Are prepaid free-nights plans a good deal?
If you’ve ever been surprised by a high utility bill, you know the anxiety it can cause. Even if you’re a diligent budgeter, an unexpectedly costly utility bill can really throw you off-kilter. This is one of the primary reasons people choose prepaid electricity plans. You can’t be surprised by a bill you’ve already paid.
Free night plans and free weekend electricity plans have been around for a while. They charge you nothing for electricity used during certain times or specified days of the week. If you use most of your energy during the free periods, these sorts of plans could be advantageous for you.
As with anything labeled as “free” you need to understand all aspects of the bargain. It could be great for your situation. On the other hand, you could be one of the customers that makes it a good deal for the retail electricity company.
What should Texas electricity customers watch out for?
Prepaid free nights plans have a few features customers need to understand.
- Prepaid electricity plans often require customers to keep a minimum cash balance in their accounts. Electricity providers do this so customers do not run out of cash to cover their energy usage.
- The price of prepaid electricity fluctuates. This is different from fixed rate electricity plans, where the company offers a set price that lasts the entire contract term. Prepaid plans are variable rate plans. The prepaid electricity price you see today may not be the same next month.
- The advertised price of a free-nights plan assumes a typical usage pattern. Usually, this formula is shown on a plan’s electricity facts label. Each company sets its own formula, but the formulas are similar across retail electricity companies.
- If you want to make the most of free-nights plans, you should have atypical usage. Companies use typical customer usage when designing these plans to maximize their profit. Differing from the masses means having electricity costs different from the masses.
With this knowledge, you can evaluate whether these plans actually address your energy needs.
Fitting with prepaid free-nights plans
These plans work best for people who are awake during overnight hours. They tend to run their dishwashers, laundry appliances, and televisions at times when electricity is free. Even those who work nights shifts and are away from home most nights can benefit from these plans. Keeping their body clocks on the night shift means staying awake on nights off. Plus, they can run large appliances right before or after their shifts and still remain within the free energy window.
Houston prepaid free nights plans available today
Houston electricity customers have a couple of options for prepaid free nights plans:
- The Free Nights plan from Acacia Energy advertises a price of 11.2 cents per kWh. Customers pay 11.65 cents from 6:00 a.m. to 9:29 p.m. Energy is free from 9:30 p.m. to 5:59 a.m. A $0.95 minimum usage fee applies each day customers do not spend at least that much on electricity.
- The Free NIghts 8pm-6am plan from Hello Energy has a wider free electricity period. As the plan name shows, customers pay nothing for energy used between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. At other times, customers pay 18.3 cents per kWh. This works out to an average rate of 12.1 cents. This plan has no daily minimum usage fee.
Both companies maintain a rating of 3.5 out of 5.0 stars on http://www.texaselectricityratings.com.
Sign up for prepaid free nights plans
Say goodbye to surprise electricity bills with prepaid free nights plans. If this type of plan could work for you, explore switching electricity plans at Texas Electricity Ratings. Here you will find the important information you need to make a good choice about which company powers your home.
