How does Frontier Utilities score?
Frontier earns 62 out of 100, which we rate "fair." It gets full marks for price. It loses the most points for its contract, which has forced arbitration and six extra fees, and for two state penalties.
- October 5, 2026: 62 at launch.
- March 9, 2027 (scheduled): 70. The 2017 penalty (Docket 46826) leaves our 10-year window, if nothing else changes.
We re-check prices every month and re-score when the state posts new complaint data or a penalty order, or the BBB grade changes.
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, as of October 13 to 16, 2026. Frontier ties Reliant for 14th of 25. See all 25 ranked side by side.
See the evidence behind every point
| Category | Points | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints to the state | 15 / 25 | 3 of 5, the middle group, on the PUCT complaint scorecard, March 1 to August 31, 2026 |
| BBB rating | 2 / 5 | Not rated: the BBB says its file is being reviewed or updated. A missing grade earns 2 points under our rule, and we say so. Checked October 5, 2026. |
| Fines and penalties | 8 / 20 | Two PUCT penalties in 10 years: $160,000 in 2017 (Docket 46826, −8) and $88,500 in 2024 (Docket 55642, −4) |
| Contract fairness | 9 / 20 | $150 cancel fee on Power Saver 12 (5 of 5); an arbitration clause and a class-action waiver (0 of 4); six extra fees: disconnect notices, disconnection, reconnection, agent payments, paper copies and account maintenance (0 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 | Power Saver 12 averages 12.25¢ at 1,000 kWh across Dallas (12.3¢) and Houston (12.2¢), 77% of EIA's 15.88¢ Texas average for July 2026 |
| Time in business | 8 / 10 | Licensed October 8, 2008 (4); its terms describe customer-funded bill payment assistance (2); parent NextEra Energy publishes audited financials (2) |
Our “simple fixed” test asks for one flat energy rate, with no credits, tiers or time-of-day pricing. Power Saver 12 passes. Full method: how we score.
Frontier Utilities quick facts
What is Frontier's phone number?
Call 1-866-926-8192. Its terms of service put the phone hours at 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central, Monday to Friday. If the lights go out, phone your utility: Frontier buys and resells power, and the poles and wires belong to someone else.
Power out? Call the company that owns your lines
Frontier's terms say self-help payment options are free, while a payment taken by a live agent costs $5. Keep a valid email on file, too: leaving paperless or fixing a lapsed email can cost a one-time $20.
How many complaints does Frontier Utilities get?
Between April and September 2026, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) took in 32 complaints about Frontier. Scaled to its customer count, that puts Frontier in the middle: 3 of 5.
Labels follow the PUCT’s own: billing, discontinuance (shutoffs), provision of service, slamming (a switch you didn’t OK), cramming (charges you didn’t OK) and all other. From PUCT Customer Complaint Statistics, downloaded October 5, 2026.
The state’s formula: complaints per 1,000 customers across six months, with providers cut into five same-size groups. Frontier sits in group 3.
Frontier has no BBB grade right now; the BBB says its file is under review or being updated. Over three years the BBB logged 42 complaints, and 24 customer reviews average 1.21 out of 5, though reviews never factor into a BBB grade.
What does Frontier Utilities charge in 2026?
Both Dallas and Houston get the same 3 home plans from Frontier, priced 10.6¢ to 12.3¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh with delivery in. The 12-month Power Saver 12 comes to about $123 a month in Dallas and $122 in Houston before taxes.
Fact-label averages for each plan as shown on Power to Choose on October 5, 2026 (ZIP 75201 for Dallas, 77002 for Houston), delivery in, taxes out. The green bar is the plan behind our score.
Which Frontier plan is cheapest for my usage?
Pick your city and the usage closest to your bill. The finder ranks every Frontier plan offered in your city and shows about what you'd pay each month.
Partner toolWe may earn a fee if you sign up. It never changes our scores.
Should you pick a shorter Frontier plan?
Frontier's 3-month plan is the cheapest right now: 10.6¢ per kWh in Dallas and Houston at 1,000 kWh. But it ends in 3 months, and it still charges $150 to cancel early, the same as the 12-month plan.
Prices from Frontier’s Power to Choose fact labels as of October 5, 2026.
Rule of thumb: a short plan saves money only if prices are still low when it ends. With a 3-month plan, you'll be shopping again before winter is over. The 12-month plan costs more each month but locks your price for a full year.
What fees does Frontier Utilities charge, and how do I cancel?
Frontier charges $150 to cancel any of its plans early, even the 3-month plan. There's no fee if you move and document it in writing.
- Three reminders before the contract ends, the last one at least 30 days out
- No cancel fee if you move and document it in writing
- Once the term ends, the plan it rolls you onto can be dropped any time, fee-free
- Deposit waived at 65+ when you’re current on bills, or with good credit, per state rules
- Disputes go to arbitration, with no class actions and no jury
- Free cancellation only within the 3 business days the law allows
- Six fees beyond late and returned payments
- A $20 account fee if your email lapses or you leave paperless
Rather not pay a deposit at all? Here are the free ways to skip one. Contract almost up? Read what to do before it ends and how a variable rate works.
