Survey: 60% of Texans have never looked at or don't know what an Electricity Facts Label is

Electricity Facts Label awareness survey details

Electricity Facts Labels (EFLs) are an incredibly important document for Texans who are shopping for electricity. EFLs are standardized documents that lay out the cost structure of a Texas electricity plan, including the average price at 500, 1000, and 2000 kWh, the Energy Charge, and Delivery Pass-Through Charges.

When shopping for a power plan, it’s recommended to always review and compare EFLs before making a decision and officially enrolling.

Our survey found that over 60% of Texas electricity shoppers have never looked at, or don’t know what an Electricity Facts Label is.

This result was shocking to say the least, as this indicates that millions of Texans are potentially blindly signing up for electricity plans in a market full of extra and unnecessary fees such as base charges, usage fees, setup fees, and bundle fees, and marketing gimmicks like free nights, free weekends, and bill credits.

When Texans enroll in plans with extra fees and gimmicks, they are likely overpaying for electricity every single month.

We dug into the results of our survey of 945 Texans living in deregulated ERCOT markets that self-identify as owning or sharing the responsibility of shopping for power to learn more about the impact of evaluating, and not evaluating, an Electricity Facts Label before signing up for a plan.

Key takeaways

Our survey found that 39.37% of Texans have looked at an Electricity Facts Label, 43.60% have not looked at an Electricity Facts Label, and 17.03% do not know what an Electricity Facts Label is.
Texans aged 30-44 were the most likely to have looked at an Electricity Facts Label, with 42.25% responding yes, followed by ages 18-29 at 40.16%, 45-60 at 37.88%, and 60+ at 35%.
Electricity shoppers with a household income of $100,000 or more were more likely to have looked at an EFL while shopping for power than those with a household income of less than $100,000.
Texans who were not familiar with the concept of an EFL were more likely to indicate that they believe they are currently overpaying for electricity, with 64.60% indicating that they believed they were overpaying, compared to 56.45% of Texans who had looked at an EFL. Regardless of EFL awareness, our survey found that 57.67% of Texans think they are currently overpaying for electricity.
Texans who were not familiar with the concept of an EFL were the most likely, at 57%, to respond “No” to the question, “Do you think most electricity plans are designed to trick you?”

Why Texans aren’t reviewing Electricity Facts Labels

While we recommend that Texas energy shoppers review Electricity Facts Labels before signing up for a plan, they are not always immediately visible or easily accessible during a typical shopping experience. Shoppers can find them at the click of a button on PowerToChoose.org, but on third-party broker websites and some residential electricity provider (REP) websites, that’s not the case.

Third-party broker sites that appear at the top of Google searches and some of the largest REPs by customer count make it just a little more difficult to find the EFL. They hide the document behind a “More Details” button, require further scrolling, and label the link to open the PDF in small or inconspicuous fonts.

Millions of customers are signing up for electricity plans through these websites every year, so it’s no wonder that just over 60% of Texans have not looked at or do not know what an Electricity Facts Label is.

Reading the EFL increases confidence in electricity shopping decisions

Texans who answered “I don’t know what an Electricity Facts Label is” were the most likely to indicate that they found shopping for electricity in Texas difficult. Those unaware of EFLs were 6 times more likely to indicate they found shopping for electricity very difficult compared to those who were aware of and had read EFLs before.

Our survey also found that shoppers who had read EFLs in the past were 2 times more likely to describe choosing an electricity plan as very easy.

We took this a step further and asked Texans straight up, “How confident are you that your current electricity plan is the best option for your home?” and the results continue to support the thesis that reading an EFL increases confidence.

Over 62% of Texans who have read an EFL said they were either extremely or very confident they chose the best option, compared to 45% for those who said they had not read an EFL, and 40% for those who did not know what an EFL is.

These findings point to a simple truth: understanding the fine print empowers Texans. When shoppers take the time to read an EFL, they’re not just making more informed choices, they’re transforming what’s often a confusing, frustrating process into something they can feel confident about.

How can we increase awareness of Electricity Facts Labels?

If the majority of Texans have never looked at an Electricity Facts Label (or don’t even know what one is), then we’re dealing with a public awareness gap that could be costing individual Texan households over $550 per year.

The average monthly electricity usage in Texas is around 1,146 kWh, and the average price per kWh in 2025 is around 15 cents per kWh. That places the average bill at $170. Over 12 months, that comes to about $2,062.

The table below breaks down how failing to review and compare EFLs can land Texans with higher bills than necessary.

Average Price	Cents Above Average Price	Avg. Monthly Overpayment	Avg. Annual Overpayment
15 cents per kWh	0 cents per kWh	$0 per month	$0 per year
16 cents per kWh	1 cent per kWh	$11.46 per month	$137.52 per year
17 cents per kWh	2 cents per kWh	$22.92 per month	$275.04 per year
18 cents per kWh	3 cents per kWh	$34.38 per month	$412.56 per year
19 cents per kWh	4 cents per kWh	$45.84 per month	$550.08 per year

Fortunately, there are several ways we, as a state, an industry, and a community, can help close that gap.

1. Make the EFL easier to understand

Right now, the appearance and layout of EFLs are only partially standardized. Nearly every electricity provider offers a unique EFL. Some are one page, some are two pages. Some include tons of confusing fine print, some are comparatively simple to understand.

If new legislation were to require that all electricity providers use an identical EFL document layout and appearance, shopping would become just a little bit easier.

2. Require electricity providers to highlight the EFL more prominently

Many Texans shop for electricity through third-party websites or provider landing pages where the EFL is buried behind a small hyperlink or pop-up. Regulators could mandate that the EFL be front and center during the enrollment process.

3. Add EFL education to Texas school systems

Basic financial literacy, including how to shop for electricity, should be part of what we teach the next generation of Texans. For college students moving into their first apartments, a quick crash course on how to read an EFL could be as important as knowing how to set up Wi-Fi or a bank account.

Increasing EFL awareness doesn’t require a single sweeping reform — it requires small shifts across multiple touchpoints. And the reward? A more informed public that’s better equipped to spot gimmicks, ask the right questions, and choose the electricity plan that actually works for them.

Simple and easily found EFLs are better

At BKV Energy, we’ve worked diligently to create an Electricity Facts Label with as little fine print and jargon as possible, while laying out the need-to-know information in a transparent way.

When you shop on our website, we have a prominently visible and clearly labeled “EFL” link associated with each plan, and we also offer an EFL walk-through article on our website to guide shoppers through the EFL evaluation process.

Additionally, our plans do not include the extras that make plans more difficult to decipher, like base charges, usage fees, setup fees, bundle fees, free nights, free weekends, and bill credits. What you see is what you get: a simple fixed-rate plan with no frills.

Interested in switching to BKV Energy? Enter your zip code to explore rates in your area.

Written by Graham Lumley

Graham Lumley, Growth Product Manager at BKV Energy, leads digital and traditional marketing strategies, focusing on educating Texans about the state's deregulated energy market. With over 10 years of marketing experience, he creates content to help consumers understand and save on their energy bills, bringing a fresh and dynamic approach to the industry.