We combine our user submitted reviews along with other reviews from Google, Facebook, Yelp, and the Public Utility Commission to grade providers.
Direct Energy is a subsidiary of NRG Energy who purchased the company for a little of 3 billion dollars in early 2021. Yep, billion with a B.
Direct Energy has good customer support grades but typically has higher than average rates. Some people find paying a little extra for an established brand and customer support woth while. But, if you are looking for the best rate availabel for your home you will likely find better options available.
Direct Energy is a retail electricity and natural gas provider that serves residential and business customers in the United States and Canada. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas and is a subsidiary of Centrica, a multinational energy and services company. In January of 2021 Centrica, Direct Energy as a subsidiary were aquired by NRG Energy.
Direct Energy was founded in 1986 in Toronto, Canada, and has since expanded its operations across North America. The company provides electricity and natural gas services to over 4 million customers, making it one of the largest retail energy providers in North America.
Direct Energy offers a range of energy plans to meet the needs of its customers, including fixed-rate plans, variable-rate plans, and green energy options. The company is committed to providing reliable and affordable energy to its customers, while also promoting energy efficiency and sustainability.
Direct Energy offers a range of products and services to help customers reduce their energy consumption and lower their bills, including smart thermostats, energy-efficient appliances, and renewable energy options. The company is also actively involved in promoting renewable energy, with a focus on wind and solar power.
In addition to providing energy services, Direct Energy offers a range of home services, including heating and cooling repair, plumbing services, and home protection plans. The company is dedicated to providing its customers with exceptional customer service, and has won numerous awards for its customer satisfaction and customer service.
If I could give Direct Energy zero stars, I would. Their average billing program is a joke. I’m now stuck with a $567 final bill, and I feel completely scammed. So much for making bills “manageable.” In my experience, their lack of honesty and transparency is unacceptable. If your program leaves customers feeling blindsided and ripped off, it’s nothing to brag about. A cute name doesn’t make a massive final bill any less outrageous. I regret giving this company my business, and they won’t get it again. Save yourself the money, frustration, and headache. Shop around—you deserve better than Direct Energy.
The refer a family or friend is a scam . They put it on the people who are signing up and are never asked… My prices are always going up and the transmission fee is outrageous
This is honestly one of the worst experiences I have ever had. dealing with any sort of company before. in the last 6 months I feel I've been over charged several times, and they've given me no simple understanding to my concerns each time I've call the CS support line. you will literally go in circles with them over the phone while their CS line speaks to you like you're not smart even to understand how to manage your bill. for example, I live in a 1x1 apartment. my light bill has been over 600 dollars!!! how can someone in such a less than 600 sq apartment have to pay that much a month in a light bill!!!
⭐ 1 Star – Extremely Disappointed with Direct Energy! I had a terrible experience with Direct Energy. They charged me $1,300 twice and then charged me another $609. Meanwhile, Gexa Energy sent me a bill for only $38. The difference is unbelievable! I am extremely frustrated and need a clear explanation of these charges. How can there be such a huge difference in electricity bills? I want Direct Energy to investigate my account, explain every charge, and refund any incorrect charges. Their response to my previous review was just a generic apology asking me to contact customer service. I need real answers and a real solution, not another generic response. I would not recommend Direct Energy based on my experience. Be careful, check your bills carefully, and make sure you understand every charge.
Was mislead about charges when a representative came
Very shitty empty promises not reliable and false promises false information
Pleasant
Almost 6 years of loyalty couldn't get 7 day extension. People are going thru it these days all of a sudden my bill jumped doing everything the same and can't get some help
Great service and lower prices.
Very efficient friendly willing to help willing to work with me over all the experience was very nice
Awesome Retail individual.. very knowledgeable
Can I give this -5 stars. I miss PEC everyday and hate they’re not available in my area. My bill has never been this high in the last 8 years. If you’d like your bill to be over 200 a month, this is the company for you. Once my contract is up, I’ll never use this company or suggest them to anyone.
Worst service to have when experiencing a hard time.
My wife has a contract with them, and they simply switched her to a much much higher rate in January. When summer came full force, it was our demise, and if she tries to switch providers right now it's a $400 goodbye fee. All under the "contract" she didn't read. Money extortion??
They have a fantastic customer relations Representative!!
