Meet Chariot Energy: Sunshine for Everyone
Key Takeaways
- Chariot Energy offers 100% solar power without requiring you to install expensive rooftop panels.
- They provide completely transparent fixed-rate options, including competitive solar buyback and free nights plans.
- Customers manage billing through a newly updated online portal, as Chariot does not currently offer a native app.
If you are searching for a clean electricity provider in Texas, Chariot Energy provides 100% solar power backed by its parent company, 174 Power Global, without requiring you to install a single rooftop panel. Based in Houston, this provider stands out by vertically integrating its energy supply, meaning it generates the solar electricity it sells directly to you. Whether you rent an apartment or own a home, switching to their renewable energy plans offers a straightforward way to reduce your carbon footprint while locking in competitive and predictable rates.
Why Choose Chariot Energy
Navigating the deregulated energy market can feel overwhelming, but looking at a straightforward breakdown of a provider’s strengths and weaknesses makes the decision easier. Here is a look at what Chariot Energy does well and where they might fall short for some customers.
- Pro: Solar Made Simple. You get 100% clean energy without the upfront cost, permits, or maintenance of physical solar panels.
- Pro: Backing You Can Trust. They are owned by a global energy giant (Hanwha Group). This financial stability means they aren’t likely to fold overnight like some smaller “fly-by-night” retail energy providers.
- Pro: Local Customer Service. Their support team is based right in Houston, meaning you speak directly to fellow Texans when you call for assistance.
- Con: No Mobile App. Unlike some top-tier competitors, there is no dedicated native application for iOS or Android, which forces users to rely on the mobile web portal.
- Con: Higher Base Rates for “Free” Plans. If your household doesn’t strictly follow the off-peak hours for their Free Nights plans, the daytime rates can drive your monthly bill higher than a standard fixed plan.
Chariot Energy Plans and Pricing
*plans and pricing may vary by area. Plans based on Houston Centerpoint service area. Chariot Energy plans and pricing are designed to accommodate a wide variety of Texas lifestyles. We always advise reviewing a provider’s options closely to ensure you pick a plan that matches your specific household energy consumption.
| Plan Name | Rate /kWH | Plan Term | Cancellation Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GridPlus 13 | 7¢ | 13 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| GridPlus 12 | 7.5¢ | 100 Months | $12 | Check Availability |
| GridPlus 18 | 8.3¢ | 18 Months | $15.00 | Check Availability |
| GridPlus 24 | 9.4¢ | 24 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| GridPlus 15 | 10¢ | 15 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| GridPlus 36 | 10.9¢ | 36 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Bright Nights 12 | 12¢ | 12 Months | $15 per remaining month | Check Availability |
| Bright Nights 18 | 12.3¢ | 18 Months | $15 per remaining month | Check Availability |
| Bright Nights 24 | 12.4¢ | 24 Months | $15 per remaining month | Check Availability |
| Chariot Choice 24 | 13.1¢ | 24 Months | $150.00 | Check Availability |
| Free Days 12 | 13.2¢ | 12 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Solarize 12 | 13.4¢ | 12 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Chariot Choice 36 | 13.4¢ | 36 Months | $150.00 | Check Availability |
| Free Nights 36 | 13.5¢ | 36 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Free Nights 24 | 13.6¢ | 24 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Free Nights 18 | 13.6¢ | 18 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Bright Nights 36 | 13.9¢ | 36 Months | $15 per remaining month | Check Availability |
| Free Days 18 | 13.9¢ | 18 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Free Days 36 | 14.1¢ | 36 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Solarize 24 | 14.3¢ | 24 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Solarize 36 | 14.4¢ | 36 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Free Nights 12 | 14.4¢ | 12 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Free Days 24 | 14.6¢ | 24 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Free Days 15 | 15.4¢ | 15 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Chariot Freedom | 15.6¢ | Month to Month | $0.00 | Check Availability |
| Free Nights 15 | 15.8¢ | 15 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| FreeDays 36 | 16.1¢ | 36 Months | $15.00 | Check Availability |
