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Express Energy · Plan cost analysis

Flash Value 12 by Express Energy

Flash Value 12 is a 12-month fixed-rate plan from Express Energy. Its low advertised rate often puts it near the top of PowerToChoose when plans are sorted by price. But that rate depends on earning a bill credit. Meet the monthly usage requirement, and the plan can be inexpensive. Miss it, and your cost can be much higher than the advertised rate. Here is how the plan works, with the numbers for both outcomes.

Advertised · 500 kWh
20.3¢
True · 500 kWh
20.3¢
Advertised · 1,000 kWh
7.4¢
True · 1,000 kWh
14.7¢
Advertised · 2,000 kWh
13.5¢
True · 2,000 kWh
13.5¢

Active plan. Pricing checked October 28, 2026.

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The listing

What the advertised rates tell you

PowerToChoose lists Flash Value 12 at 20.3 cents per kWh for 500 kWh, 7.4 cents for 1,000 kWh, and 13.5 cents for 2,000 kWh. Every plan is compared at these three usage levels. Each figure is an average price at that exact usage, not a promise of what your bill will be.

20.3¢at 500 kWh
7.4¢at 1,000 kWh
The usage level this plan is designed to price lowest
13.5¢at 2,000 kWh
Rate structure

How the bill credits work

Energy rate12.665¢ per kWh
Base charge$0.00
Oncor deliveryPassed through
Bill credit$125
in any month at or above 1,000 kWh

Use at least 1,000 kWh in a month and Flash Value 12 applies a $125 bill credit. That credit is what makes the advertised price at 1,000 kWh look low. Use less than 1,000 kWh and you lose the entire credit for that month, so your average cost per kWh rises sharply.

Worked example

A January bill, step by step

Our standard usage profile averages 1,000 kWh a month over the year, with January at 1,010 kWh. Here is the January bill for Flash Value 12 in the Oncor area:

Energy charge$127.91
1,010 kWh × 12.665 cents
Base charge$0.00
Oncor delivery$73.42
$4.06 plus 1,010 kWh × 6.87 cents
Bill credit
1,010 kWh is at or above 1,000 kWh, so subtract $125.00
-$125.00
January total$76.33

At 1,010 kWh, the January bill is $76.33, or 7.6 cents per kWh. That usage is just 10 kWh above the credit requirement. At 990 kWh, the $125 credit disappears: the bill rises to $197.42, or 19.9 cents per kWh, even though you used less electricity.

January at 1,010 kWh · credit applied
$76.33
7.6¢ per kWh
Same January at 990 kWh · credit lost
$197.42
19.9¢ per kWh
The pricing curve

Why the price drops at 1,000 kWh

Effective ¢ per kWh · usage 100 to 3,000 kWh
2520151051,0002,0003,000The $125 cliff999: 19.9¢ → 1,000: 7.4¢

At 1,000 kWh, the $125 credit sharply reduces the average cost per kWh. Use just one kWh less and you lose that entire credit for the month. Household usage often changes by hundreds of kWh between seasons, which makes staying above the threshold every month difficult.

True cost

What a year costs in your delivery area

The table below uses a monthly average of 1,000 kWh, with usage rising and falling through the seasons. It shows the estimated annual cost and average price per kWh in each delivery area.

Delivery area
Oncor$1,768
14.7¢ true average · +99% versus advertised
CenterPoint$1,789
14.9¢ true average · +96% versus advertised
AEP Texas Central$1,691
14.1¢ true average · +107% versus advertised
AEP Texas North$1,769
14.7¢ true average · +99% versus advertised
TNMP$2,041
17¢ true average · +75% versus advertised

Your usage in each month determines whether you receive the credit. A month below 1,000 kWh means losing the $125 credit.

Fees

Express Energy contract fees

Express Energy’s Terms of Service contract lists 17 separate fees.

Late Payment Penalty5%
Insufficient Funds FeeUp to $29.95
Payment Assist FeeUp to $3.95
Document Processing FeeUp to $3.95
Disconnect Notice FeeUp to $19.95
Disconnect Recovery FeeUp to $29.95
Reconnect Recovery FeeUp to $29.95
Priority Connect FeeUp to $9.95
Renewable Energy Selection FeeUp to $19.95
Move-Out Date Change FeeUp to $9.95
Inactivity FeeUp to $9.95
Collections Recovery FeeUp to $24.95
eDocs Breakage FeeUp to $19.95
Non-AutoPay FeeUp to $5.95
Serial Payment FeeUp to $4.95
Attorney Fees and Collection ExpensesVaries
Third-Party Bill Payment Center FeeVaries
Early cancellation fee$20.00 per month remaining

Compare Express Energy’s fees with those of 43 other providers in our full hidden fee study.

Plan documents
Cancellation fee $20.00 per month remaining. Renewable content 3%.