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Plan type · Free time-of-use

Free time-of-use electricity plans in Texas.

Free electricity during specified hours — usually 8 PM-6 AM weeknights, all day weekends. Daytime rates are subsidized higher to fund the free window. Math only works if you can shift load.

Compare all 2 plans Or call (877) 867-1477
Lowest rate 15.6¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh
Average 16.1¢ across 2 plans
Highest 16.5¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh

Top 2 ranked

The 2 free time-of-use plans we'd shop first.

# Provider & plan Rate Score
1
Amigo Energy

Free Nights Plan - 12

Amigo Energy · 3.5/5

15.6¢

/ kWh

 5.0 View deal
2
Tara Energy

Weekends Free Plan - 24

Tara Energy · 3.8/5

16.5¢

/ kWh

 5.0 View deal

Decision frame

Right plan for the right home.

Best for

  • Households that work late-night/weekends
  • EV owners charging overnight
  • Heavy laundry/dishwasher use after 8 PM

Watch out for

  • Daytime rates are typically 14-20¢/kWh — much higher than fixed
  • Weekend hours sometimes start at 6 PM Friday, not 12 AM Saturday
  • Free hours don't apply during ERCOT emergency events

Providers

2 retailers offering free time-of-use plans.

Amigo Energy

Amigo Energy

3.5/5 · 5 plans

 Tara Energy

Tara Energy

3.8/5 · 1 plans

By city

Free time-of-use plans in major Texas cities

Free time-of-use in Houston Free time-of-use in Pasadena Free time-of-use in Sugar Land Free time-of-use in The Woodlands Free time-of-use in Pearland Free time-of-use in League City Free time-of-use in Baytown Free time-of-use in Conroe Free time-of-use in Missouri City Free time-of-use in Beaumont Free time-of-use in Dallas Free time-of-use in Fort Worth Free time-of-use in Arlington Free time-of-use in Plano Free time-of-use in Irving Free time-of-use in Garland

Compare

Free-nights vs. standard fixed — which one wins?

Free-nights planStandard fixed
Rate structure Free during set hours + high daytime rateSame rate 24/7
Daytime rate 14-20¢/kWh10-14¢/kWh
Night/weekend cost $0 during free windowSame as daytime rate
Break-even shifted usage ~25-35% of total in free hoursN/A
Best for EV owners, remote workers, night shiftStandard daytime schedule
Contract term 12-24 months typical6, 12, 24, 36 months
Emergency-event carve-out Sometimes excludedNot applicable

How it works

The math behind free nights.

  1. 1

    The free-hours window

    Free hours are typically 9 PM-6 AM weeknights, with weekends often entirely free (some plans start weekends at 6 PM Friday, others at midnight Saturday). Exact hours vary by plan — always check the EFL for the specific window.

  2. 2

    The daytime rate premium

    Daytime rates on free-nights plans run 14-20¢/kWh, versus 10-14¢ on a standard fixed plan. That premium is what funds the free window; you are pre-paying for night hours on your day usage.

  3. 3

    The break-even threshold

    For most Texas homes, free-nights plans need at least 25-35% of total usage to fall inside the free window to beat a standard fixed-rate plan. Below that share, the daytime premium eats the free-hours savings.

  4. 4

    Load-shift the right devices

    EV charging, pool pumps, laundry, dishwasher, and ice makers all timer-shift easily and are big draws. HVAC (running mid-day in summer) and refrigerators (24/7) do not shift and stay expensive.

  5. 5

    Verify weekend definition + emergency-event exclusions

    Some plans exclude ERCOT emergency events (declared during freezes and heat waves) from the free window. Also confirm whether "weekend" starts Friday evening or Saturday midnight — a full extra evening of free power changes the math.

Common questions

Quick answers on free time-of-use plans.

