Value Choice - 12
TARA ENERGY · 12-month contract · fixed rate · CenterPoint Energy delivery area
At 1,000 kilowatt hours a month spread across a Texas year, this plan costs $2,022.86 over twelve months — an average of $168.57 a month, or 16.9¢ per kilowatt hour all in. That makes it the 165th cheapest of the 171 plans sold in CenterPoint Energy territory.
Cost at your usage
1,000 kWh a month on average
A year on this plan
$2,022.86
$168.57 a month · 16.9¢ per kWh
advertised8.5¢really16.9¢
- Loses its $125 bill credit in months under 1,000 kWh (your Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov, Dec).
a month this plan works against you
| Energy charge · 780 kWh × 15.4¢ | $120.12 |
|---|---|
| CenterPoint delivery · 780 kWh × 5.1567¢ | $40.22 |
| CenterPoint delivery · monthly fee | $4.67 |
| No $125 credit · needs 1,000 kWh, you use 780 | not earned |
| What you would actually pay | $165.01 |
Every month at 1,000 kWh
| Month | Estimated bill | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | $165.01 | missed the credit |
| Feb | $148.57 | missed the credit |
| Mar | $144.46 | missed the credit |
| Apr | $148.57 | missed the credit |
| May | $185.57 | missed the credit |
| Jun | $138.68 | |
| Jul | $208.58 | |
| Aug | $208.58 | |
| Sep | $146.91 | |
| Oct | $193.79 | missed the credit |
| Nov | $156.79 | missed the credit |
| Dec | $177.35 | missed the credit |
The published comparison points
Checking our arithmetic against theirs
Power to Choose makes every retailer publish an average price at exactly 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kilowatt hours a month. Those are the three numbers we recompute from the fact label; when ours land on theirs we know we have read the label correctly. They assume flat usage every month, which is why they differ from the seasonal figures above.
| Usage | They advertise | We compute | Monthly bill | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh a month | 21.5¢ | 21.5¢ | $107.45 | $1,289.40 |
| 1,000 kWh a month | 8.5¢ | 8.5¢ | $85.24 | $1,022.88 |
| 2,000 kWh a month | 14.5¢ | 14.5¢ | $290.80 | $3,489.60 |
What is actually in this plan
The fine print, in plain English
- Base charge
- None. You pay only for what you use, plus your utility’s delivery charges.
- Energy charge
- 15.400¢ per kilowatt hour, the same at any usage.
- Bill credits
- $125 off your bill in months you use at least 1,000 kWh.
- Minimum usage fee
- $4.99 in any month you use less than 400 kWh. A mild spring month can trip this.
- CenterPoint delivery charges
- $4.67 a month plus 5.1567¢ per kilowatt hour, added on top. This is your utility’s charge for the poles and wires and is the same whichever retailer you choose.
- Early termination fee
- $175 if you leave before the end of the 12-month term. Worth comparing against what you would save by switching.
- Notes from the label
- no base charge label found
The alternatives
Five plans that cost less than this one
Same territory, same 1,000 kWh a month, same method.
- #1Bright Nights 6 — CHARIOT ENERGY$101.34/mosaves $806.81 a year
- #2September Savin' 6 — Energy Texas$101.37/mosaves $806.44 a year
- #3Simply September 6 — RHYTHM$101.37/mosaves $806.44 a year
- #4True Value 10 — TRUE POWER$102.34/mosaves $794.81 a year
- #5Bright Nights 10 — CHARIOT ENERGY$102.34/mosaves $794.81 a year
One month, itemised
August on this plan
The hottest month, at 1,000 kWh a month average. Every line here comes from the fact label or the CenterPoint tariff.
| Energy charge · 1,600 kWh × 15.4¢ | $246.40 |
|---|---|
| CenterPoint delivery · 1,600 kWh × 5.1567¢ | $82.51 |
| CenterPoint delivery · monthly fee | $4.67 |
| Bill credit · 1,000+ kWh | −$125 |
| What you would actually pay | $208.58 |
Figures computed August 7, 2026 from the plan’s own Electricity Facts Label and published CenterPoint Energy delivery charges. We are not the retailer and cannot sell you electricity; confirm the rate on the label before you sign anything. How we count.