Worst company ever! They recommend that you sign up for their average billing plan, making it sound like a great way to manage your monthly expenses. However, every month your bill keeps getting higher and higher, and when you reach out to customer service for help, nobody can give you a clear explanation or offer a real solution. All they do is tell you, “That’s how it works.” What is the point of offering an average billing plan if your payments keep increasing and you have no idea what to expect? The whole purpose is supposed to be predictable, manageable monthly bills, not constantly rising costs and frustrating surprises. Customer service is absolutely useless when it comes to resolving these concerns. They simply repeat the same explanation instead of taking the time to review your account and help you understand why you are being charged more. I would not recommend this company to anyone. The lack of transparency, poor customer service, and complete unwillingness to help paying customers make this an extremely frustrating experience. Think twice before signing up for their average billing plan. Save yourself the headache and look for a company that values its customers and provides honest, clear answers.
This place is horrible the business itself have no morals values they prices is ridiculous been in the same house over you're never had a $400 light bill until I got with them horrible service the customer service agents don't have a clue what's going on they don't know the policies they don't know what's new they don't know if you can upgrade to a different policy or plan they can't tell you if you can go tonight you call today they going to tell you something different if you call back tomorrow they're crazy no thank you don't go run
Unacceptable actions to my request.
Never had a problem with direct energy
So bad they charging too much
Best experience yet for customer service representative and very professional and helpful and knowledgeable about my situation!!
Got charged even after I moved out of the apartment and my contract was expired. I called to inquire about it and the customer service rep hung up on me.
This is worse Light Company I have seen in my 65 years of life they want u to pay something on your lights every week it’ don’t make sense and will theat to turn your lights off and will tell you that you have to call somebody else to help you pay your bill I’m warning you now
The worst company yet. Stayed with them for a whole year and they are the worst in customer service. Also their knowledge is unacceptable with bad service for their portal!!
Great nice
I wish there was an option for zero stars because they do not deserve even one. I have been a customer for seven years and literally questioning why I have not switched. Horrible customer service.
Outstanding
The direct energy representative gave me the number for oncore. She was very helpful & efficient.
This company price gouge their client customer by telling them they have free electricity from 9am to 5 pm. NOT TRUE..I been with this company for almost 2 1/2 months..Fist half of the month my bill was $300 plus and last 2 months my bill was $632. I just moved my services to this company because of the advertising but is fake...If you want to pay top dollar for Electricity, Direct Energy is the Company.. I moved my service from a company i was with for over 30 plus year....
Best energy best rates why wait. Great people n service. The service you expect and price you want, explanation about the rate and packages are great. The Advisor & services are exceptional and one on one interaction was greatly appreciated will help you where you need it. Made the whole process very easy and a breezy I highly recommend Direct Energy just the 👌 best
Bait and switch. People, confirm the termination fee (exorbitant $400), delivery fee and price per kWh which is way higher after all the stinkin’ fees are added in. Getting screwed over here because Direct Energy wasnt honest.
This company has done nothing but give me problems since the day I started to use them. I switched over trying to save money and that only has my bill and more but now I’m having to pay cash and can’t even prove that I’ve made my payment because of their payment system. Their customer service stinks. They don’t tell you everything you need to know and it shouldn’t be this difficult to make a cash payment.
Overall I was very happy.
Less than expected
Very hard to get any kind of answer from them. About the only thing they're good at is sending you a bill. Very poor customer service
Even though I moved out of state, I am being charged cancellation fees $295 and making it difficult for me. I have called them numerous times and they disconnect phones and never call back on an important discussion. Never will I use direct energy if I return back to Texas nor will I recommend them.
Your commercial with the woman singing about free energy every day is extremely annoying, horrible commercial and it plays over and over. Maybe get a new one, it’s really bad. Just saying. :)
Excellent service. I've never had any problems with my service. I'm about to celebrate my 7th year with Direct Energy as my electricity provider. They have very good rates and plans that adapt to the needs of each person or family.
customer service is horrible. not a fan.
The worst electricity service ever! How is it possible that they're charging me $450 for a small two-bedroom apartment when I supposedly get free nights and we're out from 7 AM to 7 PM? They're scammers!
Trash company bought by people who hate Americans. Tried to scam me out of 2000 after buying the company I was using.
Stay as far away from these crooks as possible. You sign a "contract" that protects only them, allowing them to promise "free"nights, but also raise the contract rate for daytime.service to end up charging upwards of $0.10 per KwH ABOVE the promised rate. My bill went from $200 per month to over $800 per month with ZERO extra usage. This place is a SCAM. Stay far away.
