Energy Texas Review | Rates & Deposit (2026)

Energy Texas is a traditional light company that keeps things simple. Fixed-rate plans, 100% green energy, and a 30-day window to walk away if you change your mind. They serve most of deregulated Texas through Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP, and Texas-New Mexico Power areas.

For people looking at no-deposit options, Energy Texas is worth understanding because they sit in that middle ground. They are not prepaid. They run a credit check. But their rates are significantly lower than pay-as-you-go companies, and their 30-day guarantee takes some risk off the table.

Here is the full picture on what you actually get.

Energy Texas at a Glance

Energy Texas is a PUCT-licensed light company operating across deregulated Texas. They are currently backed by Rhythm Energy’s infrastructure, which handles their billing, customer support, and plan management behind the scenes.

What they offer:

• Fixed-rate plans in 12, 24, and 36-month terms
• 100% renewable energy on every plan (wind and solar)
• 30-day satisfaction guarantee (cancel with no penalty)
• $5/month credit for autopay and paperless billing
• Up to $150 reimbursement for your old company’s cancellation fee

Service areas: Oncor (Dallas-Fort Worth), CenterPoint (Houston), AEP (Corpus Christi, Abilene), and Texas-New Mexico Power territories. If you are in deregulated Texas, they likely serve your ZIP code.

Contact: 1-877-263-7490 Same-day cutoff: 2 PM CT, Monday through Friday Customer service: Monday through Friday 8 AM to 5 PM, Saturday 9 AM to 3 PM

What Energy Texas Actually Costs

Energy Texas runs fixed-rate plans, which means your per-unit rate stays the same for the length of your contract. No surprises when summer hits.

Here is where their rates land for a typical Texas home using 1,000 units per month:

Plan	Term	Rate (per unit)	Monthly Estimate
Come and Take It 12	12 months	~13.2-13.7 cents	$132-$137
Bigger Than Texas 24	24 months	~13.0-13.5 cents	$130-$135
Inflation Fix 36	36 months	~13.5-14.0 cents	$135-$140

Rates vary by your service area. Oncor territory (Dallas-Fort Worth) and CenterPoint (Houston) often have slightly different pricing due to delivery charges.

The autopay discount matters. Energy Texas gives you $5 off every month if you set up autopay and go paperless. That is baked into the rates above. If you pay manually or want paper bills, add $5 to your monthly cost.

Compare that to prepaid light companies charging $150 to $200 per month for the same 1,000 units. Energy Texas saves you roughly $20 to $60 per month, or $240 to $720 per year. That gap adds up fast.

How Energy Texas Billing Works

Energy Texas works like a standard traditional light company. No daily balance monitoring. No top-ups. Just a monthly bill.

The monthly cycle:

1. You use power throughout the month
2. Your local utility (Oncor, CenterPoint, etc.) reads your meter
3. Energy Texas sends you a bill for your usage at your locked-in rate
4. You pay by the due date
5. Repeat

Payment options: Online portal, autopay, credit card, or bank draft. The account portal at app.energytexas.com handles everything from bill review to payment history.

The deposit question: Energy Texas runs a credit check. If you pass, you start with $0 down. If your credit does not meet their threshold, they will require a deposit. Texas law limits deposits to one-sixth of your estimated annual bill, so for a typical home that is roughly $150 to $400. The deposit is refundable with interest after 12 months of on-time payments. If you are 65 or older, Texas law waives the deposit entirely regardless of your credit.

This is where Energy Texas differs from prepaid companies. Prepaid skips the credit check entirely but costs more per month. Energy Texas costs less per month but requires that credit check upfront.

What Energy Texas Gets Right

100% renewable energy, no upcharge. Every Energy Texas plan comes with 100% green energy from wind and solar. You are not paying extra for it. Most light companies charge a premium for green plans or offer it as an add-on. Energy Texas makes it the default.

The 30-day guarantee is genuinely useful. You get 30 days to test the service risk-free. If you do not like it, cancel with no early termination fee. For people who are nervous about signing a contract, especially after a bad experience with another company, this takes real pressure off the decision.

ETF reimbursement up to $150. If you are stuck paying a cancellation fee to your current light company, Energy Texas will reimburse up to $150 of that fee. You send them proof within 60 days, and they credit your account after 91 days of active service. That removes a common barrier to switching.

Simple plan structure. Three plans. Fixed rates. No gimmicks like “free nights” that jack up your daytime rate to compensate. No tiered pricing that changes based on usage thresholds. You know what you are paying before you sign up.

Referral rewards. If you bring a friend to Energy Texas, both of you earn a $100 bill credit after 60 days of active service. That is one of the better referral programs among Texas light companies. Most either skip referral rewards entirely or cap them at $25 to $50.

