Smart Choice - 12 by Just Energy
Smart Choice - 12 is a 12-month fixed-rate plan from Just 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
- 23.8¢
- True · 500 kWh
- 24.1¢
- Advertised · 1,000 kWh
- 10.9¢
- True · 1,000 kWh
- 18.2¢
- Advertised · 2,000 kWh
- 17¢
- True · 2,000 kWh
- 17¢
Active plan. Pricing checked October 4, 2026.
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What the advertised rates tell you
PowerToChoose lists Smart Choice - 12 at 23.8 cents per kWh for 500 kWh, 10.9 cents for 1,000 kWh, and 17 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.
How the bill credits work
Use at least 1,000 kWh in a month and Smart Choice - 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. This plan also adds a $4.99 fee in any month below 400 kWh. Small homes and light users pay extra on this plan.
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 Smart Choice - 12 in the Oncor area:
At 1,010 kWh, the January bill is $111.66, or 11.1 cents per kWh. That usage is just 10 kWh above the credit requirement. At 990 kWh, the $125 credit disappears: the bill rises to $232.05, or 23.4 cents per kWh, even though you used less electricity.
Why the price drops at 1,000 kWh
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.
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.
Your usage in each month determines whether you receive the credit. A month below 1,000 kWh means losing the $125 credit.
Just Energy contract fees
Just Energy’s Terms of Service contract lists 9 separate fees.
Compare Just Energy’s fees with those of 43 other providers in our full hidden fee study.