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Electricity plans for EV charging in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW only)

For most DFW owners, the cheapest way to fuel an EV is overnight at home, and the electricity plan you pick decides how cheap that is. Texas gives you more choice than most states, but the plans are full of fine print. This guide explains how to read it. We do not list prices: they change too often, and the only number that counts is the one on the plan's own label on the day you sign.

Range & Road · independent, not affiliated with TeslaUpdated Research-based, sources linked5 min read DFW only

Start here

  1. Confirm your utility first: Oncor areas can shop for a plan; Denton, Garland and CoServ customers cannot.
  2. Read the Electricity Facts Label for the overnight window, delivery charges and any EV exclusions before you sign.
  3. Set the car's scheduled charging so it finishes inside the plan's cheap or free hours.
Plugging a home charger into an electric car
Photo: Joel Heyd / Zaptec / Unsplash
Not in Dallas-Fort Worth? This guide covers DFW only. Houston: CenterPoint Energy delivers power in most of the metro and you choose a retail provider, but Entergy Texas customers, including parts of The Woodlands, cannot; see the Houston page. Austin: Austin Energy is owned by the city, so most Austin homes cannot pick a retail plan; see the Austin page for its EV programs. San Antonio: CPS Energy is owned by the city and has not joined the retail market; see the San Antonio page.

First: can you choose at all?

Most of DFW is in the part of Texas where you pick your own electricity company. In that area, Oncor owns the poles, wires and meters and handles outages, but it does not sell you power. You buy power from a retail electric provider (REP), and the REP's bill includes Oncor's delivery charges. So the plan you pick sets your charging cost, while Oncor is who you call when the lights go out.

Not everyone in DFW has that choice. Under Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) rules, city-owned utilities and electric co-ops decide for themselves whether to join the retail market, and a city's decision to join cannot be reversed. Where they have not joined, the city council or co-op board sets rates. In North Texas, that matters most for customers of Denton Municipal Electric, Garland Power & Light and CoServ.

The utility named on your bill decides whether you can shop, not your zip code.

This trips people up. A PowerToChoose search for Denton's 76201 zip code returned 151 plans on October 8, 2026, yet many Denton addresses are served by Denton Municipal Electric and cannot switch. Check your bill before you shop.

The plan types built for overnight charging

  1. EV plans with a discounted overnight window. Energy is cheaper during set overnight hours, and some also discount weekends.
  2. Free-nights plans. The energy charge is zero during a set window. Delivery charges, the base charge and taxes still apply during those hours, so the free hours are not entirely free.
  3. Brand-linked or smart-charging plans. The provider connects to the car or its maker's system and either credits charging during set hours or schedules charging for you. These usually need the car linked through its built-in data connection (telematics), and some work only with certain brands.

What providers describe on their own sites

These are examples, not recommendations, as each provider described them on its own website in October 2026. Hours and terms change; confirm on the plan's label.

ProviderEV-related plans described
TXU EnergyFree EV Nights: no energy charge 10 p.m. to 4:59 a.m. EV Pass: half-price energy 12 a.m. to 4:59 a.m. on weeknights and all day Saturday and Sunday. Both are for single-family homes and need a provisioned smart meter.
ReliantElectric Vehicle plan: discounted rates nightly 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Free Overnight plan: free energy every night (hours not stated on the page we checked).
Tesla ElectricA Texas REP open to anyone in a retail-choice area; you do not need a Tesla. Its EV plans offer unlimited Tesla charging during the plan's charging hours for a flat monthly price. Powerwall owners can earn credits through Tesla's Virtual Power Plant. Sign-up is in the Tesla app.

Two traps to avoid

  • Some free-nights plans do not want EV owners. One TXU general free-nights plan lists homes with EVs, rooftop solar or batteries among its exclusions. A plan's name does not tell you whether it fits an EV household; the label does.
  • A free window only helps if the car charges inside it. Set the car's scheduled charging to start after the window opens and finish before it closes. In a Tesla, scheduled charging and departure time are in the charging settings; on a 32 A (amp) charger, budget roughly 30 miles of range per hour of window.

Using PowerToChoose, carefully

PowerToChoose.org is run by the PUCT, which calls it the official place to compare plans. Providers list there for free. It is a good starting point with a few caveats:

  • Confirm your utility first. As the Denton example shows, results by zip code can include plans you cannot actually buy.
  • Read the Electricity Facts Label (EFL) for every plan you consider. Every plan has one.
  • On the EFL, check: the exact free or discounted hours, the base charge, delivery charges during those hours, any minimum-usage rule, and any exclusions for EV, solar or battery homes.
  • Look at your own usage. An EV adds a large overnight load. A plan priced around an average household's usage may look different once your car is charging most nights.
  • Note the contract length and early-termination terms before you sign.

If you are on Denton, Garland or CoServ

Denton Municipal Electric (City of Denton). You cannot pick a REP, but the city offers a $1,000 rebate for an electric vehicle, funded by DME and other city money. You must live inside Denton city limits and apply within 90 days of purchase. On October 8, 2026, the city's page showed $125,000 in EV rebate funding. Read the program manual for any other conditions before you buy. We found no DME home-charger rebate; its GreenSense rebates cover efficiency upgrades.

Garland Power & Light. GP&L's EnergySaver bill credits cover A/C, heat pumps, weatherization and commercial lighting through September 30, 2027. No EV or charger program is listed on GP&L's own site. GP&L announced in September 2026 that rates drop starting October 1.

CoServ. The co-op says it does not install EV chargers and suggests hiring an electrician. Its EVX ChargeSmart pilot is closed to new sign-ups. Ask CoServ directly about any time-of-use rate before assuming one fits your schedule.

Oncor itself has no residential EV charger rebate that we could find; its EV pages are educational.

Next steps

  1. Find the utility name on your bill.
  2. If you can choose, shortlist two or three EV or free-nights plans and read each EFL.
  3. Match the plan's window to your car's scheduled charging.
  4. If you are adding a 240 V circuit, have a licensed electrician size it and pull the permit. Our home charging guide and charger planning tool help you prepare, and our directory lists charger installers in DFW.

Overnight charging also matters in summer, when the car cools itself while parked; see Texas heat. For outages, see winter storm prep.

Sources

In other cities: Houston · Austin · San Antonio. What changes for EV owners there.

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Key facts
  • Oncor delivers power in most of DFW but does not sell it; you choose a retail electric provider
  • PowerToChoose.org is run by the Public Utility Commission of Texas
  • Free-nights plans still charge delivery, base charges and taxes during the free hours
  • Some general free-nights plans exclude homes with EVs
  • City of Denton offers a $1,000 EV rebate for residents who apply within 90 days of purchase
Local shops

Independent shops, listed free and checked on their own websites. Pick your city:

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