| PowerBank 24 | 17.7¢ | 24 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| GridMax 12 | 19.2¢ | 12 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| GridMax 36 | 19.3¢ | 36 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| GridMax 15 | 19.5¢ | 15 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| GridMax 18 | 19.5¢ | 18 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| GridMax 24 | 20.8¢ | 24 Months | $15 x Month | Check Availability |
| Plan Name | Best For | Key Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Solarize | Standard households & renters | Simple, transparent fixed rate for 12, 24, or 36 months. |
| Shine | Homes with existing solar panels | Credits excess generated energy back to your account. |
| Free Nights | EV owners & night owls | Free usage from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. |
| Free Days | Remote workers & stay-at-home parents | Free electricity from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
Fixed-Rate Versus Variable-Rate Plans
Most of the featured options from Chariot are fixed-rate contracts. The “Solarize” plan is their bread-and-butter offering, locking in a predictable rate for 12 to 36 months. This protects your household budget from the wild price spikes that frequently hit the Texas energy grid during summer heatwaves and winter freezes. While they do offer variable-rate, month-to-month options once a contract expires, we strongly suggest securing a fixed term to keep your Chariot Energy rates stable.
Solar Buyback and Renewable Initiatives
The Chariot Energy solar buyback program, commonly known as the “Shine” plan, is explicitly designed for homeowners who have already installed physical solar panels. If your panels produce more energy than your house consumes, you become a “net exporter.” Chariot buys back that excess power, crediting your account. One of the biggest perks of this initiative is that your unused energy credits roll over from month to month and do not expire as long as you remain a loyal Chariot customer. This overarching commitment to 100% renewable energy sets them apart from providers who merely buy certificates to “offset” dirty power.
Free Nights and Weekends Plans
Chariot Energy free nights plans are ideal for consumers who can drastically shift their energy usage to off-peak hours. Between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., your electricity usage is entirely free. This makes it an environmentally mindful choice for electric vehicle (EV) owners who charge overnight or households willing to run their dishwashers and laundry machines while they sleep. However, be cautious: the daytime rate on these plans is typically much higher than a standard fixed rate, so closely monitor your daytime AC usage.
Top Chariot Energy Comparisons
Comparing Chariot Energy to other major providers can help you decide if they are the right fit for your home. Below are a few of our top head-to-head reviews.
Coverage Area in Texas
Chariot Energy Texas operations cover the vast majority of the state’s deregulated electricity market. If you live within an ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) zone and have the power to choose your electricity provider, there is a very high likelihood that you can sign up for their services.
Major Cities Served:
Utility Service Areas (TDUs):
- CenterPoint Energy: Covering the greater Houston metropolitan area and surrounding coastal communities.
- Oncor Electric Delivery: Servicing Dallas, Fort Worth, and vast portions of West and Central Texas.
- AEP Texas (North and Central): Handling Corpus Christi, Abilene, and much of South Texas.
- Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP): Operating in scattered deregulated zones including parts of the Gulf Coast and North Texas.
- Lubbock Power & Light: Now fully integrated into the competitive ERCOT marketplace.
Deals, Discounts, and Fees
Understanding the fine print is critical when choosing a new electricity provider. We value transparency, and knowing exactly what fees to expect will help you make a more confident decision.
- Early Termination Fees (ETFs): Breaking a fixed-rate contract before it expires incurs a penalty. Chariot typically charges an ETF of $15 for every month remaining on your 12, 24, or 36-month plan. If you cancel with 10 months left, you will pay a $150 fee. Fortunately, this fee is legally waived if you move to a new residence and provide forwarding proof.
- No-Deposit Options: A soft credit check is required at sign-up. If you meet the credit threshold, you skip the deposit entirely. If you don’t, you might be asked for a refundable deposit (often around $275). You can legally bypass this deposit if you are 65 or older, a victim of family violence, or can present a “Letter of Credit” from your previous energy company.
