We combine our user submitted reviews along with other reviews from Google, Facebook, Yelp, and the Public Utility Commission to grade providers.
Express Energy is the cheapest way to buy electricity from Vistra, and the trade-off is that you're mostly on your own.
The pricing is real. As of July 2026, Express plans have been running meaningfully below the Texas market average at the 1,000 kWh benchmark. They achieve that by removing things — no paper bills, no call-center-first service model, no rewards program, no smart home integrations. If you want to enroll online, pay online, and never think about it again, that's a fair deal.
Two details worth knowing before you sign. First, their cancellation structure is genuinely better than most: $20 per remaining month means leaving a contract with two months left costs $40, not the flat $150 to $250 that many Texas REPs charge. Second, several Express plans are bill-credit products — the advertised rate assumes you clear a monthly usage threshold. Their straight fixed-rate plans avoid that entirely and are usually the safer pick if your usage varies.
Their PUC complaint score held at 1 of 5 in our July 2026 review, the weakest mark in the Value Based Brands family. Worth weighing against the price.
Express Energy is a retail electricity provider that launched in Texas in 2017 as the third brand under Value Based Brands, alongside 4Change Energy and Veteran Energy. Value Based Brands is a subsidiary of Vistra Corp, which also owns TXU Energy.
Express runs on a deliberately stripped-down model. The company has forgone paper billing and in-person customer service to cut overhead, passing the savings into rates — the brand motto is "No Frills. Low Bills." Account management is entirely online or through the mobile app.
Plans are fixed-rate across 12 to 36-month terms, with a 100% renewable upgrade available and a 60-day satisfaction guarantee for new customers. The early termination fee is $20 per remaining month rather than a flat penalty. PUC certificate #10041, verified July 2026.
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.
In Texas, your electricity provider is the company that you buy your electricity from, i.e., they send your electricity bill. Texas's well-known electricity providers include TXU Energy, Reliant Energy, and Direct Energy.
On the other hand, your utility company handles the delivery of electricity to your home. This includes the powerlines, transformers, and all the different hardware needed to get your home powered up. The two largest electric utilities in Texas are Oncor and CenterPoint.
