Electricity Rates · Verified
Usage-Sensitive Plans and the Lowest-vs-Median Price Spread by Utility
How far the lowest advertised 1,000 kWh price sits below the median, how much of that gap comes from usage-sensitive plans, and what the lowest-priced plan costs at 500 kWh, by delivery utility (Nov 10, 2026).
6.2¢ → 19.1¢
Oncor area's lowest 1,000 kWh plan, priced at 500 kWh
Key findings
- In every utility area the lowest advertised price at 1,000 kWh belonged to a usage-sensitive plan. In Oncor's area it was 6.2¢/kWh against a median of 13.0¢; the same plan listed 19.1¢ at 500 kWh.
- Excluding usage-sensitive plans, the lowest 1,000 kWh price in Oncor's area was 10.0¢, 3.0¢ below the median instead of 6.8¢.
- Usage-sensitive plans (1,000 kWh price at least 25% below the 500 kWh price) were 6% to 8% of fixed-rate listings; their median was 7.6¢ at 1,000 kWh and 20.3¢ at 500 kWh in Oncor's area.
Data
| Utility | Fixed plans | Usage-sensitive (%) | Median 1,000 kWh (¢) | Lowest 1,000 kWh (¢) | Same plan at 500 kWh (¢) | Lowest, not usage-sensitive (¢) | Spread (¢) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oncor | 147 | 6 | 13.0 | 6.2 | 19.1 | 10.0 | 6.8 |
| CenterPoint | 146 | 7 | 12.9 | 6.2 | 19.2 | 10.2 | 6.7 |
| AEP Texas Central | 141 | 7 | 11.8 | 5.7 | 18.5 | 9.4 | 6.1 |
| AEP Texas North | 141 | 6 | 12.6 | 6.0 | 18.8 | 9.5 | 6.6 |
| TNMP | 142 | 6 | 14.7 | 8.0 | 21.3 | 11.3 | 6.7 |
| Lubbock Power & Light | 89 | 8 | 13.2 | 7.6 | 20.1 | 11.0 | 5.6 |
Chart
Electricity Rates · Nov 10, 2026 snapshot
The lowest advertised prices, 5.7¢ to 8.0¢, become 18.5¢ to 21.3¢ at 500 kWh
Lowest 1,000 kWh price in each utility area, what that same plan lists at 500 kWh, and the area's median at 1,000 kWh.
- Lowest advertised, 1,000 kWh
- Same plan at 500 kWh
- Median, 1,000 kWh
Average price (cents per kWh)
Source: PUCT Power to Choose plan export, Nov 10, 2026 (English-language fixed-rate, non-prepaid, non-time-of-use residential listings). In every area the lowest-priced plan is usage-sensitive (its 1,000 kWh price is at least 25% below its 500 kWh price). Single-day snapshot.
Download PNG of Lowest advertised 1,000 kWh price, the same plan at 500 kWh, and the median, Nov 10, 2026 WebP of Lowest advertised 1,000 kWh price, the same plan at 500 kWh, and the median, Nov 10, 2026 SVG of Lowest advertised 1,000 kWh price, the same plan at 500 kWh, and the median, Nov 10, 2026
Cite this chart
Power Hopper Research Team. "Lowest advertised 1,000 kWh price, the same plan at 500 kWh, and the median, Nov 10, 2026." Chart. Usage-Sensitive Plans and the Lowest-vs-Median Price Spread by Utility dataset. Power Hopper Media Data Room, published November 10, 2026. https://powerhopper.energy/media/charts#chart-texas-lowest-vs-median-plan-price-1000-kwh-2026-11-10. Accessed [date accessed].
