How we choose your plan
We don't sell electricity. We read the whole market in your area and reject almost all of it. These are our rules, written before we ever see your bill, so you know exactly how we arrive at the recommendation we give you.
Our four rules
Fixed rate only
No variable or market-indexed rates. In February 2021 Texas families got bills of thousands of dollars because they were on a variable rate. The risk isn't worth it.
Twelve months, no more
24 and 36-month contracts lock you into a price the market will leave behind. We'd rather compare again every year, with you.
No usage tricks
No bill credits, no free hours, no welcome promotions. A clean plan can be compared; a plan with tricks can only be guessed at.
Your usage, not an average
Ads compare at exactly 1,000 kWh. We use your real twelve months, month by month, with your area's delivery charges included.
What we reject, and why
Of all the plans offered in your ZIP code, the vast majority don't pass the filter. These are the four we see most.
| THE TRICK | HOW THE AD LOOKS | WHAT HAPPENS ON YOUR BILL |
|---|---|---|
| Bill credit | "We give you $100 in credit every month." | The credit only applies if you use between two exact numbers. The month you fall short — vacation, mild weather, a trip — you pay the full rate, usually one of the most expensive on the market. |
| Free hours or days | "Free nights and weekends." | The free part is paid for in the rate for the rest of the day. It only works if the house is empty Monday to Friday, and almost none are. |
| Teaser rate | A very low price for new customers. | It jumps when the contract ends and rolls you onto a variable rate without a clear warning. That is where most families lose money without noticing. |
| The advertised price | "From 00.0¢ per kWh." | That number is at exactly 1,000 kWh and often leaves out the minimum fee and the base charge. Your real price depends on how much you use each month. |
Why don't we publish a list of plans here?
Because it would be the same trick we just described. A list without your real usage doesn't tell you which is cheapest for your home, only which looks cheapest in an ad.
A plan that wins at 1,000 kWh can lose at 2,000. That is why our work starts where any list ends: with your twelve months, your ZIP code and your current contract.
What we do hand you
- The recommended plan by name, with its price and its official document (EFL)
- What you save monthly and yearly, on your real usage
- Your current contract's exit fee, if any, and whether the savings cover it
- The comparison against the other options we reviewed, not just the winner
- And if switching isn't worth it today, the exact date when it will be
And once you're enrolled, this is what we watch
The expiry date
We warn you before, not after. Nobody ends up on a variable rate by forgetting.
The price they charge you
We check your bill against what your contract says. Errors happen.
The market
If something appears that justifies switching early, we tell you with the numbers in hand.
Apply these rules to your home
Send us your address and roughly what you pay. The report is free and we tell you the truth, even when it costs us the sale.