Understanding Home Energy Usage

Short answer. Pick a home supply plan from your usage shape, not from a headline rate. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that a residential customer used 865 kWh a month on average in 2024. An apartment can sit well below that. A house with electric heat or a long air-conditioning season can sit well above it. The plan that wins at 500 kWh can lose at 1,500.

Check your bill for a "Usage History" graph. Do you use more power in the summer (AC) or winter (Heating)? This profile helps determine the best plan for you.

Types of Plans for Homeowners

Fixed-Rate Plans

Best for budgeting. Your rate stays the same for 12-36 months. Ideal if you want to lock in a low rate and forget about it.

Green Energy Plans

Support renewable energy. These plans source electricity from wind, solar, or hydro. They are often fixed-rate but may cost slightly more.

Time-of-Use (TOU)

Rates vary by time of day. Electricity is cheaper at night and more expensive during peak hours (e.g., 4 PM - 9 PM). Great for EV owners charging at night.

Match the plan to the home

This page is about the household, not the contract clause and not the commercial demand charge. Those have their own guides.

  • Apartment, bill in your name, lease under two years. Favor a short term or month-to-month product. A low usage makes a monthly fee more important than a one-cent difference. If the landlord holds the account, you cannot switch it.
  • House with a high summer or winter spike. A fixed supply price is insurance against the season you already know is expensive. Judge it at your high-month kWh, not at 1,000 kWh because an ad used that column.
  • EV charged overnight. A time-of-use rate helps only if the cheap hours are when you actually charge and the expensive hours are not when you cool the house. Run the two prices against your schedule. The EV time-of-use guide is the worksheet.
  • Municipal utility. Austin Energy, many co-ops, and other city utilities are not retail-choice accounts. No residential plan on this page applies until the bill shows a choice-eligible utility.

EIA’s June 2026 residential average revenue was 18.34 cents per kWh. That all-in national figure is not the supply price on your bill and not a number a supplier has to beat.

Residential questions

Can I switch suppliers if I rent an apartment?

Yes, if the utility account is in your name and the address is in a retail-choice territory. If the landlord is the customer, you cannot switch that account. A short lease is a reason to avoid a long early-termination fee.

Will my power go out if I switch?

No. The utility that owns the wires still delivers power and repairs outages. Only the supply charge changes, and only on a future meter read.