Data table
| Delivery utility | Lowest advertised, 1,000 kWh | Same plan at 500 kWh | Median, 1,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oncor | 6.2¢ | 19.1¢ | 13.0¢ |
| CenterPoint | 6.2¢ | 19.2¢ | 12.9¢ |
| AEP Central | 5.7¢ | 18.5¢ | 11.8¢ |
| AEP North | 6.0¢ | 18.8¢ | 12.6¢ |
| TNMP | 8.0¢ | 21.3¢ | 14.7¢ |
| LP&L | 7.6¢ | 20.1¢ | 13.2¢ |
Methodology
- Input: the complete Power to Choose plan export (CSV) downloaded from the PUCT site, retained unchanged with its SHA-256 hash.
- Rows used: English-language listings. Fixed-rate medians use plans with Fixed = 1 that are not prepaid and not time-of-use.
- Prices are the average price per kWh at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh that each provider reports for the plan (Electricity Facts Label figures as listed). They include the utility's delivery charges and any bill credits or minimum-usage fees built into the plan.
- Median: the middle value of the listed prices for each delivery utility, rounded half-up to 0.1 cent. Medians are unweighted: each listing counts once regardless of how many customers choose it.
- Two independent implementations (the site's JavaScript summarizer and a separate Python script) produce identical results from the same file.
- Usage-sensitive: a listing whose 1,000 kWh average price is at least 25% below its 500 kWh price, the pattern produced by bill credits and minimum-usage terms.
- Bill-credit text: the listing's Fees/Credits text mentions a bill credit. Spread: median minus lowest at 1,000 kWh.
- Cross-check: the same calculations on a separately supplied Power to Choose CSV (not independently downloaded, date unconfirmed) give medians within 0.3¢ and the same lowest prices; it is not used for the published figures.
Limitations
- A single-day snapshot; no trend is implied.
- Unweighted listings; it does not show which plans customers choose.
- The 25% cut-off is a Power Hopper definition; the CSV includes the 500/1,000 kWh ratio so other cut-offs can be applied.
Data dictionary
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
snapshot_date | Date of the export |
delivery_utility | Delivery utility |
fixed_plans | Fixed-rate, non-prepaid, non-time-of-use listings with prices at all three levels |
plans_usage_sensitive | Listings whose 1,000 kWh price is at least 25% below their 500 kWh price |
pct_usage_sensitive | Share of listings that are usage-sensitive, % |
plans_with_bill_credit_text | Listings whose Fees/Credits text mentions a bill credit |
pct_with_bill_credit_text | Share with bill-credit text, % |
pct_with_minimum_usage_terms | Share flagged with minimum-usage fees or credits, % |
median_cents_per_kwh_500 | Median at 500 kWh, ¢/kWh |
median_cents_per_kwh_1000 | Median at 1,000 kWh, ¢/kWh |
median_cents_per_kwh_2000 | Median at 2,000 kWh, ¢/kWh |
median_ratio_500_to_1000 | Median of each listing's 500 kWh price divided by its 1,000 kWh price |
lowest_cents_per_kwh_1000 | Lowest price at 1,000 kWh, ¢/kWh |
lowest_1000_plan_cents_per_kwh_500 | That lowest-priced listing's price at 500 kWh, ¢/kWh |
lowest_1000_plan_cents_per_kwh_2000 | That lowest-priced listing's price at 2,000 kWh, ¢/kWh |
spread_lowest_vs_median_1000_cents | Median minus lowest at 1,000 kWh, ¢/kWh |
spread_lowest_vs_median_1000_pct | Spread as a share of the median, % |
lowest_cents_per_kwh_1000_excluding_usage_sensitive | Lowest 1,000 kWh price among listings that are not usage-sensitive, ¢/kWh |
spread_lowest_non_usage_sensitive_vs_median_1000_cents | Median minus that lowest price, ¢/kWh |
median_cents_per_kwh_500_usage_sensitive | Median at 500 kWh, usage-sensitive listings, ¢/kWh |
median_cents_per_kwh_1000_usage_sensitive | Median at 1,000 kWh, usage-sensitive listings, ¢/kWh |
source_file_sha256 | SHA-256 of the retained export |