HORRIBLE ENERGY COMPANY! AVOID AT ALL COSTS! CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NOT IN AMERICA, YOU CAN BARELY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING AND THE HIDDEN FEES ARE RIDICULOUS!! RUNNN!!THE ONLY REASON WHY I WAS WITH THEM IS BECAUSE THEY AQUIRED MY PREVIOUS ELECTRICTY COMPANY. MY BILL WENT UP INSTANTLY BY $200! THEN WHEN I CALLED TO CANCEL, THEY CHARGE A CANCELLATION FEE FOR A CONTRACT THAT I NEVER SIGNED!! MY BUSINESS WAS AQUIRED BY THEM, I NEVER CHOSE THEM SO A CANCELLATION FEE SHOULD BE APPLICABLE. DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH THESE CROOKS!
Very easy to do with representative that helped me go through the steps not a problem at all
Worst Provider of Electricty around - Beware
This is a great company!
⭐⭐ Very bad experience with DirecEnergy. I feel they have excessive charges and a lack of transparency when explaining the fees. Furthermore, their communication is very poor: they are unclear about who the responsible contacts are or who to speak to in order to resolve a problem. When someone pays for a service, the least they expect is clarity, transparency, and good customer service. In my experience, DirecEnergy needs to improve significantly in these areas. I do not recommend signing up without first asking questions and thoroughly verifying all charges and terms.
Easy to setup my account but it took overnight to get confirmation that my account was setup. Almost 24 hours.
Pay over $120 when my bill with Ohm Connect was only ever $70 even on the hottest of days here in TX!!! A $50 Increase in a studio is enough for you to keep shopping around!!!!
Good competitive rates and incentives
This used to be such a great energy company. I have been a customer at various properties over 10 years. Over the past few months, something changed. Admittedly I am often late on my bill and that has always come with a 5% fee. Ok, fine, makes sense but recently they have started sending out disconnect notices super quick which comes with an additional $30 fee. When I say quick, I mean after a bill is 2 days late… 2 days! It’s a money grab that has never, and I mean never been the way they maneuvered. I tried to talk about it with them and they just doubled down. I’m disappointed and will be finding a new company who actually cares about their customers and understands that things happen.
I can’t recommend people to use Direct energy for the first time I have one bedroom and the send to me bills for $479.89 I’m so disappointed why I change my old energy company..
I love this electric company they have been nothing but the best
Nightmare from start to finish. Customer service extremely poor. So disappointed with the service we received.
Where do I start! This company send people to your house to tell you lies, offered to get quotes they are discontinuing your current company. Do not fill out anything you are getting scammed, your bill will be significantly higher. A credit was offer to pay for termination fee and was said to be applied to my account but the funny thing is it was applied to a one week bill I still had to pay 50 dollars to keep my lights on. No worries will be going back to TXU asap get your early termination fee in court.
Terrible! Terrible! Am being charged $450 a month for electricity. Is that not stealing by tricks? Same house, family members reduced and then bill skips from 100+ to $450 standard monthly payment. God the past 4months they charge me $450 a month
All I needed was the most basic plan. Tried online the system wouldn’t let me. I have called and they put me on hold for over 2 hrs back and forth from residential to commercial department. Finally got through they misspelled my email address and I did not get my account number and the instruction to install my electricity account. I won’t use you because of customer service.
Direct Energy is a great company with great incentives.
Sales person told me there wasn’t a contract , which was a lie the rates are high and now I am stuck for another year because this company hires people you can’t trust to be truthful .. Such an honest company
Had questions regarding signing up for further service after my contract was purchased from a previous service provided.
They are quick clear speaking and professional 👏 👌
Very good rights very friendly and very knowledgeable
Thank u
All and all great customer service and fast transfer
My bills have been way less since I did the Direct Energy Half on/ half off plan. Sometimes they are less than my water bill!
I had very bad experience this company I move to my apartment I call them to getting my service two weeks later I had my charges 55 dollars I paid. 2 days later other company charge me for electricity I call direct energy what is going on. They tell me I don’t have account if I want they open other account two weeks later I call them they tell me putting service wrong place I ask for my money this two months today I don’t get my money. They’re Scammers
Please don't do it light bill will be extremely high. And if you're late on your light bill the next day they will add $30 to your light bill like if I can't afford it on that day what make you think I can afford 30 more dollars the next day that's so weird . No help no help with extensions or nothing
Thank you, Direct Energy, for providing clear information and helpful assistance. Your service is much appreciated.
I can appreciate your service!