Behind on a bill? Ask Frontier about its bill payment assistance program, call 211, or ask about low-income help tied to SNAP or Medicaid.
Keep readingBill still too high? Find out why, step by stepHas Frontier Utilities been fined?
Yes, twice since 2017. The PUCT approved penalties totaling $248,500: $160,000 in 2017 and $88,500 in 2024. The 2024 case was about customer safeguards and disconnecting service.
- Retail Energy Solutions, the company behind Frontier, is licensed as a retail electric provider.
- The PUCT approves a settlement over customer-protection, switching and prepaid-service rules.
- The PUCT approves a settlement over customer safeguards and disconnection of service.
- The PUCT's complaint scorecard rates Frontier 3 of 5 for March to August 2026.
How we checked: we pulled every PUCT enforcement case since October 2016 that names Frontier Utilities or Retail Energy Solutions and found two. A third hit, Docket 49497, was about Frontier Communications, a phone company, so it doesn’t count here.
Coming up: the 2017 penalty leaves our 10-year window on March 9, 2027. That adds 8 points, raising Frontier to 70 if nothing else changes.
What do Frontier's records actually say?
We went line by line through Frontier’s terms of service and each fact label on its Power to Choose listings. The numbers that matter are below, each tied to its document.
Terms of service: effective November 19, 2025
| Topic | What it says |
|---|---|
| Arbitration | A section titled “Arbitration; Class Action and Jury Trial Waiver”: disputes go to small-claims court or binding arbitration under American Arbitration Association consumer rules; you can still complain to the PUCT |
| Class actions | Claims can only be brought one person at a time, and there's a separate jury-trial waiver |
| Fees | Returned payment $30, disconnect notice $25, disconnection $30, reconnection $30, agent payment $5, paper copies $2, account maintenance $20 one time, late payment 5% |
| Moving | No cancel fee on fixed plans if you move and document it in writing |
| Contract end | Three notices in the last third of the term, the last at least 30 days before the end for terms over 4 months; then a month-to-month variable plan |
| Deposits | Postpaid plans only; 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, medical need, or good credit under PUCT rule 25.478 |
| Contact | 866-926-8192, weekdays 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Central |
Source: Frontier terms of service, effective November 19, 2025. Each plan’s fact label lists its own cancel fee.
PUCT enforcement orders: two cases, 2017 and 2024
Fact labels: every plan, October 2026
| Plan | Dallas, 1,000 kWh | Houston, 1,000 kWh | Term | Cancel fee | Renewable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Power Saver 12 | 12.3¢ | 12.2¢ | 12 mo | $150 | 30% |
| Frontier Power Saver 8 | 11.2¢ | 10.9¢ | 8 mo | $150 | 30% |
| Frontier Power Saver 3 | 10.6¢ | 10.6¢ | 3 mo | $150 | 30% |
Tap any price to open the plan’s official fact label. All three plans are fixed-price with no bill credits, and thier prices are locked for the term.
Frontier vs. Gexa: which NextEra brand is better?
Gexa scores higher, 74 to 62. Both are owned by NextEra and both use forced arbitration. Gexa wins on complaints, penalties and renewable power; Frontier's 12-month plan costs about the same.
Gexa numbers come from our Gexa review (October 5, 2026 update). The PUCT rating accounts for company size; plain complaint counts don’t.
Keep readingRead our full Gexa Energy reviewDoes Frontier Utilities buy back solar power?
Yes. Two plans, Frontier Sun Confidence 12 and Battery Awards 12, give a flat 3¢ credit per kWh of extra solar, on the same terms as sister company Gexa. That credit is worth about a third of what you pay per kWh for energy in Dallas (8.8¢).
Sources: Frontier’s terms of service and its fact labels dated October 4, 2026 for Dallas and September 30, 2026 for Houston. Those labels price each plan as if 475 kWh a month goes back to the grid. Credit amounts change, so check the newest label before you sign up.
Energy charge only, from Frontier’s fact labels. Delivery and base charges are extra.
Your extra kWh times Frontier’s 3¢ credit.
Partner toolWe may earn a fee if you sign up. It never changes our scores.
- No cap. Extra credits roll to your next bill.
- Banked credits are worth nothing in cash and disappear when you leave Frontier.
- Eligibility takes an approved solar setup, an interconnection agreement with your utility and a two-way meter.
- $9.95 base charge, a $150 cancel fee and paperless billing with a valid email. Battery Awards’ advertised $50 monthly battery credit isn’t on its fact label.
Frontier Utilities questions, answered
Is Frontier Utilities a good electricity provider?
