How does Champion Energy score?
Champion earns 96 out of 100, which we rate "excellent." It's the only company we've scored that earns full marks for complaints, its BBB grade and penalties. It drops 4 points for its contract and nothing else.
90–100 Excellent80–89 Very good70–79 Good60–69 FairUnder 60 Poor
Scores out of 100, from public records only, with the same formula for every company. Champion is first of the 10. See all 10 ranked side by side.
See the evidence behind every point
| Category | Points | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints to the state | 25 / 25 | 5 of 5, the best group, on the PUCT complaint scorecard, March 1 to August 31, 2026 |
| BBB rating | 5 / 5 | A+, accredited, checked October 5, 2026 |
| Fines and penalties | 20 / 20 | No PUCT penalty or Texas Attorney General action against Champion Energy Services or its Hello Energy brand in the last 10 years. Penalties against parent Calpine's power plants don't count under our method; see the penalties section. |
| Contract fairness | 16 / 20 | $150 cancel fee on Champ Saver-12 (5 of 5); no arbitration clause or class-action waiver (4 of 4); one extra fee, the $168 non-refundable Fast Track deposit option (3 of 4); a simple fixed plan (4 of 4); no free-cancel window beyond the 3-day legal minimum (0 of 3) |
| Price | 20 / 20 | Champ Saver-12 averages 13.65¢ at 1,000 kWh across Dallas (13.3¢) and Houston (14.0¢), 86% of EIA's 15.88¢ Texas average for July 2026 |
| Time in business | 10 / 10 | Licensed September 16, 2004 (6); runs the Champion Power Partners bill-help program (2); parent Constellation Energy publishes audited financials (2) |
A simple fixed plan has one energy rate and no bill credits, usage tiers or time-of-use pricing. Champ Saver-12 qualifies. Full method: how we score.
Champion Energy quick facts
What is Champion's phone number?
Call 1-877-653-5090. Champion's terms of service say customer care answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For a power outage, call your utility instead. Champion sells the power, but it doesn't own the lines.
Power out? Call the company that owns your lines
Champion's terms say check and bank-draft payments are free. Outside payment websites can add a fee of their own.
How many complaints does Champion Energy get?
Texans filed just 19 complaints about Champion with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) from April through September 2026. For its size, Champion gets the state's best rating: 5 of 5.
The PUCT's names: billing, discontinuance, provision of service, slamming (switching your provider without permission), cramming (unauthorized charges) and all other. Source: PUCT Customer Complaint Statistics, pulled October 5, 2026.
The state ranks every provider by complaints per 1,000 customers over six months, then sorts them into five equal groups. Champion is in the best group, the one with the fewest complaints for its size.
11 complaints in three years, and the BBB shows no alerts. Reviews average 1.47 out of 5 across 17 reviews, but reviews don't count toward the grade.
What does Champion Energy charge in 2026?
Champion offers 3 home plans in Dallas and 4 in Houston. At 1,000 kWh they cost 12.9¢ to 14.5¢ per kWh, delivery included. Its 12-month plan, Champ Saver-12, works out to about $133 a month in Dallas and $140 in Houston, before taxes.
Average price per kWh from each plan's fact label as listed on Power to Choose on October 5, 2026, for ZIP 75201 (Dallas) and 77002 (Houston). Prices include delivery but not taxes. Green: the plan we score.
Which Champion plan is cheapest for my usage?
Pick your city and the usage closest to your bill. The finder ranks every Champion plan offered in your city and shows about what you'd pay each month.
Should you lock in a longer Champion plan?
Champion's shorter plans cost less per kWh right now. Its 6-month plan is 12.9¢ in Dallas, against 13.3¢ for 12 months and 13.9¢ for 24 months. But a short plan ends sooner, and your next price could be higher.
Source: Champion fact labels on Power to Choose, October 5, 2026.
Rule of thumb: pick the length you would hapily keep. The 6- and 12-month plans charge $150 to cancel early, and the 24-month plan charges $250. In Houston, Free Weekends-24 lists an average of 14.5¢ at 1,000 kWh, and what you really pay depends on how much you use on weekends.
What fees does Champion Energy charge, and how do I cancel?
Champion charges $150 to cancel its 6- and 12-month plans early and $250 on 24-month plans. Its terms waive the fee if you switch within 14 days before your contract ends.
