What is Prepaid Electricity?

Man in sweater feeling cold adjusting room temperature with electronic thermostat at home

Prepaid electricity is one way you can pay for power in Texas. Instead of paying your bill when it comes to you, you pay for electricity before you use it. You don’t pay your bill after the fact, you pay in surplus before, and, as you use electricity, it deducts from your account balance. 

Clearly, there are some pretty sweet pros:

  • Almost everyone is approved for a prepaid plan.
  • There is almost always no credit check, which means no deposit.
  • There is no long-term contract, as most plans are month-to-month.
  • Paying as you go means you’ll never see a surprise electric bill.

Many people love this way of paying for power. But we think there’s a catch: If your account runs out of money, your electricity service can and will be turned off if you don’t immediately add more funds to the account. 

This prepaid model works very similarly to how we use our cars: You prepay at the pump to have a certain amount of gas in the tank. If you happen to run out of gas before you can get to the pump in time, your car dies. We’ve all been there when the gas light turns on, and we all know the feeling of anxiety as you search for the nearest gas station. 

Your electricity shouldn’t have to be that way.

The Solution? Any Other Plan

From free nights and weekends to a standard fixed-rate plan, almost anything else can beat a prepaid one. Clearly, we’re a bit biased here at Chariot Energy since we don’t offer prepaid plans, but we don’t because we think they put you at a disadvantage.

  • No one wants their electricity turned off because they forget to add money to their account.
  • Many plans — including ours — waive the deposit if you have a good credit score.
  • Many retail electricity providers — including us — provide short-term fixed-rate contacts for people who don’t want to be locked down.
  • Most fixed-rate plans typically have cheaper electricity rates than prepaid plans.
  • Fixed-rate plans actually help you save money because you know exactly what price you’ll pay for each kilowatt-hour of electricity you use each month.

You should choose a better, more budget-friendly, electricity plan.

Our Texas Electricity Plans

At Chariot Energy, our fixed-rate solar energy plans are designed for stability, while our variable-rate plan offers the freedom of no-contract, month-to-month electricity. Best of all, we own the solar panels that produce your electricity, which means our rates are hard to beat.

Blaze 6

  • 6-month fixed rate
  • 100% solar
  • No deposit required for qualified customers †
  • Free cancellation within 30 days

Blaze 12

  • 12 month fixed rate
  • 100% green energy powered by solar
  • No deposit required for qualified customers †
  • Free cancellation within 30 days

Chariot Freedom

  • Month-to-month electricity
  • No contract
  • 100% renewable energy
  • No cancellation fee

The Future of Energy is Here

Father and son watering the yard

Fossil fuels are out — green energy like solar and wind is here to stay. The myth that cleaner, better electricity options like solar are more expensive has been widely debunked. We’ll never run out of energy from the sun.

Chariot Energy wants to help you take advantage of this awesome source of power and save you money. Best of all, you don’t even need solar panels. If you’re connected to the power grid, we can provide you with direct access to 100% Texas solar. All it takes is the click of a button.