Should You Switch Electricity Providers? [Calculator]

Switching electricity providers can feel like a hassle, but it might save you real money.

One of the biggest roadblocks many Texans face when considering whether to switch electricity providers is the early termination fee (ETF).

Most providers charge an ETF if you leave before your contract ends, and it can be hard to know whether paying that fee makes financial sense.

That’s exactly why we built our Should You Switch Electricity Providers Calculator!

How the “Should you switch electricity providers?” calculator works

The calculator is simple:

Enter your average monthly usage (kWh)
Enter your current average price per kWh
Enter the average price of the new plan you’re considering
Add the early termination fee you’d need to pay to switch

From there, the calculator will show you:

Your estimated monthly savings if you switch plans
How many months it would take for those savings to outweigh the cost of the early termination fee

So, should you switch?

Electricity prices move up and down with the market. If you locked into a contract when prices were higher, you might be overpaying compared to today’s rates.

Sometimes, even after paying the ETF, switching could leave you with lower bills and more money in your pocket in the long run.

On the other hand, if the savings don’t add up, you’ll know you’re better off waiting until your contract ends.

Finally, you might have a very good rate with your current provider and you may want considering renewing with them for another contract.

Our goal is to give you the tools to make an informed decision. Use our Should You Switch Electricity Providers Calculator to see your personalized results in seconds and find out if switching makes sense for you.

Written by Graham Lumley

Graham Lumley is Growth Product Manager at BKV Energy, a retail electricity provider in Texas' deregulated market, where he has worked since 2023. He analyzes customer usage and billing data, helps develop BKV's fixed-rate plans, and creates tools to simplify Texas electricity shopping. He has written over 200 articles on Texas electricity rates, delivery charges, plan types, energy generation, and more to help Texans understand their bills and pay less. With over 10 years of experience in consumer, marketing, and energy, he explains the Texas electricity market in plain language.