How does TXU Energy score?
TXU earns 80 out of 100, which we rate "very good." It gets full marks for complaints, its BBB rating and time in business. It loses points for its contract, its prices and one state fine in 2024.
90–100 Excellent80–89 Very good70–79 Good60–69 FairUnder 60 Poor
See the evidence behind every point
| Category | Points | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints to the state | 25 / 25 | 5 of 5 on the PUCT complaint scorecard ("Lowest Complaint Rate"), March 1 to August 31, 2026 |
| BBB rating | 5 / 5 | A+, BBB accredited since October 15, 2007 |
| Fines and penalties | 16 / 20 | One PUCT penalty in 10 years, under $100,000: $91,500 in 2024 (Docket 56560). No Texas Attorney General action found. |
| Contract fairness | 12 / 20 | $150 cancel fee on 12-month plans (5 of 5); 60-day satisfaction guarantee (3 of 3); a plain fixed plan (4 of 4); mandatory arbitration and class-action waiver (0 of 4); five extra fees (0 of 4) |
| Price | 12 / 20 | Simple Rate 12 averages 16.9¢ at 1,000 kWh across Dallas and Houston, 106% of EIA's 15.88¢ Texas average for July 2026 |
| Time in business | 10 / 10 | Licensed January 2, 2001; runs the TXU Energy Aid bill-help program; parent Vistra publishes audited financials |
Every company we review is scored with the same formula, using public records only. Full method: how we score.
TXU Energy quick facts
What is TXU Energy's phone number?
Call 1-800-242-9113. TXU's terms of service say it's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For a power outage, call your utility instead. TXU sells the power, but it doesn't own the lines.
Power out? Call the company that owns your lines
These outage numbers come from TXU's own terms. Save $3.95: pay online, by mail, by the automated phone line or at a payment location. TXU can charge that fee when a live agent takes your card payment.
How many complaints does TXU Energy get?
Texans filed 287 complaints about TXU with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) from April through September 2026. That sounds like a lot, but TXU is huge. For its size, it gets the state's best rating: 5 of 5.
The PUCT's names: billing, provision of service, discontinuance, slamming (switching your provider without permission), all other and cramming (unauthorized charges). Source: PUCT Customer Complaint Statistics, pulled October 2, 2026.
The state ranks every provider by complaints per 1,000 customers over six months, then sorts them into five equal groups. TXU is in the best group, labeled "Lowest Complaint Rate."
354 complaints in three years and no BBB alerts on file. Customer reviews average 2.93 out of 5 across 123 reviews. Reviews don't count toward the BBB's letter grade.
What does TXU Energy charge in 2026?
TXU offers 15 home plans in Dallas and Houston. At 1,000 kWh a month they cost 10.5¢ to 20.3¢ per kWh, delivery included. Its simplest plan, Simple Rate 12, works out to about $166 a month in Dallas and $172 in Houston, before taxes.
Average price per kWh from each plan's fact label, dated October 2, 2026, for ZIP 75201 (Dallas) and 77002 (Houston). Prices include delivery but not taxes. Green: the cheapest plain fixed plan.
Which TXU plan is cheapest for my usage?
Pick your city and the usage closest to your bill. The finder ranks all 15 TXU plans and shows about what you'd pay each month.
Why can TXU's cheapest plan cost the most?
Smart 1000 Select is TXU's cheapest plan at 1,000 kWh, thanks to a $100 bill credit. But you only get the credit if you use at least 1,000 kWh. At 500 kWh, the same plan costs about $113 a month, about $22 more than Simple Rate 12.
Source: TXU Electricity Facts Labels for ZIP 75201, October 2, 2026.
Rule of thumb: a bill-credit plan only pays off if you clear its usage line every month, even in mild spring and fall months. Value Edge, Smart 2000 Select, Saver's Choice and Smart 500 Start work the same way. If your usage swings, a plain plan like Simple Rate 12 is safer.
What fees does TXU charge, and how do I cancel?
TXU charges $150 to cancel a 12-month plan early and $295 for a 24-month plan; month-to-month plans have no fee. TXU waives the fee if you cancel within 60 days of signing up, if you move, or within 14 days of your contract's end date.
- Cancel within 60 days of sign-up and the cancellation fee is waived
- Three expiration notices before a fixed plan ends, the last at least 30 days out
- No deposit with good credit, a clean payment history, or age 62+ and current
- Credit history isn't used to price contracts of 12 months or less
- Disputes go to binding arbitration, with no class actions; small claims court is allowed
- When a contract ends, you roll onto TXU's month-to-month default plan until you choose another
- Five extra fees beyond the late and returned-payment charges
- Deposits can reach the greater of one-fifth of a year's bills or two months of bills
Changed your mind? If you switched to TXU from another provider, you can cancel within three business days of getting the terms, with no fee. Behind on a bill? Ask TXU about a payment plan or TXU Energy Aid, or call 211 for local help.
Keep readingBill still too high? Find out why, step by stepHas TXU Energy been fined?
Yes, once in the last 10 years. In 2024, TXU paid a $91,500 state penalty. It had ordered power shutoffs for 113 customers during extreme heat in summer 2023, which state rules forbid. The utilities carried out none of them.
- TXU is licensed as a retail electric provider, per the PUCT's scorecard listing (certificate 10004).
- TXU becomes BBB accredited; it holds an A+ today.
- TXU orders shutoffs for 113 customers during extreme heat, which state rules forbid. None are carried out.