- The Fusion Program: This innovative perk rewards customers who own home battery energy storage systems (BESS). By enrolling, you allow Chariot to draw a tiny amount of your stored battery power during extreme grid emergencies, and in return, you earn financial rewards and bill credits.
Managing Your Account: Login and Mobile App
Efficiently managing your household utilities requires functional digital tools. Following a major platform upgrade in early 2026, the Chariot Energy login experience has migrated to a more robust, streamlined online portal.
To access your account, simply navigate to their official website and click the login portal at the top right of the homepage. From this dashboard, you can view your real-time usage, set up autopay, manage your rolling solar buyback credits, and download past statements.
Many users actively search for a Chariot Energy app in the iOS App Store or Google Play Store. Currently, Chariot does not offer a native mobile app. However, the newly migrated 2026 web portal is fully mobile-optimized, ensuring you can smoothly pay bills and monitor your energy consumption directly from your smartphone’s web browser.
How to Report an Outage
During a storm or unexpected grid event, your first instinct might be to dial the Chariot energy phone number. However, retail electric providers do not maintain the physical power lines or restore electricity. If your lights go out, you must contact your local Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU) directly.
Save your local TDU emergency contact number in your phone so you are prepared:
- CenterPoint Energy: 1-800-332-7143
- Oncor Electric Delivery: 1-888-313-4747
- AEP Texas: 1-866-223-8508
- Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP): 1-888-866-7456
Customer Reviews and Complaints
Evaluating real Chariot Energy reviews is essential for getting a complete picture of the company. Their customer service reputation features a mix of high praise and specific operational complaints.
On the positive side, customers frequently applaud Chariot’s transparent pricing. Their flat-rate “Solarize” plans usually match the Electricity Facts Label (EFL) exactly, meaning there are rarely hidden fees or surprise bill credits that fail to trigger. Additionally, many Texans praised their proactive communication and customer support response times during recent winter storm events.
Conversely, a look at recent Better Business Bureau (BBB) complaints highlights friction points primarily centered around the early 2026 portal migration. Several users reported brief discrepancies between the balance shown on their physical paper bills and the balance displayed inside the new online portal. While Chariot Energy customer service reps typically resolve these syncing issues quickly, it remains a notable frustration for some transitioning users.
Is Chariot Energy Right for Your Home?
Choosing the best utility provider ultimately comes down to your personal values and household habits. We break down exactly who this provider serves best.
The Ideal Chariot Customer:
- Eco-Conscious Renters: You want to support 100% solar energy but live in an apartment where installing panels is impossible.
- Solar Panel Owners: You need a robust buyback plan (like the Shine plan) that rolls your unused credits over month-to-month.
- EV Owners: You want to leverage the “Free Nights” plan to charge your electric vehicle overnight at zero cost.
Who Should Avoid Them:
- Absolute Lowest-Price Shoppers: If you do not care about renewable energy and simply want the absolute cheapest baseline rate on the market (often sourced from natural gas or coal), you might find slightly lower rates elsewhere.
- App-Reliant Users: If you strongly prefer paying your bills and tracking daily usage through a dedicated, native mobile app, the lack of an iOS/Android application might be a dealbreaker.
Deep Dive: Solar Generation and Future Horizons

Most “green” energy companies in Texas operate as marketing firms. They buy Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from distant wind farms to offset the traditional power you consume. Chariot sets itself apart through its vertical integration. When you pay your monthly statement, you effectively pay the very people who built the infrastructure to capture the sun’s power.
Current Generation: The Oberon Solar Project
The backbone of Chariot’s renewable promise is the Oberon Solar Project, a massive utility-scale facility located in Ector County, Texas, just outside of Odessa. This industrial powerhouse was designed specifically to feed clean energy directly into the Texas grid.
- Scale: The facility spans roughly 1,200 acres.
- Technology: It utilizes over 560,000 photovoltaic panels. These are often supplied by Q CELLS, another subsidiary of the Hanwha Group, ensuring quality control.
