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Champion Energy Review 2026: Best Plans, Real Rates & the Rollover Trap
Updated on September 28, 2026
16 min read
Champion Energy is a Houston-based Texas electricity provider, part of Calpine and now Constellation Energy, that sells fixed-rate plans with no base charge and no minimum-usage fee. On a live quote for ZIP 75078 (Oncor) on September 23, 2026, Champion Energy offered six residential plans from 12.9¢ to 14.7¢ per kWh at 2,000 kWh. At the 1,000 kWh a typical Texas home uses, Champ Saver 6 cost about 13.1¢, and over a full year of real usage it was the lowest-cost plan we priced across four Texas brands.
Last updated September 23, 2026 · Prices verified September 23, 2026 from a live championenergyservices.com quote for ZIP 75078 (Prosper, TX — Oncor delivery) and Champion’s six Electricity Facts Labels dated September 23, 2026. TXU Energy and Discount Power comparison quotes were pulled September 21, 2026.
TL;DR
- Cheapest Champion Energy plan: Champ Saver 6 at 6.7¢ energy — 13.1¢ at 1,000 kWh with Oncor delivery, about $131 a month and $1,780 over a real Texas year. It replaced Champ Saver 9 this week at the same price with a shorter, 6-month term.
- No base charge on any plan. Every Champion Energy price is an energy charge plus Oncor’s pass-through, so the 500-to-2,000 kWh spread is 0.6¢ instead of the 10¢-plus swings on bill-credit plans.
- Six plans at ZIP 75078: Champ Saver 6, 12 and 24, Champ Silver 24 (age 60+), Green Energy 24 (100% wind) and Free Weekends 24. Advertised prices are 2,000-kWh averages; add about 0.2¢ at 1,000 kWh.
- Early termination fees: $150 on the 6- and 12-month plans, $250 on every 24-month plan, waived if you move.
- The trap is at the end, not the start: do nothing when the term expires and Champion rolls you onto a month-to-month variable rate. Set a reminder for the last month.
- Extras: indexed solar buyback on every residential plan, a 60+ plan, deposit waiver at 65+, 24/7 phone support and BBB A+ accreditation.
What is Champion Energy?
Champion Energy is a retail electric provider (REP) in the deregulated Texas market. It sells the electricity; your local utility — such as Oncor or CenterPoint — owns the wires, reads the meter and handles outages. Champion Energy Services, LLC holds PUCT certificate #10098 and also sells power in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey and Maryland.
Champion’s pitch is simplicity: “The price you see is the price you pay. No Fine Print.” Its Texas residential plans carry no monthly base charge and no minimum-usage fee, which makes them easier to compare than plans built on bill credits and usage thresholds.
Champion Energy plans and rates (September 2026)
These are every Champion Energy residential plan offered for ZIP 75078 on September 23, 2026. The 2,000-kWh price and energy charge come from the plan cards, and every 500- and 1,000-kWh price below matches the plan’s own Electricity Facts Label to the tenth of a cent. Note the change since our September 21 check: Champion retired Champ Saver 9 and replaced it with Champ Saver 6 at the identical 6.7¢ energy charge.
| Plan | Term | Energy charge | 500 kWh | 1,000 kWh | 2,000 kWh (card) | Bill at 1,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champ Saver 6 | 6 months | 6.7¢ | 13.5¢ | 13.1¢ | 12.9¢ | $131 |
| Champ Saver 12 | 12 months | 7.3¢ | 14.1¢ | 13.7¢ | 13.5¢ | $137 |
| Champ Silver 24 (age 60+) | 24 months | 7.8¢ | 14.6¢ | 14.2¢ | 14.0¢ | $142 |
| Champ Saver 24 | 24 months | 7.9¢ | 14.7¢ | 14.3¢ | 14.1¢ | $143 |
| Free Weekends 24 | 24 months | 11.3¢ weekdays, 0¢ weekends | ~14.7¢* | ~14.3¢* | 14.1¢ | ~$143* |
| Green Energy 24 (100% wind) | 24 months | 8.5¢ | 15.3¢ | 14.9¢ | 14.7¢ | $149 |
All prices include Oncor delivery of $4.06 a month plus 6.0295¢ per kWh. *Free Weekends estimates assume about 30% of usage falls on weekends, the share implied by its 14.1¢ card price; your actual price depends on when you use power.
What happens when you check a real Champion Energy address?