- The PUCT approves a settlement: a $91,500 administrative penalty (Docket 56560), which TXU paid in November 2024.
- The PUCT's complaint scorecard rates TXU 5 of 5 for March to August 2026.
How we checked: we searched the PUCT's case files for TXU (70 cases) and the Texas Attorney General's news releases. We found no Attorney General lawsuit. Cases older than 10 years don't count toward the score.
Is TXU Energy better than Reliant?
On public records, TXU comes out ahead. It has the better PUCT complaint rating (5 of 5 vs. 4 of 5) and a far better BBB grade (A+ vs. D+), and the state logged fewer complaints about it this year.
Complaint counts aren't adjusted for company size; the PUCT rating is.
Keep readingRead our full Reliant Energy reviewTXU Energy questions, answered
Is TXU Energy a good electricity provider?
Mostly, yes. TXU scores 80 out of 100 on our public-records scorecard, which we rate very good. It gets full marks for complaints, its BBB A+ and time in business. It loses points for forced arbitration, five extra fees, a 2024 state fine and slightly high prices.
What is TXU Energy's customer service phone number?
Call 1-800-242-9113. TXU's terms of service say the line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The TTY line is 1-800-735-2989. For outages, call your utility instead, such as Oncor at 1-888-313-4747 or CenterPoint at 713-207-2222.
Who owns TXU Energy?
Vistra Corp., a publicly traded power company, owns TXU Energy. Vistra says it serves about 2.6 million retail electricity customers in Texas across its brands. The TXU Energy brand has sold electricity in Texas for more than 20 years.
How much does TXU charge to cancel?
$150 on 12-month plans and $295 on 24-month plans. Month-to-month plans have no fee. TXU waives the fee if you cancel within 60 days of signing up. It also waives it if you move and show proof, or if you cancel within 14 days of your contract's end.
What is TXU's cheapest plan?
At 1,000 kWh, Smart 1000 Select 12 is cheapest: 10.5¢ per kWh in Dallas and 10.9¢ in Houston. But that price depends on a $100 credit you only get by using 1,000 kWh or more each month. The cheapest plain plan is Simple Rate 12, at 16.6¢ and 17.2¢.
How many complaints does TXU Energy get?
The PUCT logged 287 complaints about TXU from April through September 2026. Billing was the top issue, with 125. For its size, TXU still earns the state's best complaint rating, 5 of 5. The BBB shows 354 complaints over three years.
Has TXU Energy been fined?
Yes, once in the last 10 years. In 2024, TXU paid a $91,500 state penalty (PUCT Docket 56560). It had ordered shutoffs for 113 customers during extreme heat in summer 2023. The utilities carried out none of them.
Can I get TXU Free Nights with solar or an EV?
No. TXU's Free Nights & Cool Summer fact labels say homes with electric vehicles, batteries or solar aren't eligible. Those homes can still pick other TXU plans, like Simple Rate 12. It has one energy rate and no time-of-day rules.
What happens when my TXU contract ends?
You move to TXU's default month-to-month plan unless you pick a new one. On fixed-rate plans, TXU sends three expiration notices near the end. On terms over four months, the last one comes at least 30 days before the end date. Compare prices before then.
Is TXU Energy better than Reliant?
On public records, yes. TXU has the state's top complaint rating, 5 of 5, to Reliant's 4 of 5. It has an A+ at the BBB to Reliant's D+. And the state logged fewer complaints about TXU from April through September 2026: 287 versus 364.
Sources and updates
Sources (12)
- TXU Energy, residential plans and Electricity Facts Labels for ZIP 75201 and 77002, dated October 2, 2026 (for example, Simple Rate 12, Dallas and Simple Rate 12, Houston).
- TXU Energy, Terms of Service Agreement, residential: fees, deposits, cancellation, renewal, arbitration and contact numbers.
- TXU Energy, Why TXU Energy: 60-day Total Satisfaction Guarantee.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Customer Complaint Statistics, April 1 to September 30, 2026.
- Power to Choose (PUCT), Retail Electric Provider Complaint Scorecard, September 2026 (March 1 to August 31, 2026).
- Better Business Bureau, TXU Energy Retail Company profile, checked October 2, 2026.
- Better Business Bureau, Reliant Energy profile, checked October 2, 2026.
- PUCT Docket 56560, settlement and order, TXU Energy Retail Company, 2024.
- PUCT, TXU Energy semi-annual report: certificate 10004 and parent Vistra Corp.
- Vistra Corp., 2025 annual report (Form 10-K): Texas customer count and the TXU Energy brand.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Texas average residential price, July 2026.
- PUCT, Transmission and Distribution Utility Rates: CenterPoint delivery charges, September 1 and October 1, 2026.
Changelog · last updated October 2, 2026 · 1 update
- October 2, 2026: Review published. Score: 80 out of 100. Prices from TXU's October 2, 2026 fact labels.
How to cite this page: The Day Company, "Is TXU Energy a good electric company? Our 2026 review", updated October 2, 2026, https://theday.company/texas/txu-energy-review.
Scores use public records only and the same formula for every company; see how we score. Prices are TXU's own fact-label averages for the ZIP codes shown, dated October 2, 2026, and change often; your price depends on your address and plan. The Day Company is not affiliated with TXU Energy, Vistra or any retail electric provider. No company pays for placement or a better score, and we earn no referral fees from this review.