Business electricity rates in Texas

Direct Energy vs. Base Power

Which provider is better for your business?

Last updated August 2026 - Base Power Team

A business owner reviewing a lower energy bill with Base

Quick answer

Base vs. Direct Energy business electricity rates

Base does custom, fixed-rate pricing for businesses, based on historical usage, and doesn't include any variable rates or fees. Direct Energy offers fixed-rate plans directly to small businesses, while larger businesses are routed to its parent company NRG's enterprise energy solutions team.
All business energy rates include a delivery fee from your local transmission and distribution utility (TDU), no matter what provider you choose. When comparing plans, focus on the energy charge.
Members who switched from Direct Energy to Base saved, on average, 53% off their bills. Your exact savings depend on how much power you use and when.

What's the difference between Base and Direct Energy?

Direct Energy sells fixed-rate plans directly to small businesses, but doesn't publish rates online, so you'll need to request a quote to see actual pricing. Base has a custom, fixed rate that stays the same day or night, with no bill-credit minimums to hit and no usage fees. Send us your bill and we'll quote your custom rate in about 10 minutes. You pay your TDU the same delivery fee either way. The difference is the rate structure on top.

How much can my business save with Base?

Members who switched from Direct Energy to Base saved 53% on their bills. Base has worked with business owners who were paying 5-6¢/kWh higher than the fair market rate. Cumulatively, our members save on average $2,374 per year from switching to Base. A flat rate locks in your energy charge below the market average, guaranteed, even at renewal, which is why we recommend it over variable rates.

Base is able to offer lower rates because of its business model. Base leverages a network of home batteries that strengthen the grid and passes those savings down to energy-only members, like Texas business owners.

Does a flat rate work for my size of business?

Yes. The same custom, fixed rate holds whether you run a single café using 2,000-5,000 kWh a month, a restaurant or clinic at 5,000-25,000 kWh, or a manufacturer using 25,000 kWh or more. No demand-tier surprises as you grow.

Who is Direct Energy?

Direct Energy started in Toronto in 1986 and has been through two changes of ownership since: UK-based Centrica (the parent of British Gas) bought it in 2000, then sold it to NRG Energy in a $3.625 billion deal that closed in January 2021. Direct Energy is now an NRG Energy sub-brand, alongside Reliant, Cirro, and Green Mountain. In Texas, it also operates under a few older legal names - CPL Retail Energy, WTU Retail Energy, and First Choice Power - left over from acquisitions made after Texas opened up its power-to-choose market.

Direct Energy still actively sells to Texas businesses through its small-business site, which segments by size - a small business (workspace under 10,000 square feet) gets a fixed-rate plan directly, while larger businesses are routed to NRG's enterprise energy team. It doesn't publish rates online, so a quote is the only way to see actual pricing.

The good

Direct Energy assigns a dedicated sales rep who stays with your account through the contract term, backed by an in-house customer relations team, and you don't need to change any equipment to switch. It can also serve a business operating across multiple states.

That kind of hands-on account support is a real plus if you want a single point of contact instead of a call center.

Things to compare

Direct Energy doesn't publish its business rates online, so you'll need to request a quote to see actual pricing before you can compare it to other providers.

Sources: ownership and history via Wikipedia and NRG Energy's acquisition announcement; small-business plan and account details via Direct Energy's small-business site; company profile via the Better Business Bureau (a combined residential and business listing - its complaint history isn't cited here since it isn't business-specific). Plans change often - check the live Electricity Facts Label before you sign up.

Compare the full terms of any plan, including the per-kWh energy charge, before you decide.