To see what Champion actually charges, we pulled the Champion shop page for ZIP 75078 on September 21 and again on September 23, 2026, opened every plan’s details and read all six Electricity Facts Labels. Here is what the quote showed beyond the plan cards.
| What the ZIP 75078 quote showed | Detail |
|---|---|
| Plans offered | Six: Champ Saver 6, 12 and 24; Champ Silver 24; Green Energy 24; Free Weekends 24. Champ Saver 24 was the “Featured Offer.” |
| Advertised price | Every card shows the 2,000-kWh average (“Based on 2000 kWh”). |
| Base charge | $0.00 on the Champ Silver-24 EFL. The cards for Saver 12, Saver 24, Silver 24 and Free Weekends say “No monthly fee or minimum usage requirement,” and every card price reproduces with no base charge. |
| Oncor delivery | 6.0295¢ per kWh plus $4.06 per month, passed through without markup. |
| Early termination fee | $150 on Champ Saver 6 and 12; $250 on every 24-month plan (Saver 24, Silver 24, Green Energy 24, Free Weekends 24). Waived if you move and provide a forwarding address. |
| Renewable content | 24.7% on Champ Silver-24 (statewide average: 37.2%); Green Energy 24 is sourced from 100% wind. |
| Senior plan | Champ Silver 24 is for customers 60 and older — 14.2¢ at 1,000 kWh. |
| Free Weekends | Free energy from midnight Friday to 11:59 p.m. Sunday; weekday energy is 11.3¢ per kWh. |
| Solar | “All Plans include Indexed Solar Buyback,” credited at ERCOT wholesale prices. |
| Customer care | 1-877-653-5090, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (closed federal holidays), plus live chat. |
Why Champion Energy’s prices barely move with usage
Because there is no base charge, the only fixed cost on a Champion bill is Oncor’s $4.06 monthly customer charge. That is why Champ Saver 6 costs 13.5¢ at 500 kWh, 13.1¢ at 1,000 and 12.9¢ at 2,000 — a spread of just 0.6¢. Compare Discount Power’s Bill Credit Bundle 9, which swings from 21.8¢ to 8.9¢ between 500 and 1,000 kWh because of a $125 credit.
The Champ Silver-24 EFL confirms the math: 7.8¢ energy plus 6.0295¢ delivery plus $4.06 a month gives 14.6¢, 14.2¢ and 14.0¢ at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh — exactly the figures on the label.
What the six Champion Energy Electricity Facts Labels say
Champion’s plan cards are unusually honest, but the Electricity Facts Label is still the document that binds. We read all six Oncor EFLs on September 23, 2026 (every one is versioned FIXED-EFL-20251211 or TOU-EFL-20251211 and dated 9/23/2026). Here is what they add to the plan cards.
| Plan (plan code) | Term | Energy charge | Base charge | Early termination fee | Renewable content |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champ Saver 6 (PN5133) | 6 months | 6.7¢ | $0.00 | $150 | 24.7% |
| Champ Saver 12 (PN5127) | 12 months | 7.3¢ | $0.00 | $150 | 24.7% |
| Champ Silver 24 (PN5131), age 60+ | 24 months | 7.8¢ | $0.00 | $250 | 24.7% |
| Champ Saver 24 (PN5134) | 24 months | 7.9¢ | $0.00 | $250 | 24.7% |
| Free Weekends 24 (PN5132) | 24 months | 11.3¢ weekdays, 0¢ Sat–Sun | $0.00 | $250 | 24.7% |
| Green Energy 24 (PN5129) | 24 months | 8.5¢ | $0.00 | $250 | 100% wind |
Three things stand out. First, the base charge really is $0.00 on every plan, which is rare in Oncor territory — TXU, Reliant, Direct Energy and 4Change all carry a monthly base charge or a usage-credit threshold on their headline plans. Second, the early termination fee scales with the term: $150 on 6 and 12 months, $250 on 24 months. Champion’s Terms of Service waive it if you move and give a forwarding address. Third, the renewable content on the standard plans is 24.7%, well under the 37.2% Texas average the EFL prints beside it; only Green Energy 24 is 100% wind, and it costs 0.6¢ per kWh more than Champ Saver 24.
The Free Weekends EFL is the one to read twice. Weekends run “from 12:01 am Saturday to 11:59 pm Sunday,” so Friday night is a weekday. Its 14.3¢ average at 1,000 kWh only reproduces if about 30% of your usage lands on Saturday and Sunday. Below that share, you are paying 11.3¢ for weekday energy — 4.6¢ more than Champ Saver 6 — for a plan that costs the same on paper.
