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Chariot Energy · Plan cost analysis

GridPlus 12 by Chariot Energy

GridPlus 12 is a 12 month fixed rate plan from Chariot Energy. It often shows up near the top of PowerToChoose when you sort by price. That low advertised rate depends on a bill credit. If your usage fits the credit, the plan can be cheap. If it does not, you pay far more than the ad suggests. This page shows both outcomes with real numbers.

Advertised · 500 kWh
20.2¢
True · 500 kWh
20.2¢
Advertised · 1,000 kWh
7.2¢
True · 1,000 kWh
14.5¢
Advertised · 2,000 kWh
13.3¢
True · 2,000 kWh
13.3¢

Active plan. Pricing checked July 12, 2026.

The true cost of every Texas plan

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The listing

The advertised price

On PowerToChoose, GridPlus 12 shows 20.2 cents at 500 kWh, 7.2 cents at 1,000 kWh, and 13.3 cents at 2,000 kWh. Those are the three checkpoints every plan gets scored on. They are averages at exact usage levels, not a promise about your bill.

20.2¢at 500 kWh
7.2¢at 1,000 kWh
The checkpoint this plan is built to win
13.3¢at 2,000 kWh
Rate structure

How the price is built

Energy rate13.22¢ per kWh
Base charge$0.00
Oncor deliveryPassed through
Bill credit$125
in any month at or above 1,000 kWh

The key piece is the bill credit. GridPlus 12 pays a $125 credit in any month you use 1,000 kWh or more. That credit is what makes the 1,000 kWh checkpoint look cheap. In a month below 1,000 kWh the credit vanishes, and your effective rate jumps.

Worked example

What a month costs: January as an example

The standard 1,000 kWh usage profile puts January at 1,010 kWh. Here is how GridPlus 12 prices that month in the Oncor area:

Energy charge$133.52
1,010 kWh × 13.22 cents
Base charge$0.00
Oncor delivery$65.87
$4.06 plus 1,010 kWh × 6.12 cents
Bill credit
1,010 kWh is at or above 1,000 kWh, so subtract $125.00
-$125.00
January total$74.39

That works out to 7.4 cents per kWh for the month. But notice how close the call was. January cleared the credit line by just 10 kWh. If this home had used 990 kWh instead, the credit would vanish. The same month would cost $195.52, which is 19.7 cents per kWh.

January at 1,010 kWh · credit applied
$74.39
7.4¢ per kWh
Same January at 990 kWh · credit lost
$195.52
19.7¢ per kWh
The pricing curve

The cliff

Effective ¢ per kWh · usage 100 to 3,000 kWh
2520151051,0002,0003,000The $125 cliff999: 19.7¢ → 1,000: 7.2¢

Right at 1,000 kWh the cost per kWh drops sharply. One kWh less and the whole $125 credit is gone for that month. Most homes swing hundreds of kWh between seasons, so landing on the right side of that line every month is hard.

True cost

What it costs at real usage

At a 1,000 kWh monthly average with normal seasonal swings, here is the true annual cost by delivery area:

Delivery area
Oncor$1,744
14.5¢ true average · +102% versus advertised
CenterPoint$1,685
14¢ true average · +110% versus advertised
AEP Texas Central$1,708
14.2¢ true average · +106% versus advertised
AEP Texas North$1,756
14.6¢ true average · +100% versus advertised
TNMP$1,900
15.8¢ true average · +86% versus advertised
LP&L$1,972
16.4¢ true average · +81% versus advertised

Your own months decide which side of the credit you land on. A single month under 1,000 kWh costs you the full $125.

Fees

Chariot Energy contract fees

Chariot Energy’s Terms of Service contract lists 12 separate fees.

NSF Fee$35
Returned Check Fee$35
Disconnect Fee$35
Disconnect Notice Fee$10
Reconnect Fee$15
Phone Payment Transaction Fee$4.95
Collection Fees and ExpensesVaries
Third Party Collection Fee30%
Disconnect Fee (Disconnection Notice)Varies
Auto-Pay Non-Enrollment Processing Fee$5
Late Payment Penalty5%
Late Charge (Billing and Payment)5%
Early cancellation feenot counted in the fee study15 per remaining month

See how Chariot Energy compares to 43 other providers in the full hidden fee study.

Plan documents
Cancellation fee 15 per remaining month. Renewable content 100%.