It's fair, by our numbers. Frontier scores 62 out of 100 on our public-records scorecard. Its 12-month plan costs about 12.3¢ at 1,000 kWh, far below the Texas average, but its contract has forced arbitration and six extra fees, and it has two state penalties since 2017.
What is Frontier Utilities' phone number?
Frontier’s line is 1-866-926-8192, open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central under its terms of service. Report outages to your utility, such as Oncor (1-888-313-4747) or CenterPoint (713-207-2222).
Who owns Frontier Utilities?
Frontier is owned by NextEra Energy, which also owns Gexa Energy, according to Frontier's filings with the PUCT. The PUCT lists the company as Retail Energy Solutions, LLC, doing business as Frontier Utilities.
Does Frontier have forced arbitration?
Yes. Its terms send disputes to small-claims court or binding arbitration, bar class actions and waive a jury trial. You can still file a complaint with the PUCT.
How much does Frontier charge to cancel?
$150 on every plan, even the 3-month Power Saver 3. There's no fee if you move and document it in writing, and no free-cancel window beyond the legal 3 business days.
What is Frontier's cheapest plan?
Power Saver 3, at 10.6¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh in both cities, but that price holds for just 3 months. For a full year, Power Saver 12 runs 12.3¢ in Dallas and 12.2¢ in Houston.
How many complaints does Frontier get?
Thirty-two, according to the PUCT, from April through September 2026, and 14 of them were about billing. Adjusted for size, that’s a 3 of 5 rating. Separately, the BBB counts 42 complaints over three years.
Has Frontier Utilities been fined?
Yes, twice since 2017. The PUCT approved a $160,000 penalty in 2017 and an $88,500 penalty in 2024, the second over customer safeguards and disconnections.
What fees does Frontier charge?
Beyond late and returned payments, Frontier lists six fees: $25 disconnect notices, $30 disconnection, $30 reconnection, $5 agent payments, $2 paper copies and a one-time $20 account maintenance fee.
Is Frontier better than Gexa?
On our scorecard, Gexa scores 74 and Frontier 62, and NextEra owns both. Their 12-month plans cost about the same, but Gexa is 100% renewable, has a better complaint rating and has fewer extra fees.
Does Frontier Utilities have a solar buyback plan?
Yes. Frontier Sun Confidence 12 and Battery Awards 12 credit extra solar power at a flat 3¢ per kWh, the same terms as sister company Gexa. Extra credits roll to your next bill but have no cash value, and you lose them if you leave. This isn’t part of our score.
What do you want to do next?
Browse every guide on the Texas hub. Or see every state's average price on our price map.
Every Texas guide, by topic
Sources and updates
Sources (13)
- Frontier Utilities, Terms of service (effective November 19, 2025): arbitration, fees, deposits and contract-end notices.
- Frontier Utilities, Power Saver 12 fact label, Dallas (via Power to Choose, October 5, 2026).
- Frontier Utilities, Power 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, Frontier Utilities, LLC profile, checked October 5, 2026.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Docket 46826 order (March 9, 2017): the $160,000 penalty.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Docket 55642 order (February 1, 2024): the $88,500 penalty.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Frontier semi-annual report (2022): NextEra Energy named as its ultimate parent.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: the Texas average residential price of 15.88¢ per kWh, July 2026.
- Frontier Utilities, Sun Confidence 12 fact label, Dallas, October 4, 2026.
- Frontier Utilities, Sun Confidence 12 fact label, Houston, September 30, 2026.
Changelog · last updated October 16, 2026 · 5 updates
- October 16, 2026: Updated the chart and every count to the 25 companies we now score; Frontier now ties Reliant for 14th of 25. The solar note now covers the 10 companies whose solar plans we compared on October 5. An old link now goes straight to its current address. Frontier’s score is unchanged. 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/frontier-utilities-reviews; the old address forwards here. Added a quick decision box, a date alert and yearly money-at-stake lines in the plan finder and solar calculator and next-step links. Added a score history box and a date alert for the March 9, 2027 change, fixed the share button’s page address, reworded our trust note so it stays true if we add partner links, rewrote parts of the review in our own words, and linked our no-deposit and contract-ending guides plus a full list of Texas guides. No figures or scores changed.
- October 5, 2026 (solar update): Added a solar buyback section: every Frontier solar plan and its credit in Dallas and Houston, a calculator for what your extra power earns, and a chart comparing credits with what you pay. Each company in the 10-company chart now links to its review. Frontier’s score is unchanged.
- 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. We updated the Gexa comparison to 74 to 62. Frontier’s score is unchanged.
- October 5, 2026: Review published. Score: 62 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 Frontier Utilities any good? Our 2026 review", updated October 16, 2026, https://theday.company/tx/frontier-utilities-reviews.
Scores use public records only and the same formula for every company; see how we score. Prices are Frontier'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 Frontier Utilities, NextEra Energy or any retail electric provider. No company can pay for placement or a better score.