Loyalty isn't rewarded
85% of Texans have the right to choose their energy provider. It would benefit them to do so.
We hear people tell us — with pride — that they've been with the same provider for over a decade. The data suggests they may not be getting the best deal.
When we combine the submitted bills with historical switching patterns, we could see how each home had changed providers in the past 4 years. Then we compared their provided energy rate.
- Non-switchers (0–1 switches): 16.0¢ median rate · n = 2,667
- Semi-switchers (2–6 switches): 14.5¢ median rate · n = 1,769
- Super-switchers (7+ switches): 14.0¢ median rate · n = 42
The alarming insight: only ~40% of bill submitters actually exercised their right to choose.
Your neighbors are paying less than you
Here are 3 real homes that submitted their bills. They're on the same street in Dallas, connected to the same wires and same poles. The only difference is their energy provider — and the rate they pay.
- 3429 Desco Dr — 13.7¢/kWh: 3,687 kWh · $520/mo. Cheapest on the block.
- 3389 Desco Dr — 18.4¢/kWh: 5,576 kWh · $1,058/mo. 34% more than the cheapest.
- 3540 Desco Dr — 25.3¢/kWh: 2,431 kWh · $633/mo. 85% more than the cheapest.
Same street, same wires, same poles. The cheapest rate is 13.7¢. The most expensive is 25.3¢ — an 11.6¢ gap. At average usage, that's over $2,000 per year in pure rate difference for identical electricity.
People on the same street are paying wildly different amounts, despite having access to the same plans.
P.S. If you can't find the addresses above, it's because we anonymized them.
Don't pay the popularity premium
We cross-referenced median rates from our bill data against official EIA 2024 customer counts for every retail energy provider in Texas. The correlation is hard to ignore: more popular brands often charge the highest rates.
- The 6 largest REPs (100K+ members) — 16.4¢ median rate: TXU, Reliant, Just Energy, Ambit, Green Mountain, Direct Energy.
- The 6 smallest REPs (under 50K members) — 13.9¢ median rate: Budget Power, Ironhorse, Octopus, CleanSky, Chariot, Southern Federal.
Base is on a mission to fix the grid and bring affordable, reliable energy to everyone. We aim to combat market dynamics like above that we believe are unfair. We've designed a business model that uses technology effectively, so that we don't have to leverage loyalty-penalizing pricing or complex plans.
This is why at Base:
- We guarantee below market average energy rates at sign-up and renewal.
- We have one, fair plan that we believe in.
- We make switching easy. It only takes 3 minutes, and we offer $150 to buy you out of your current contract.
We believe in transparency. No hidden fees. No nonsense. Go to basepowercompany.com/energy to see how much you can save with Base. Bring a bill to get the most accurate comparison.
See how your rate compares
Upload your bill and get an instant comparison against Base. No commitment. Calculate your home's savings.
Methodology note: Bill analysis conducted May 2026. We collected 7,148 real electricity bills from 4,478 Texans across the state and matched them against official data from ERCOT. Rates shown are the energy rate per kWh identified from each submitted bill. Switching history reflects provider changes over the previous 4 years. Annual figures are based on an average monthly usage of 1,706 kWh, calculated from the Base Power Bill Comparison Data Set. Provider market sizes are EIA 2024 customer counts. Bills were submitted through Base Power's rate comparison tool and may not be representative of all Texas electricity consumers.
Sources: Base Power Bill Comparison Data Set, May 2026; ERCOT; U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2024 customer counts.
Disclosures: You can obtain important standardized information that will allow you to compare this product with other offers. Contact Base Texas REP, LLC, 512-518-1009, and www.basepowercompany.com.