I could always depend on Direct Energy to work with me on my bill if circumstances came up. They are very helpful. I am happy with them as my electric provider.
Excellent electric co
One star is too many. Didn’t receive a transfer letter when these people took over my account, now I can’t log in to their website. Threatening to shut off my power.
I am one of those people when I commit to something i stick with it i was loyal to a energy company that didn't have my best interest at heart and stayed with that company regardless but my spirit led me to Direct energy free day's plan best decision I ever made
Very disappointing experience with Direct Energy. We didn’t choose to become customers—our existing two-year electricity contract was transferred to them during its final 45 days. Since the transfer, our bill has been over $100 higher despite using essentially the same amount of electricity as this time last year. When I called for an explanation, I was told they were “honoring our rate” and the increase was blamed on delivery charges, yet they provided no clear explanation or documentation showing how those charges accounted for such a significant increase. The response felt dismissive and unprofessional. Based on both the billing and customer service experience, I would not recommend Direct Energy.
Great service wonderful knowledgeable staff. Overall customer support is incomparable.
In the beginning everything was fine had been okay but recently the female representative all she thought about was my balance I owed she didn't acknowledge I had just paid 275$ towards by bill and told me I'd be disconnected by the 10th of August 2026 if I didn't pay the 70$ balance I was trying to get an extension for the 25th of August to pay the 70_ with the new bill. She never comprehended to understand what I was saying all she wanted was for me to pay more money I called because I had no money
Been having them for couple years love the service
Our mission is to provide accurate and helpful data and content to help you make an informed decision when comparing energy providers.
Plans and Rates:
We review all available plans from every licensed energy provider. Then we rank the lowest available rate from each provider. Providers then receive a rating based on what percentile their lowest plan ranks.
For example, Provider A has the 3rd lowest-priced plan, while Provider B has the 45th lowest-priced plan out of 46 providers who submitted plans to PUC. Provider A will have a rating of 5, while Provider B will have a rating of 1.
Customer Service:
We scrape online reviews from Google, Yelp, BBB, and Trust Pilot to determine what customers are saying about the provider. The rating reflects the aggregate of all online reviews.
Renewable Options:
The rating system is based on the availability of renewable energy options. A 5-star rating is awarded to entities that offer a fully renewable option, signifying 100% renewable energy usage. A 4-star rating is given to those that provide a mix of energy sources, with more than 50% coming from renewable sources. Entities with renewable energy options exceeding the state average of 31.1% receive a 3-star rating, while those offering less than 31.1% renewable options are rated with 2 stars. Lastly, a 1-star rating is assigned to those with no renewable energy options, indicating a lack of commitment to sustainable energy practices.
PUC Rating:
The Public Utility Commission publishes a rating for each provider based on the number of formal complaints filed against the provider in comparison to how many customers they have.
For example, a provider with 10 formal complaints out of 10,000 customers would have a 1-star rating whereas a provider with 10 complaints and 1,000,000 customers would have a 5-star rating.
The GridHacker rating uses a weighted average that prioritizes rates and customer service over renewable options and PUC rating. We do this because we feel that for most customers price and service are the two most important factors when they are shopping for an electricity plan.
A good price per kWh in Texas typically ranges from 9 to 13 cents, depending on various factors such as the type of plan, market conditions, and location. Fixed-rate plans offer stable pricing, while variable-rate plans can fluctuate. It's important to compare different plans and providers to find the best rate for your energy needs. Using GridHacker, you can easily compare and enroll in plans from top providers directly on our website to ensure you're getting a competitive rate.
Texas electricity rates are determined by several factors:
Understanding these components helps explain why electricity prices can vary and how you can find the best plan for your needs. With GridHacker, you can easily compare and enroll in plans from different providers right on our website.
Bills can be paid online through the Direct Energy website, through the Direct Energy app, by phone, by mail, or at authorized payment locations.
Yes, Direct Energy offers several renewable energy plans such as the Direct Energy Solar Saver plan, which provides solar energy without the need for solar panels, and the Direct Energy Wind Power plan, which offers 100% wind energy.
You can enroll in a Direct Energy plan directly on the GridHacker website. We are Direct Energy partner, so when you sign up through our website we work directly with any provider you choose to make sure your service is turned on ASAP.
Direct Energy offers fixed-rate, variable-rate, and prepaid plans. Specific plans include the Direct Energy Live Brighter plan, which offers a fixed rate, and the Direct Energy Free Power Weekends plan, which provides free electricity every weekend.