- No arbitration clause or class-action waiver
- Customer care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- No deposit at age 65+ if you're not behind, or with a good payment letter from your last provider
- Customers in the state's rate-reduction program can split a deposit over $50 into two payments
- Only the legal 3 business days to cancel free after you enroll
- The $168 Fast Track fee is non-refundable
- After your contract ends, you move to a month-to-month variable plan
- Its terms allow a fee for non-standard billing, with no amount listed
Want to skip the deposit entirely? See six ways to get power with no deposit. Before your contract ends, see what changes on a variable rate.
Behind on a bill? Ask about the Champion Power Partners bill-help program, call the state housing agency (TDHCA) at 1-877-399-8939 for energy help, or call 211.
Keep readingBill still too high? Find out why, step by stepHas Champion Energy been fined?
No. We found no state penalties against Champion Energy Services, or its Hello Energy brand, in the last 10 years. Its parent company, Calpine, paid four penalties over how its power plants worked in the wholesale market. Those don't count toward Champion's score.
- Champion Energy Services is licensed as a retail electric provider in Texas.
- Champion writes to the PUCT as “a Calpine company,” with Hello Energy as a second brand.
- Calpine companies settle four PUCT cases over power-plant rules in the wholesale market, including $500,000 in 2022. None involved Champion's customers.
- Constellation completes its purchase of Calpine, making Champion a sister brand of Constellation.
- The PUCT's complaint scorecard rates Champion 5 of 5 for March to August 2026.
How we checked: we searched the PUCT's enforcement cases filed since October 2016 for Champion, Hello Energy, Calpine and Constellation. None named Champion or Hello Energy. Four named Calpine companies, all over their power plants in the wholesale market, so they don't count; our method scores only penalties that involve the retail company.
What do Champion's records actually say?
We read Champion's full terms of service and every fact label it lists on Power to Choose. Here are the key figures, with a link to each document.
Terms of service: version Champion-RES-TX-TOS-121725
| Topic | What it says |
|---|---|
| Returned payment | $30 for each non-sufficient-funds payment, or the legal maximum |
| Late payment | 5% of the month's past-due amount, less late fees already charged |
| Fast Track | A one-time, non-refundable $168 option instead of a deposit |
| Deposit limit | No more than the greater of two months of estimated bills or one-fifth of a year's estimated billing |
| Avoiding a deposit | Age 65+ and not behind, a family-violence certification, a letter of credit, or a letter from your last provider showing good payment |
| Contract end | Three notices for terms of 4 months or more, the last at least 30 days before the end; then a month-to-month variable plan |
| Cancel fee waiver | No cancel fee if you switch within 14 days before your contract ends |
| Disputes | No arbitration clause or class-action waiver appears |
| Bill help | The Champion Power Partners Program, plus TDHCA at 1-877-399-8939 |
| Contact | 1-877-653-5090, customer care 24/7; office hours 8 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays |
Source: Champion Energy Services residential terms of service (PDF). Cancel fee amounts are on each plan's fact label.
Parent company cases: Calpine, 2017 to 2022 (not scored)
| Docket | What the order found | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 47215 Jun 29, 2017 | Calpine Corporation: wholesale market rules on energy offers and accurate telemetry | $30,000 penalty |
| 48279 Jun 14, 2018 | Calpine Power Management: rules for emergency response service resources | $22,500 penalty |
| 51193 Sep 24, 2020 | Calpine of Texas: an ERCOT protocol violation | $50,000 penalty |
| 53020 Apr 21, 2022 | Calpine Power Management: power plant status, dispatch instructions and accurate telemetry | $500,000 penalty |
Fact labels: every plan, October 2026
| Plan | Dallas, 1,000 kWh | Houston, 1,000 kWh | Term | Cancel fee | Renewable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champ Saver-12 | 13.3¢ | 14.0¢ | 12 mo | $150 | 25% |
| Champ Saver-24 | 13.9¢ | 14.4¢ | 24 mo | $250 | 25% |
| Champ Saver-6 | 12.9¢ | 13.4¢ | 6 mo | $150 | 26% |
| Free Weekends-24 | — | 14.5¢ | 24 mo | $250 | 25% |
Each price links to that plan's official fact label. Free Weekends-24 is a time-of-use plan, so its real average depends on your weekend usage.
Is Champion Energy better than TXU?
On our scorecard, yes: 96 to 80. Both get the state's best complaint rating and an A+ from the BBB. Champion wins on price, penalties and its contract, which has no arbitration clause. TXU gives you 60 days to cancel free.
Complaint counts aren't adjusted for company size; the PUCT rating is. TXU figures are from our TXU review, scored October 3, 2026.
Keep readingRead our full TXU Energy reviewChampion Energy questions, answered
Is Champion Energy a good electricity provider?
