TXU usually offers a free-night electricity plan, but the wording in the EFL can be a little confusing. The EFL says:
“Free Nights: From 8:00 p.m. through 4:59 a.m. each day. You will receive a 100% credit on all Energy Charges during the Free Nights period.”
However, this does not mean the entire night usage is completely free. The credit only applies to the energy charge, not the TDU delivery charges. You still pay the TDU delivery charge during the free-night window.
The EFL formula confirms this:
The EFL formula confirms this:
Price per kWh =
[Base Charge + TDU Delivery Charges per Month + Monthly billed kWh usage × (Energy Charge + TDU Delivery Charges per kWh) − Energy Charge × applicable Nights kWh Usage] / Monthly Billed kWh Usage
This plan is better described as a discounted-night plan, not a completely free-night plan.
TXU Free Nights Pros
- Early free-night window: This is one of the few plans, if not the only one, where the free-night window starts at 8:00 p.m. That is a big advantage because the 8–9 p.m. hour is usually one of the busiest usage periods for many households. For families that run laundry, dishwasher, EV charging, or heavier A/C usage at night, this earlier start time can make the plan more practical.
TXU Free Nights Cons
- Monthly base charge: This plan usually has a base charge of around $10 per month, regardless of how much electricity you use. This hurts low-usage customers the most, especially apartment residents or people who use very little electricity during some months.
- TDU delivery charges still apply during the free-night window: This is common in the industry, but it is important to understand. During the free-night period, you may receive a 100% credit on the energy charge, but you still pay the TDU delivery charge, which is often around 4–6¢ per kWh depending on your area. The problem is that many customers hear “free nights” and assume all night usage is free, when in reality only part of the charge is credited.
- High daytime energy rate compared with similar plans: When a company offers a free-night plan where TDU delivery charges still apply during the free window, the daytime energy charge is usually lower than fully “free” plans that absorb more of the cost. However, TXU’s energy charge can still be high compared with other similar free-night or discount-night plans.
How TXU Free Nights Compares With the Market Overall
The best way to evaluate TXU’s Free Nights plan is to compare it against the top 20 fixed-rate plans in the market.
Free-night plan savings depend almost entirely on how much electricity you can shift from the paid daytime window into the free-night window. TXU’s plan has an 8-hour free-night window, and the advertised rate usually assumes that a household can shift around 40% of its total usage into that window.
That assumption can be realistic, but only if you actively manage your usage. For example, during the summer, your thermostat may need to be set around 76°F or higher during the day, with more cooling shifted into the night period.
Stay away from this plan if you cannot shift a meaningful amount of your electricity usage away from the daytime paid window, especially your air conditioning usage. Since A/C is usually the biggest part of a Texas electricity bill, high daytime cooling can quickly erase the benefit of the free-night credit.
Comparison vs. Fixed-Rate Plans
For this comparison, we use the top 20 fixed-rate plans in the market. These is not he absolute cheapest plans available, but they provide a strong comparison point to evaluate how competitive the TXU Free Nights plan really is.
The TXU plan data comes directly from TXU’s website page, not from a Google sponsored ad or third-party promotion. TXU may offer this plan in other ways or through third-party companies, which is why we show exactly which 500 / 1,000 / 2,000 kWh rates we are comparing.
For the fixed-rate plans, the data may come from Power to Choose or directly from the provider’s website. Each plan card shows when the data was last updated. This does not necessarily mean it was the last time we checked the plan; we usually review rates every week.
This information is provided for comparison only. Electricity rates can change at any time at the discretion of the provider.
TXU Energy – Free Nights Plan
Free Nights & Solar Days 12 (8 pm)
Free Hours (Day/Night)
Term:
12 months
Last update:
April 23, 2026
Advertised average rates
1,000 kWh
19.50¢
500 kWh
20.90¢
2,000 kWh
18.80¢
Advertised average rates
1,000 kWh
19.50¢
500 kWh
20.90¢
2,000 kWh
18.80¢
Top 20 - True fixed Plan in the Market:
No Bull 12 - 12 month plan
True Fixed
Listed on Power to Choose
Term:
12 months
Last update:
April 29, 2026
Advertised average rates
1,000 kWh
13.00¢
500 kWh
13.00¢
2,000 kWh
13.10¢
Advertised average rates
1,000 kWh
13.00¢
500 kWh
13.00¢
2,000 kWh
13.10¢
TXU Free Night 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 65% usage shifted or higher.
- The blue shaded area shows that if you fail to shift enough usage into the free window, your effective rate increases quickly; to match a competitive fixed-rate plan, you would need to move an unusually large share of your electricity usage to nighttime hours, which is difficult for most households, and even shifting 50% may still leave you overpaying by more than 20%.
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. 35% represents a bad-case scenario (you failed to shift enough electricity into the free window), 45% represents a normal scenario (achievable for most households), 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)
TXU Night Plan Bill Estimation
To give you a better estimate, the table below shows how much you may overpay depending on your usage and how much electricity you can shift into the free-night window.
Focus mainly on the 40%–60% range, since that is the most realistic area for most households. Use the table below to select your TDU and your monthly 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 and on how much usage you can move into the night period.
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
Final Takeaway
If you use 1,000 kWh and only shift around 40% of your usage into the free-night window, you may overpay by around $50 compared with a competitive fixed-rate plan. At 2,000 kWh, the difference can be more than $100, which is simply too much.
There are better free-night plans available in the market. You can review our full list of the Best Free Night Plans in Texas to compare other options.