As the energy market in Texas gets more competitive, retail electric providers (REPs) are coming up with creative enticements. One of the latest gimmicks that companies are using to get you under their spell is the allure of free nights and weekends. But how can that be? Why would a company offer free electricity to millions of Texans?

Before you get too excited or suspicious about these plans, there are certain things you should know. In this article, we’ll explore the world of free nights and weekends electricity plans in Texas. Contact us to find out if a free nights and weekends plan is right for you.

Free nights and weekends plans are exactly what they sound like. During certain parts of the night and weekend, you literally get free electricity from your REP. Typically, free nights electricity plans offer free electricity from 9 p.m. to 6 or 7 a.m., but only on weekdays. Free weekends plans typically offer free electricity from 6 or 7 p.m. on Friday until midnight on Sunday. There are also some plans that offer both free nights and weekends in the same package.

Because of how popular these plans are becoming, they’re offered by most REPs in Texas. They’re often figured into fixed-rate or variable-rate plans that you sign up for. If you’re interested in a free nights and weekends plan, make sure that EnerGenie is aware of that when you sign up through them. We’ll find out if there’s a free nights and weekends plan available in your area and if it’s actually the best deal for you.

While free nights and weekends sound too good to be true, they’re not always the best plan for you. Here are some of the main things you should know about these types of plans before you get too carried away.

While free nights and weekends plans are all the latest rage, they actually stem from an earlier electrical plan experiment known as time of use plans. With time of use plans, there would be random periods throughout the day where electricity was free. These plans were designed to shift people away from using electricity during the typical peak hours of the day from 3 to 7 p.m.

Although time of use plans were a great idea, they were largely ineffective because people didn’t adhere to the time constrictions. However, where time of use plans failed, free nights and weekends plans have been a success.

Your eyes aren’t deceiving you when you see free electricity during evenings and weekends written on your contract. You don’t actually pay for your kilowatt per hour usage, but you’re not completely off scott free. You still pay for TDU fees, standard operating fees, and any other small fees that are factored into your contract. Despite these fees, you’re still saving a ton of money on the actual electricity.

If you’re considering a free nights and usage plan it’s important that you confirm the hours of free electricity and that you understand the terms of the deal.

One of the downsides of deals offering free nights and weekends is that the overall rate you pay during normal hours is much higher. Most free nights and weekends plans will charge 3 to 6 cents more per kWh than other plans. Before signing up for one of these plans, it’s imperative that you know when the free hours are and what the overall rate is going to be so that you can figure out the end total of the plan.

At the end of the day, it’s entirely up to you if a free nights and weekends plan pays off. If you figure out in advance when you use the most electricity and if it falls into the free periods, you’ll likely save money. However, if you sign up for the plan thinking it sounds great, but end up not using electricity during the free periods, you’re going to pay much more than you typically would on your monthly bill.

It’s important that you review your schedule and your usage and make sure that all members of your household or business are on board.