difference between fixed, variable, and indexed rate plans?
Fixed-rate plans lock your cents-per-kWh for the whole contract term (usually 6, 12, 24, or 36 months). Variable-rate plans change every month with the wholesale market — you're exposed to summer price spikes. Indexed plans tie your rate to a published commodity index, similar to variable. For most households fixed is safer. Voltcheckr filters out variable and gimmicky plans by default but you can toggle them on.
What are bill credits and why are they gimmicks?
Some plans offer a large bill credit (e.g. $100 off) when your usage hits an exact threshold — usually 1,000 or 2,000 kWh in a month. If you fall just short of the threshold, you miss the credit entirely and the effective rate becomes much higher. Voltcheckr flags bill-credit plans as potentially gimmicky and excludes them from the default ranking unless you explicitly opt in.
What's the cheapest Texas electricity plan right now?
There's no single 'cheapest plan' — it depends on your monthly kWh usage. A plan that's cheapest for a 500 kWh household is often expensive for a 2,000 kWh household because of bill credits, base fees, and tiered rates. Voltcheckr calculates the real monthly cost of every plan at YOUR actual usage and ranks them accordingly. Upload your bill or enter your ZIP to see the current winner.
How much do people actually save?
Voltcheckr users save an average of $67 per month, or $804 per year, by switching. Savings depend on how bad your current plan is relative to the cheapest available. If you're already on a competitive fixed rate you might only save $10–20/month. If you're on a month-to-month auto-rollover plan or a plan past its contract term, you're typically overpaying by 30% or more.
Can I switch in the middle of my contract?
Yes, but you may owe an early termination fee. In the last 14 days of your contract you can switch penalty-free — Texas law requires this. Voltcheckr lets you enter your contract end date and will alert you when you're in the ETF-free window so you can switch with zero penalty.
Who is Power to Choose and why does Voltcheckr use it?
Power to Choose is the official Texas Public Utility Commission website listing every retail electricity plan available in Texas. It's the canonical source of plan data — every legal plan in Texas is listed there. Voltcheckr pulls this data nightly and applies real-usage math to show you which plan is actually cheapest for your household. PTC itself doesn't do the real-cost calculation; it just lists headline rates.
Is my bill data safe?
Yes. Your uploaded bill file is deleted within 60 seconds of analysis. We extract the numbers we need (usage, rate, provider, ZIP) but never keep your name, address, account number, or payment information. We never sell data. See our Privacy Policy for the full breakdown.
What if I don't have a bill to upload?
No problem. Click 'Setting up new service?' on the homepage and enter your ZIP + home size (square feet). We estimate your monthly kWh and show you the cheapest plans available at your new address. Useful for move-ins and renters starting fresh.
Does Voltcheckr cost anything?
No. Voltcheckr is 100% free for users. We make money through referral commissions from some electricity providers when you switch through our links. The commission is paid by the provider, not you — your rate is identical whether you sign up through Voltcheckr or directly on the provider's site. Commissions never affect the order of the plans we show you.
Does Voltcheckr work in Spanish?
Sí. La aplicación completa está disponible en español — haz clic en el botón EN | ES arriba a la derecha para cambiar idioma. Traducción por nativo hispanohablante. (Yes — use the EN | ES toggle in the top-right to switch languages. The entire app is translated.)