Are free-nights electricity plans actually free at night?
Yes, but only during the specific hours the plan defines — usually 9 PM to 6 AM on weeknights, with weekends often included. During those hours, your per-kWh cost is genuinely zero (though your TDU delivery charges and base fees still apply, so bills are not literally $0). Outside the free window, you pay a daytime rate that is typically 3-6¢/kWh higher than a standard fixed plan.
Do free-nights plans save money for most Texas homes?
Only if you can shift a meaningful share of your usage into the free window — roughly 25-35% of your monthly kWh. Below that break-even, the higher daytime rate on the remaining 65-75% of your usage costs more than the free hours save. Homes with EVs, pool pumps, night-shift schedules, or heavy weekend usage are the strong fits. Standard 9-to-5 households with mid-day HVAC running usually lose money on these plans.
What time do free hours actually start?
Depends on the plan. Common windows: 9 PM to 6 AM weeknights (most common), 8 PM to 8 AM weeknights (aggressive), or fixed 10 PM to 5 AM (narrow). Weekend definitions vary too — some plans start the weekend Friday at 6 PM, others at Saturday midnight, a couple only cover Saturday and Sunday daytime. Always confirm the EFL — the marketing name rarely lists the exact hours.
Can I break even on a free-nights plan by charging an EV overnight?
Usually yes. A typical EV commuting 40-50 miles per day pulls 250-350 kWh per month for charging. If you shift 100% of that to the free window, that alone typically covers 20-30% of a two-bedroom home's total usage — enough to push you past the break-even threshold. Set your EV or wall charger to start at midnight and confirm the free window covers that time.
Are weekends really 100% free on these plans?
On most, yes — but check the exact definition. "All-weekend" plans typically include everything from Friday evening (6 PM or 9 PM) through Sunday midnight or Monday 6 AM. Some plans only free the daytime hours on weekends (6 AM to 6 PM) and charge the daytime rate at night. And a few plans exclude major holidays. The EFL details the specific windows.
What happens if I use more daytime power than I planned?
You pay the higher daytime rate on the excess, which is where the plan turns into a bad deal. Summer is the biggest risk: HVAC runs hard mid-day, and if you cannot shift enough load into free hours, the 14-20¢/kWh daytime rate on your air conditioning cost drives your bill above a standard fixed plan. Track your first two bills to confirm the math is working before committing to a full 12-month term.
How do free-nights compare to time-of-use plans?
Free-nights is a specific type of time-of-use plan — the "free" portion is just $0/kWh instead of a discounted rate. Standard time-of-use plans have graduated tiers (e.g. 8¢ off-peak, 15¢ on-peak) which offer more moderate savings for moderate load-shifting. Free-nights plans are more extreme: bigger reward for shifting, bigger penalty for not. Pick free-nights if you can commit to a real behavior change; pick standard time-of-use for lighter optimization.

2026 Texas market context

Wherefree time-of-use sits in the market right now.

Time-of-use (TOU) plans — including Free Nights, Free Weekends, and Free Days — are a small but specific segment of the Texas market. The math only works if you can genuinely shift 40%+ of your usage to the free window. TXU, Reliant, and Just Energy (via Amigo and Tara) dominate this category. Most TOU plans run a 15-25¢/kWh daytime rate to fund the free off-peak window.

Common gotchas

  • Free hours don't apply during ERCOT emergencies

    When ERCOT declares Emergency Energy Alert (EEA) levels, the free-hour benefit can be suspended. This is in the EFL fine print.

  • Weekend hours sometimes start Friday evening

    Plan names suggest 'weekends free' from Saturday morning, but some plans start the weekend window at 6 PM Friday and end it at 11 PM Sunday. Read the schedule carefully.

  • Daytime rates are punishing

    Free Nights plans often charge 15-22¢/kWh during the day to fund the free overnight window. If you can't shift your usage, you'll pay 30-50% more than a fixed-rate plan.

  • Smart meters required for TOU billing

    Texas has near-universal smart meter coverage, but if your meter isn't reporting hourly intervals (rare but happens), TOU billing falls back to estimated splits — usually unfavorable to you.

Best fit

EV owner in Dallas charging a Model Y overnight (8 PM - 5 AM Free Nights window), running dishwasher and laundry after 8 PM, family in bed by 10.

EV charging adds 250-400 kWh/month at zero rate. Even at a punishing 18¢/kWh daytime rate, the household nets a 30% lower overall bill vs. a flat-rate plan.

Worst fit

Work-from-home household running AC and home office during the day, mostly idle at night — picked Free Nights based on marketing.

75%+ of usage falls in the punishing daytime rate. Total bill ends up 20-30% higher than a standard fixed-rate plan would have been.

Practical next step

Pull your smart-meter hourly data from SmartMeter Texas (free with your ESI ID). Calculate what % of your usage is in the free window. Below 35-40%, skip TOU — it's a losing bet.

Ready to pick a free time-of-use plan?

Enter your ZIP and we'll show every Texas plan available on your meter, sorted by true cost at your home's actual usage.

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How enrollment works

You pick the plan here. Enrollment finishes on our secure checkout — same rate, no markup. If you'd rather skip the ZIP entry, Live Link pulls your real usage from Smart Meter Texas in about 30 seconds. Same plans, same checkout, less typing.