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Twelve-Hour Power by Direct Energy
Twelve Hour Power is one of two offers from Direct Energy that advertise free electricity during certain times of the week.
If you’re reading this, you probably heard or saw an ad from Direct Energy promoting this plan and wonder if it suits your home.
We broke down the details and have some tips to help you make an informed energy decision for your household.
Is Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power right for me?
Most “free-time” electricity plans don’t make sense because they cost more yearly than standard fixed-rate plans.
With energy costs at high levels, Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power could save you money by shifting your usage.
If you can hold off until 9 p.m. for things like laundry that consumes a lot of electricity, this plan is designed to save you money each week.
Important: Direct Energy includes the free nighttime usage discount in the advertised rate for this plan. You will NOT see an added discount on your electricity usage and MUST shift at least 45% of your usage to the night to get the advertised rate.
Free electricity could help with your bills, but you need to shop with your home’s electricity usage to make sure Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power is a good choice.
Before buying into the advertising hype, input your electricity usage here on ComparePower, and we’ll show you a detailed pricing breakdown for every plan.
Compare Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power pricing with fixed-rate plans to determine which plan will help you save the most on electricity throughout the year.
The number one rule in finding the right power plan is to understand your usage. This 2-minute video that explains everything you need to know ⤵️
Note: The easiest way to get 12 months of usage history is to log into your provider dashboard. You can also create an account with Smart Meter Texas to get usage readings for your home in 15-minute intervals.
Quickly determine if Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power is right for your home with your kilowatt-hour usage ⤵️
What is Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power?
Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power is a “time-of-use” plan. With time-of-use plans, you get a discount, or even free electricity, during certain times of the day or year.
These discounts can stack up to actual savings, but only if you can shift your usage to when you get a discount.
With Twelve Hour Power, Direct Energy offers free electricity during the night. From 9 p.m. to 8:59 a.m., the energy charge on your bill is discounted to zero.
You can use as much electricity as you want, without worrying about a high electric bill at the end of the month.
Direct Energy offers a 12-month and 24-month contract to get free electricity at night for an extended period.
With the 12-month contract, Direct Energy discounts your energy charge if you sign up for autopay.
How does Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power work?
Direct Twelve Hour Power is a time-of-use plan, meaning you get discount electricity during certain times throughout the year.
Twelve Hour Power was created to provide free electricity at night, helping you budget for electricity and reduce your bills.
Night discount
Direct Energy discounts your electricity from 9 pm until 8:59 am daily.
Important: This discount only applies to the energy charge on your bill.
During the night, Direct Energy cuts the energy charge of your bill to zero, and the TDU charges are not passed on to you.
How much does Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power cost?
At the time of writing, Direct Energy listed Twelve Hour Power at 26.3 cents per kWh at 1000 kWh monthly usage in the Oncor service area, which includes the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
This price includes a 0.5 cent per kWh discount for signing up for autopay. Direct Energy advertises Free Power Twelve Hour Power at 26.5 cents per kWh at 1000 kWh monthly usage if you do not sign up for autopay.
A base fee of $9.95 is charged each month regardless of the amount of electricity you use.
Important: Direct Energy includes the discounts in the advertised 26.3 cents per kWh price for the Oncor area. You will NOT see an additional discount on your electricity usage.
No one uses 1000 kWh every month, and your usage will vary, affecting the rate you pay.
If you are considering signing up for Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power, make sure you shop with your home’s actual usage to see if you will benefit from the discount.
Average Texan
Are you similar to the average Texan? According to eia.gov, the average Texan paid 12.8 cents per kWh for electricity in 2021.
With an average monthly usage of 1,132 kWh, the average Texas electricity bill would be around $144.90.
With the weather in Texas swinging each season, your usage and electricity bill can change as quickly as the weather.
Remember that these average numbers are taken from statewide data and that your usage could be drastically different based on the size and age of your home, your appliances, and your electricity usage habits.
Twelve Hour Power
Compared to the Texas average, Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power is more expensive at 26.3 cents per kWh advertised at 1000 kWh usage.
At 1,132 kWh of usage, your average monthly bill with Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power would be $298.91.
That’s almost 107% more than the average Texan paid last year for their electricity bills.
Your electricity bill could be even more expensive, especially if you can’t shift at least 45% of your electricity usage to the weekend.
Other fees
You’ll find a Base and TDU delivery charge alongside your energy charge on your bill.
Direct Energy collects a base charge of $9.95 regardless of your monthly electricity.
The TDU charge depends on which company services the area that you live in. The TDU charge for the Oncor area, covering the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, is currently 3.89 cents per kWh. Oncor also collects a base charge of $3.42 each month.
Direct Energy, Twelve Hour Power, also has an early termination fee of $150 for the 12-month contract and $295 for the 24-month contract.
Before signing up, shop with your home’s unique usage profile to avoid high bills and the need to end your contract early.
Digging into the Terms of Service, Direct Energy lists additional fees for late payments, returned payments, collection recovery, disconnect recovery, and any payments made with the help of customer support agents.
If you regularly need help with payments, consider a different electricity plan to avoid these fees.
Are you getting free electricity?
You might wonder if there is any catch for getting the nights free with Direct Energy Twelve Hour Power.
Most providers offer free electricity plans and pass on TDU charges to you during those periods. You seem to be getting that electricity for free, but you still pay for your usage during the free periods.
Unlike other free nights and weekend plans, Direct Energy’s Twelve Hour Power stands out because the electricity is free at night.
Direct Energy discounts your energy charge to zero during the nights and does not pass on TDU charges.
Direct Energy does charge a base fee of $9.95 each month, so even if all your usage was during your free time, you would still have to pay a small amount.
Direct Energy’s Twelve Hour Power is one of the few free nights and weekends plans that offer free electricity usage during the nights.
Direct Energy Twelve-Hour Power alternatives
Best Free Nights & Weekends Energy Plans
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