What Energy Texas Gets Wrong

The credit check is a real barrier. For the audience reading this site, the credit check is the main obstacle. If your credit is rough, Energy Texas may require a deposit that ranges from $150 to $400. That is money some people simply do not have right now. If you are in crisis and need lights today, this is not your fastest path.

Same-day cutoff is tight. 2 PM Central Time, Monday through Friday only. No weekends. If your lights went out on a Friday evening, you are waiting until Monday. Prepaid companies like Payless Power offer 6 PM cutoffs seven days a week. For people in urgent situations, that difference matters.

Ownership history creates uncertainty. Energy Texas has changed hands multiple times. The original company ran into difficulties, Discount Power picked up customer contracts in 2024, and Rhythm Energy relaunched the brand in 2025. The current version is backed by Rhythm’s infrastructure, which is solid. But the ownership shuffling makes some people understandably cautious.

Customer service hours are limited. Phone support runs weekdays 8 AM to 5 PM, with shortened Saturday hours (9 AM to 3 PM). No Sunday support. If you have an issue on a Sunday afternoon or after 5 PM on a weekday, you are on your own until business hours resume.

The autopay requirement is sneaky. Those advertised rates assume you are on autopay with paperless billing. Skip either one, and your bill goes up $5 per month. That is $60 per year just for wanting a paper bill or paying manually. Some people do not have bank accounts that support autopay, and that penalty feels unfair.

Who Energy Texas Is Actually For

Energy Texas makes sense if you:

• Can pass a credit check and want lower monthly rates than prepaid
• Want 100% green energy without paying extra for it
• Like the safety net of a 30-day cancel-for-free window
• Are switching from another company and want that $150 ETF reimbursement
• Prefer simple, fixed-rate plans without gimmicks

Energy Texas does NOT make sense if you:

• Cannot pass a credit check right now (see your options)
• Need lights on this weekend (2 PM weekday cutoff is too tight)
• Want prepaid flexibility with no contract (how prepaid works)
• Need a company with a long, stable track record (ownership changes are a factor)

Before You Sign Up: Check for $0 Deposit First

Energy Texas runs a credit check. That means a deposit is possible. Before you commit to a deposit or decide prepaid is your only option, there is a step worth taking.

Every light company in Texas sets their own credit thresholds. One company might want $300 from you while another says $0. We check multiple companies at once to find which ones will approve you without a deposit. It takes minutes instead of an afternoon of phone calls.

Many people who assume they need prepaid discover they qualify for a traditional plan with no money down. Cannot promise it will work for everyone. But checking costs nothing and could save you $500 to $900 per year compared to prepaid rates.

If traditional does not work out, prepaid is always there. Same-day, no credit check, no deposit. You have not lost anything by checking first.

Energy Texas vs the Alternatives

Feature	Energy Texas	Traditional No-Deposit	Prepaid
Credit check	Yes	Yes (we find who approves you)	None
Deposit	$0 if approved, $150-$400 if not	$0	$0
Monthly cost (1,000 units)	$130-$140	$90-$130	$150-$200
Contract	12-36 months	3-24 months	None
Same-day service	Weekdays before 2 PM	1-3 business days	Varies (up to 7 days/week)
Green energy	100% included	Varies	Varies
Cancellation fee	$20/month remaining	$50-$200	None

For more comparisons, browse our full best no-deposit light companies rankings.

The Verdict on Energy Texas

Energy Texas is a solid traditional light company with a clean, simple offering. Fixed rates, 100% green energy, and a 30-day window to change your mind. If you can pass the credit check, their rates will save you real money compared to prepaid. The monthly savings of $20 to $60 over prepaid plans compounds into serious money over a 12-month contract.

The concerns are real, though. The ownership history is bumpy. The same-day cutoff is tighter than most. And if your credit situation means a deposit, that upfront cost can be a dealbreaker when money is tight.

The 30-day guarantee softens the risk. You can try the service and leave without penalty if something feels wrong. That is more flexibility than most traditional light companies offer.

For people who qualify with no deposit, Energy Texas is a competitive pick, especially if renewable energy matters to you. For people who cannot pass the credit check, prepaid is always available as a fallback with no questions asked.

Get Your Lights On

Before paying a deposit or settling for higher prepaid rates, let us check if you qualify for a cheaper traditional plan with $0 deposit. Many people find one. If not, prepaid companies are always available with no credit check, no deposit, and same-day lights.

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This review is for informational purposes only. Rates and policies change. For current plans and pricing, visit energytexas.com. NoDepositLights.com is powered by Compare Power (PUCT License BR190020).