How do free nights plans work?
During a set window, usually overnight, your energy charge drops to $0. The rest of your bill keeps running, and the daytime energy charge is higher to make up for the free hours.
- Free hours: the energy charge is $09 hrs
- Hot afternoons, billed at the higher daytime rate3–7 p.m.
- Other paid hours11 hrs
- Delivery charge (dashed ring), on every kWh24 hrs
The 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. window is an example. Each plan sets its own free hours, so check the fact label.
TXU, which sells a free nights plan, says it plainly on its plan page: “TDU and other billed charges apply normally at all times.” TDU means your delivery utility, like Oncor or CenterPoint. Its charge never takes a night off.
Will a free nights plan save you money?
Set your usage, your utility and how much of your power you use in the free hours. Then type in the two plans you’re comparing.
Not sure? Most homes use more power in the afternoon and evening than overnight. An electric car charged overnight pushes this number up.
The plain plan saves you $119.00 this month.
Pick the free nights plan at this usage and you’d pay about $1,428 more a year.
You Break-even
To break even, you’d need about 79% of your use in the free hours.
The two plans are examples. Type in the energy charge and base charge from each plan’s fact label. Your utility’s delivery charges from October 2026 are built in. Prices are before taxes. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere.
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Who actually saves with free nights?
Homes that can move a big share of their power into the free hours. In our example, that share has to reach about 79% before the free nights plan wins.
Example plans: free nights at 24.3¢ per daytime kWh, plain at 5.11¢ per kWh, no base charges, plus Oncor delivery of $72.73 a month from October 4, 2026. The cost axis starts at zero. The green area is where the free nights plan wins.
- You charge an electric car at home overnight
- You run laundry, dishes and the pool pump on timers at night
- You’re out of the house most afternoons
- You work from home with the AC running
- Your biggest use comes on hot afternoons
- You can’t move big chores into the free hours
An electric car is the big one. For example, 1,000 miles a month in a car that goes 3.5 miles per kWh takes about 286 kWh, and all of it can land in the free hours if you charge overnight.
What’s the catch with free nights plans?
The free hours aren’t a gift. The daytime price pays for them.
- 1The daytime rate is higher
The company stil buys power for your nights, so it charges more for the hours you pay for. Put the plan’s daytime energy charge next to a plain plan’s energy charge.
- 2Delivery never stops
Your utility’s delivery charge applies to every kWh, day and night. That’s why a free night kWh in Oncor’s area still costs almost 7¢.
- 3The hours don’t move
Each plan sets its own free window, and it stays put in a heat wave. Read the fact label for the exact hours before you sign.
Do free weekends plans work the same way?
Yes. The energy charge is free on weekends, delivery is still billed, and weekday energy costs more.
They suit homes that sit empty on weekdays and stay busy on weekends. Some plans offer free nights and free weekends together, and the same break-even math applies. To test one, set the calculator’s free-hours share to the part of your use that falls on weekends.
Free nights plans, answered
Is free nights electricity really free in Texas?
No. Only the energy charge is free during the set hours. You still pay your utility’s delivery charges on every kWh, day and night, plus any monthly base charge. TXU’s own plan terms say delivery and other billed charges apply at all times.
Are free nights plans worth it?
Only if you can move a large share of your use into the free hours. In our example, a home would need about 79% of its use at night to break even with a plain 5.11¢ plan. Electric car owners who charge overnight are the most likely to save.
What hours are free on free nights plans?
It depends on the plan. Most free windows run overnight, from late evening to early morning. Read the plan’s fact label for the exact hours before you sign.
Why is the daytime rate so high on free nights plans?
Because the daytime hours pay for the free nights. The company still has to buy power for your night use, so it charges more for the hours you pay for.
How much does a free night kWh cost in Dallas?
About 6.87¢. That’s Oncor’s delivery charge per kWh from October 4, 2026, and it applies even during free hours. In Houston, CenterPoint’s charge is about 6.53¢.
Are free nights plans good for electric cars?
Often, yes. Charging overnight puts a lot of use into the free hours, which is exactly how these plans save money. Add your car’s charging to your monthly kWh in the calculator, then raise the free-hours share.
Do free weekends plans work the same way?
Yes. The energy charge is free on weekends, delivery is still billed, and weekday energy costs more. They suit homes that are empty on weekdays and busy on weekends.
How do I know how much power I use at night?
Check Smart Meter Texas, a free site run by the delivery utilities. It shows your use in 15-minute blocks. Add up the blocks inside a plan’s free hours and divide by your monthly total. That share is what the calculator needs.
Is a free nights plan better than a fixed-rate plan?
For most homes, no. A plain fixed plan with a low energy charge usually costs less, because most homes use more power in the afternoon and evening than overnight. See fixed or variable rate?
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Sources and updates
Sources (7)
- TXU Energy, Free Nights & Solar Days plan page, read October 13, 2026: nighttime energy charges are free, “TDU and other billed charges apply normally at all times,” and a cancel fee applies after the 60-day guarantee.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Oncor temporary tariff, Docket 59249: Oncor delivery of $4.06 a month plus 6.8673¢ per kWh from October 4, 2026.
- Reliant, Electricity Facts Label, Houston: CenterPoint delivery of $4.90 a month plus 6.5333¢ per kWh from October 1, 2026.
- Direct Energy, Electricity Facts Label, Auto Pay Texas 12, AEP Texas Central (dated September 30, 2026): AEP Texas Central delivery of $3.24 a month plus 5.6898¢ per kWh.
- Chariot Energy, Electricity Facts Label, AEP Texas North: AEP Texas North delivery of $3.24 a month plus 5.5751¢ per kWh.
- Smart Meter Texas, smartmetertexas.com: free 15-minute usage data from your meter, for homes served by Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas and TNMP.
- Gexa Energy, Electricity Facts Label, Gexa Eco Choice 12, TNMP (dated September 17, 2026): TNMP delivery of $7.56 a month plus 7.7710¢ per kWh.
Changelog · last updated October 16, 2026 · 3 updates
- October 16, 2026: Linked our new Smart Meter Texas guide and our list of every Texas electricity company. No figures changed. We also added our new city guides, four new company reviews and the Smart Meter Texas guide to the guide map.
- October 13, 2026: Moved to theday.company/tx/free-nights-electricity-plans; the old address forwards here. Added a quick decision box, a date alert and a yearly money-at-stake line in the calculator and next-step links. Wrote this guide’s own content: how free nights plans work, a 24-hour chart, the break-even calculator and chart, who saves, the catch and free weekends, plus the full list of Texas guides.
- October 4, 2026: Page published with its title, questions and calculator code. A setup error showed our fixed-vs-variable guide here instead of this guide.
How to cite this page: The Day Company, "Are free nights electricity plans worth it in Texas?", updated October 16, 2026, https://theday.company/tx/free-nights-electricity-plans.
This guide explains how plan types work; it isn’t financial advice. The calculator’s two plans are examples. Check each plan’s current fact label before you sign. The Day Company is not affiliated with any electric company named here.