Pros and Cons of Free Nights and Weekends Electricity Plans

3 minute read • Graham Lumley • Last update April 2024

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In this article

    Are Free Nights and Weekends worth it?

    In this article we examine a couple of the most popular energy plans on the market in Texas – free nights or free weekends plans. Here’s the big question: do free nights and weekends plans really save money?

    The pros

    Free energy at night or on the eeekend

    The word “free” certainly captures a lot of attention when shopping for electricity and these plans hold true to the name. When you examine the Electricity Facts Label before enrolling, you’ll find that you will have a reduced or $0 energy charge at night (usually from around 9PM to 6AM) or over the weekend (usually from Friday evening to Monday morning).

    Potential davings

    If you are able to adjust your electricity consumption patterns enough, you may be able to reduce your electricity bill in comparison to the other plans you could have signed up for. It’s not easy, but it is certainly possible for some households.

    The cons

    Increased daytime or week day kWh rates

    Unfortunately, free nights and weekends plans are often marketing ploys to encourage you sign up with one company over another. While the plan offers free or reduced energy rates at night or on the weekend, your energy charge during the day or during the week is elevated to overcompensate for your savings.

    Most households end up paying more with a free nights and weekends plan than if they had signed up for a simple fixed rate plan instead.

    Adjusting usage behavior is difficult

    Whether you live in a large home or an apartment, alone or with a family, changing your electricity consumption to take advantage of a free nights and weekends plan is hard.

    To save big with one of these gimmicky plans, you have to shift a large percentage of your consumption to the night or the weekend, when most folks are sleeping or relaxing and enjoying themselves.

    What type of plan should you choose?

    For the large majority of Texans, we recommend signing up for a simple fixed rate plan instead. Why? Because they lead to lower energy bills. If you’re skeptical, check out the charts below.

    We compared one of our simple fixed rate plans against competitor free nights and weekends plans to see how the bills would turn out at different levels of energy usage.

    For both types of plans, our simple fixed rate plan leads to lower bills at 500, 1000, and 2000kWh.

    If you’ve ever been enticed by an electricity plan offering free nights and/or free weekends, you’re not alone. It’s easy to find yourself wondering if the plan is too good to be true. These plans can be both intriguing and confusing, leaving potential customers like you scratching their heads as they try to determine whether free nights or free weekends electricity plans can actually lead to savings on your monthly energy bills.

    • Free nights and weekends electricity plans are a form of marketing that are most often not beneficial to customers.
    • Careful evaluation of the plan’s terms and your personal energy consumption is required to determine if free nights and weekends plans offer potential savings, as they generally come with much higher rates during non-free hours.
    • Consider a simple fixed-rate plan as an alternative, or significantly adjusting your energy consumption habits, before enrolling in a free nights and weekends plan.
    • Always, always, always check the Electricity Facts Label.
    fixed rate vs free weekends electricity plans

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