The Twelve Hour Power by Direct Energy is one of the most popular Free Nights plan in Texas. It offers "12 hours of free electricity," but at what cost? In this review, we will focus on the economics of the plan, compare it to competitive true fixed plans, and calculate how much electricity you need to shift into the free hours window to make this plan worth it.
Twelve Hour Power Pros
- No TDU Charges during the free window: Your electricity is truly free at night.
- 12 free hours every day: Very few energy providers offer a 12-hour free window, and that gives users more opportunities to use electricity for free before 9 a.m.
Twelve Hour Power Cons
- High energy rates during the day: the rate is usually 4 times higher than a competitive fixed rate.
- High base charge: they have a base charge of $9.95 regardless of how much electricity you consume, or whether you consume any at all.
This comparison is for people that don't have solar panels or batteries. For solar owners the math is different, and this is usually their favorite plan.
Can Twelve Hour Power beat a fixed-rate plan?
It depends on how much energy you are able to shift into the free hour window. Direct Energy offers an insight in the EFL: their rates for 500/1000/2000 kWh are usually 30% higher than a true fixed plan when you shift 45% of your electricity toward the night. That is not enough, and you will overpay with that shift.
The next comparison evaluates the latest pricing of this plan against the top 20 competitive fixed-rate plans in the market (including the cheapest plans available on Power to Choose). We are not comparing against expensive or weak plans to make this look better. We are comparing against real, competitive market rates.
The next comparison evaluates the latest pricing of this plan against the top 20 competitive fixed-rate plans in the market (including the cheapest plans available on Power to Choose). We are not comparing against expensive or weak plans to make this look better. We are comparing against real, competitive market rates.
Direct Energy – Twelve Hour Plan
Twelve Hour Power 18 Auto Pay
Free Hours (Day/Night)
Term:
18 months
Last update:
August 31, 2026
Advertised average rates
1,000 kWh
16.70¢
500 kWh
17.90¢
2,000 kWh
16.10¢
Advertised average rates
1,000 kWh
16.70¢
500 kWh
17.90¢
2,000 kWh
16.10¢
Top 20 - True fixed Plan in the Market:
Come & Take It 12
True Fixed
Term:
12 months
Last update:
August 31, 2026
Advertised average rates
1,000 kWh
12.90¢
500 kWh
12.80¢
2,000 kWh
12.90¢
Advertised average rates
1,000 kWh
12.90¢
500 kWh
12.80¢
2,000 kWh
12.90¢
Twelve Hour Power vs Top 20 Truly Fixed Plan
This chart is dynamic, and you can change the usage filter in the top-right corner. For the filter selection, use 500 kWh or 1,000 kWh if you live in an apartment. Use 1,000 kWh and 2,000 kWh for medium to large houses, and 2,000 kWh to 3,000 kWh for very large houses.
- The graph shows how competitive this free night plan is.
- The orange shaded area represents the percentage of usage where this plan performs better than a true fixed plan—typically around 55%-65% usage shifted or higher.
- Above that level, the savings increase significantly.
- The blue shaded area shows what happens if you fail to shift enough usage. In that case, your effective rate increases and becomes progressively more expensive as more energy is used during the daytime.
First Conclusion: 55% or more is what you need to make this plan worth it, and this is not easy to achieve. You will need to set your thermostat from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. as high as comfortably possible, do laundry at night, and move other activities that require high consumption into the free window. If you are not certain that you can achieve that, use our Free Nights Calculator and test this plan several days in advance before you enroll. You will realize that it won't be easy, and probably not worth the struggle.
Twelve Hour Power Bill Estimation
To estimate your bill and compare it against the top 20 fixed plans across different TDUs, use the table below. Select your TDU and usage level (500 / 1,000 / 2,000 / 3,000 kWh).
Because this plan still includes TDU delivery charges during the free hours window, your final bill depends heavily on your total monthly usage.
As a general guideline:
- Use 500–1,000 kWh for apartments
- Use 1,000–2,000 kWh for medium to large homes
- Use 2,000–3,000 kWh for very large homes
Free Nights Bill Estimate Table
Monthly bill by free-window usage percentage
This is another way to represent the graph: on the x-axis, you will see the kWh usage, and in the filter you can select the percentage of usage you are able to shift into the free window. 40% represents a bad-case scenario (you failed to shift enough electricity into the free window), 50% represents a normal scenario (achievable for most households with some sacrifices), and 60% represents a best-case scenario (a disciplined household that can shift most of its load into the free window). You will see that even in the best-case scenario, which is uncommon, this plan still struggles to beat a decent True Fixed plan in the market.
Fixed vs Free Window (Scenarios)
Twelve Hour power vs Other Free Night Plans
There are many variations in the market: discount nights, truly free nights, and different time windows (8, 9, or 12 hours). This makes direct comparisons difficult. You can review most of the available plans here: Best Free Night Plans in Texas
There is one direct comparison worth highlighting: Atlantex vs Direct Energy’s 12-hour plan. Both offer the same free window, making it a more apples-to-apples comparison.
In summary
Direct Energy's Free Nights plan is not worth it for the majority of Texas households; the high daytime rate makes it very difficult to achieve any savings.
In contrast, if you have solar it is worth trying: the 12-hour window plus no TDU charges during the night is an appealing option for those customers.
In contrast, if you have solar it is worth trying: the 12-hour window plus no TDU charges during the night is an appealing option for those customers.
Free night plans only work if you are willing—and able—to shift a significant portion of your usage into the free window. With our Free Nights Calculator tool, you can check in advance if your usage patterns make these plans worth it. Atlantex Power is insanely competitive right now, making it one of the best options for saving on electricity in the Texas market.