Comparing Direct Energy and Base energy plans for businesses

	Direct Energy	Flat & clear
Energy charge	Varies by plan; some plans move with the market	Custom pricing based on your business's usage
Rate structure	Fixed-rate plans (small business)	Fixed-rate plan
Below market average?	Varies	Guaranteed
Same rate, day or night	yes	yes
No bill-credit minimums	—	No bill-credit minimums
No usage fees	—	No usage fees

Direct Energy offers fixed-rate plans directly to small businesses, while larger businesses are routed to NRG's enterprise energy team, and it doesn't publish rates online, so a quote is the only way to see pricing. Base charges a custom, fixed energy rate that stays the same day or night, with no bill-credit minimums to hit and no usage fees. Both providers pass through the same TDU delivery charge, so the real difference is the rate structure you build on top of it.

Based on Base's own bill comparisons for members who switched from Direct Energy; your savings depend on your business and usage. Base's rate is set per business, based on historical usage - exact, usage-based pricing is in the Electricity Facts Label. See your exact rate →

Members who switched from Direct Energy to Base Power saved 53% on their bills.

See how much you could save.

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Why does choosing an energy provider matter?

Running a business keeps you busy, so electricity is easy to treat as a bill you just pay every month. But that's exactly how many owners lose out on savings year after year. The rate sits there quietly while you're focused on everything else.

Here's the part worth knowing: your bill is really three separate businesses stacked together, and you only control one of them, your retail provider. Delivery and generation costs are set for you by your local TDU. Plenty of owners don't realize they're free to shop around for a provider at all, and stick with the default they were given.

We recommend business owners get quotes from multiple providers and compare plans to find what's actually affordable. For most business owners, having a transparent, fixed plan with no confusing fine print saves time. The diagram below shows where each dollar goes and the one part you can change.

Power generation

Power plants, wind farms, and solar panels across Texas generate electricity and feed it onto the ERCOT grid. These generators sell electricity into a marketplace, and your provider bids on portions of that supply. This sets the base cost of power long before it reaches you.

Your retail provider

Your provider buys that power, packages it into a plan, and sets the rate you actually pay. This is the piece you get to choose, and where dozens of providers compete for your business. Many owners stick with their default provider for years. Picking well can be the biggest lever on your bill.

Delivery

Your local utility owns the poles, wires, transformers, and the meter that carries power the last mile to your business. Every business in your TDU's service area pays the same delivery rate. There's nothing to shop around for here.

Your business

Where the power finally lands. How much you use, and when, shapes your monthly bill once you've picked a provider.

A few minutes of your time can save your business thousands per year

Dallas-based cosmetic dental practice with 37% reduced energy costs

Industry spotlight

Base saved a cosmetic dental practice over $3.5k a year on electricity.

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Try Base for 30 days.

Stay if you love it. Leave if you don't with no penalty.

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We handle the switch

We cancel your old plan for you. No calls, no hassle.

Termination fee coverage

Base can help cover your costs.

Bring your bill, save on energy

Our members save $2,374 a year on average when they switch from Direct Energy to Base, with a predictable monthly bill from day one.

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Business electricity rates FAQs

Base is an electricity provider in Texas. We sell custom, fixed-rate pricing for businesses, based on historical usage: no tiers, no bill-credit thresholds, and no rate hikes at renewal. Members can also add a home or business backup battery that keeps the lights on during an outage and helps balance the grid.

In Texas it often runs a little lower, because businesses use more power and buy it in larger amounts. But "lower" depends on the plan: most commercial plans hide demand charges, tiered pricing, and bill-credit thresholds that push the real cost back up. Base skips all of that with a custom, fixed rate, whether you're a home or a business.

Yes. Every location gets the same custom, fixed-rate pricing: no separate deal to negotiate site by site. That means one predictable rate across all your storefronts, offices, or sites, so you can budget without guessing which bill will spike.

It depends on how much power your business uses and when. Many plans advertise a low headline rate that only holds if you hit a certain usage level or stay on a long contract, so the all-in cost can land higher than the number you were quoted. Base charges a custom, fixed rate - below the market average and guaranteed not to climb at renewal. Once you strip out the bill credits and usage tiers other plans rely on, a fixed rate with no hidden fees is usually the most affordable for a business.

Compare other providers

See how Base stacks up against every other major Texas business electricity provider.