Yes, by our numbers. Champion scores 96 out of 100 on our public-records scorecard, the best of the 10 Texas companies we've scored. It has the state's best complaint rating, an A+ from the BBB, no state penalties and no arbitration clause.
What is Champion Energy's phone number?
Call 1-877-653-5090. Champion's terms of service say customer care answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For outages, call your utility instead, such as Oncor at 1-888-313-4747 or CenterPoint at 713-207-2222.
Who owns Champion Energy?
Champion is owned by Calpine, which Constellation Energy bought on January 7, 2026. That makes Champion a sister brand of Constellation's own Texas electricity company. Champion also sells under the Hello Energy name.
How much does Champion charge to cancel?
$150 on its 6- and 12-month plans and $250 on 24-month plans. Its terms waive the fee if you switch within 14 days before your contract ends. There's no free-cancel window beyond the legal 3 business days after you enroll.
What is Champion's cheapest plan?
At 1,000 kWh, Champ Saver-6 is cheapest: 12.9¢ per kWh in Dallas and 13.4¢ in Houston. The 12-month Champ Saver-12 costs 13.3¢ in Dallas and 14.0¢ in Houston, below the 15.88¢ Texas average.
How many complaints does Champion Energy get?
The PUCT logged 19 complaints about Champion from April through September 2026, and billing was the top issue, with 7. For its size, Champion earns the state's best complaint rating, 5 of 5. The BBB shows 11 complaints over three years.
Has Champion Energy been fined?
We found no state penalties against Champion or its Hello Energy brand since 2016. Its parent, Calpine, settled four state cases from 2017 to 2022 over its power plants, including $500,000 in 2022. Those involved the wholesale market, not Champion's customers, so they don't count in our score.
Does Champion require a deposit?
It can. A deposit can't be more than the greater of two months of estimated bills or one-fifth of a year's estimated billing. You can skip it if you're 65 or older and not behind, with a good payment letter from your last provider, or by paying a $168 non-refundable Fast Track fee.
What happens when my Champion contract ends?
For plans of 4 months or more, Champion sends three notices, the last at least 30 days before your contract ends. If you don't pick a new plan, you move to a month-to-month variable plan at the rate in the final notice.
Is Champion better than TXU?
On our scorecard, Champion scores 96 and TXU 80. Both have the state's best complaint rating and an A+ BBB grade. Champion's 12-month plan costs less at 1,000 kWh, 13.3¢ versus 16.6¢ in Dallas, and it has no state penalties and no arbitration clause. TXU offers 60 days to cancel free.
Sources and updates
Sources (11)
- Champion Energy Services, Residential terms of service (version Champion-RES-TX-TOS-121725): fees, deposits, contract-end notices and the Power Partners program.
- Champion Energy Services, Champ Saver-12 fact label, Dallas (via Power to Choose, October 5, 2026).
- Champion Energy Services, Champ Saver-12 fact label, Houston.
- Power to Choose (PUCT), plan listings and fact labels: every plan for ZIP 75201 and 77002, captured October 5, 2026.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Customer Complaint Statistics: complaint counts, April 1 to September 30, 2026.
- Power to Choose (PUCT), Retail Electric Provider Complaint Scorecard: the September 2026 size-adjusted complaint ratings and license dates.
- Better Business Bureau, Champion Energy Services profile, checked October 5, 2026.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Champion filing in Project 47552 (2017): Calpine ownership, the Hello Energy brand and the Power Partners program.
- Constellation Energy, news release filed with the SEC (January 7, 2026): Constellation completes its purchase of Calpine.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Docket 53020 order (April 21, 2022): the $500,000 Calpine Power Management penalty, one of four parent-company cases.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: the Texas average residential price of 15.88¢ per kWh, July 2026.
Changelog · last updated October 5, 2026 · 2 updates
- October 5, 2026 (update): Gexa rose from 72 to 74 and Green Mountain from 68 to 70 after we confirmed their terms describe a bill-help fund, so we updated the 10-company chart. Champion’s score is unchanged.
- October 5, 2026: Review published. Score: 96 out of 100. Prices from Power to Choose fact labels for ZIP 75201 and 77002, captured October 5, 2026.
How to cite this page: The Day Company, "Is Champion Energy any good? Our 2026 review", published October 5, 2026, https://theday.company/tx/champion-energy-review.
Scores use public records only and the same formula for every company; see how we score. Prices are Champion's own fact-label averages for the ZIP codes shown and change often; your price depends on your address and plan. The Day Company is not affiliated with Champion Energy, Calpine, Constellation or any retail electric provider. No company pays for placement or a better score, and we earn no referral fees from this review.