- Capacity: The plant boasts a capacity of 180 Megawatts (MW), generating enough electricity to power approximately 30,000 Texas homes annually.
Future Goals: Beyond Simple Solar
Chariot Energy and its parent company, 174 Power Global, are aggressively expanding into next-generation energy infrastructure to address the grid’s limitations.
174 Power Global maintains an active development pipeline of over 8 Gigawatts (GW) of solar projects across North America. To put that in perspective, that is roughly 40 times the size of their Oberon project. Furthermore, because solar panels obviously don’t generate power at night, the company is actively developing large-scale Energy Storage Systems (ESS). By building massive battery banks next to solar farms, they can soak up excess power during sunny afternoons when electricity is cheap and deploy it to the grid at sunset when demand peaks.
In another major strategic move, 174 Power Global recently formed a joint venture with energy giant TotalEnergies to develop 1.6 GW of solar and storage projects in the U.S. This influx of capital ensures that Chariot will retain a stable, expanding supply of renewable energy for decades to come.
Switching to Chariot Energy for Your Texas Home
Making the switch to an eco-conscious alternative doesn’t have to be complicated or shockingly expensive. Chariot Energy successfully merges the environmental benefits of 100% solar power with the financial stability of fixed-rate contracts. By controlling the solar supply chain from the West Texas farms directly to your residential meter, they offer a uniquely transparent product in an otherwise crowded energy marketplace. If you value sustainable initiatives and straightforward pricing, they deserve a strong look for your next utility contract.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chariot Energy
Does Chariot Energy require a deposit?
It depends entirely on your credit history. When you enroll, they run a soft credit check that does not hurt your score. If you have good credit, no deposit is required. If you are still building credit, you may need to pay a refundable deposit, which is often around $275. You can waive this deposit if you are 65 or older, a victim of family violence, or can provide a “Letter of Credit” from your last energy provider showing you paid your bills on time for the past 12 months.
Who owns Chariot Energy?
Chariot Energy was founded in 2019 and is a direct subsidiary of 174 Power Global. 174 Power Global is, in turn, owned by the Hanwha Group, a massive international conglomerate known for its heavy investments in global solar manufacturing and renewable energy infrastructure.
How do I cancel my Chariot Energy plan?
If you need to cancel your service, you can do so by calling their customer support line or managing your transition through the online web portal. Keep in mind that if you are breaking a fixed-rate contract early just to switch to a new provider, you will likely face an Early Termination Fee (ETF) of $15 for every month remaining on your term. However, if you are physically moving to a new address, you can cancel without any penalty by simply providing proof of your move.
Does Chariot Energy really generate its own solar power?
Yes, and this is one of their biggest selling points. Most “green” energy companies simply buy certificates to offset the dirty energy you use. Chariot’s parent company actively builds, maintains, and owns massive solar farms in Texas, like the Oberon Solar Project. When you sign up, your money directly supports the company creating the clean energy.
Can I still sign up if I don’t have solar panels on my roof?
Absolutely. You do not need to own panels to use their services. Their standard “Solarize” and “Free Nights” plans are specifically designed for regular homes and apartments. They feed large-scale solar energy into the Texas grid on your behalf, and you pull power from your wall outlets just like normal.
Is the Free Nights plan actually free?
Yes, but strictly during the specified hours. You pay $0.00 for electricity used between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The catch is that the rate you pay during the daytime is usually noticeably higher than a standard fixed plan. If you work from home and run your air conditioner heavily at noon, this plan might actually end up costing you more overall.
How does the solar buyback work if I have panels?
If your personal rooftop panels produce more energy than your house consumes, the excess energy flows back into the grid. Under their “Shine” plan, Chariot gives you rolling bill credits for that excess generation. These credits roll over month-to-month and do not expire while you are an active customer, though you cannot cash them out for a physical check.
About the Author
David has been an integral part of some of the biggest utility sites on the internet, including InMyArea.com, HighSpeedInternet.com, BroadbandNow.com, and U.S. News. He brings over 15 years of experience writing about, compiling and analyzing utility data.