Champion Energy vs. TXU, Discount Power and Payless Power
We priced four Texas brands at the same ZIP on the same day. Champion’s cheapest plan beat every plan without a bill credit at 1,000 kWh, and it beat all of them — including Discount Power’s $89 bill-credit plan — over a full year of real usage.
| Plan (ZIP 75078, Sept 21, 2026) | 1,000 kWh | Sample-year cost | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champion Energy Champ Saver 6 | 13.1¢ | $1,780 | 6-month term: sign in late September and it ends in late March, ahead of summer pricing |
| Discount Power Wise Buy 9 | 13.2¢ | $1,842 | $9.95 usage charge under 1,000 kWh |
| Champion Energy Champ Saver 12 | 13.7¢ | $1,862 | — |
| Payless Power 12 Month Postpaid | 15.5¢ | — | Credit check; prepaid version costs 18.7¢ |
| TXU Energy Simple Rate 12 | 16.6¢ | $2,239 | $9.95 base charge; $150 ETF |
Sample-year cost applies each plan’s EFL charges to the same Oncor home using 13,600 kWh a year (750 kWh in April to 1,750 kWh in August). Payless postpaid is omitted from the annual column because we have not read its EFL.
The gap between Champ Saver 6 and TXU Simple Rate 12 is about $460 a year for the same home. Against Discount Power’s best plan it is a closer $62, but Champion gets there without a usage charge or credit threshold. Read our Discount Power review and TXU Energy review for the full EFL breakdowns.
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What a real Texas year costs on each Champion Energy plan
A single 1,000-kWh price hides what a plan costs across a Texas summer. We ran all six Champion Energy plans through the same 12-month profile we use for every Texas provider review — a 13,600-kWh house (800 to 1,800 kWh a month) and an 8,400-kWh apartment — using each EFL’s energy charge plus Oncor’s 6.0295¢ per kWh and $4.06 a month. Because Champion has no base charge and no credits, these numbers are exact for the fixed plans; Free Weekends uses the 30% weekend share implied by its EFL, so treat that row as an estimate.
| Plan | 13,600 kWh house | 8,400 kWh apartment | Average monthly bill (house) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champ Saver 6 | $1,780 | $1,118 | $148 |
| Champ Saver 12 | $1,862 | $1,168 | $155 |
| Champ Silver 24 (age 60+) | $1,930 | $1,210 | $161 |
| Champ Saver 24 | $1,943 | $1,219 | $162 |
| Free Weekends 24 (30% weekend use) | $1,944 | $1,220 | $162 |
| Green Energy 24 (100% wind) | $2,025 | $1,269 | $169 |
The spread from cheapest to most expensive Champion plan is $245 a year for the house and $151 for the apartment. That is the price of certainty and of green power: Champ Saver 24 costs $163 more than Champ Saver 6 over a year for a two-year lock, and Green Energy 24 adds another $82 on top of that for 100% wind. For comparison, the same house on TXU Energy Simple Rate 12 came to $2,239 and on Discount Power Wise Buy 9 to $1,842 in our September 21 quotes — so every Champion plan except Green Energy 24 beat TXU by $200 or more, and only Champ Saver 6 beat Discount Power’s best plan.
Notice how flat the apartment column is. With no base charge, a low-usage home is not punished the way it is on plans with a $9.95 monthly fee or a 1,000-kWh credit threshold. An 8,400-kWh apartment pays $93 a month on Champ Saver 6, and the plan’s 500-kWh average (13.5¢) is only 0.4¢ above its 1,000-kWh average.
Which Champion Energy plan should you pick?
For most homes, Champ Saver 6 is the value pick: the lowest energy charge (6.7¢), no base charge and the lowest early termination fee ($150). The catch is the short term. Sign in late September and it ends in late March, so you will be shopping again before summer — which is actually the right time to shop, because spring is when ERCOT fixed rates tend to be softest. If you would rather not think about it for a year, Champ Saver 12 adds only 0.6¢ per kWh, about $82 a year for the sample home, and carries the same $150 fee.
The 24-month plans cost more for the extra certainty. Champ Silver 24 for customers 60 and older is 0.1¢ cheaper than Champ Saver 24, but Saver 12 is cheaper than both, so seniors who don’t need a two-year lock can do better. Free Weekends 24 only pays off if well over 30% of your usage falls on Saturdays and Sundays, because its weekday energy charge is 11.3¢. Green Energy 24 costs about 0.6¢ more than Saver 24 for 100% wind power.
Who should not pick Champion Energy?
Champion Energy is a strong fit for a household that wants a plain fixed rate and would rather not manage its usage around a credit threshold. It is a weaker fit in four cases.
- You use 1,000 to 1,200 kWh every single month. Bill-credit plans from Discount Power, 4Change and TXU are designed to win at exactly that band, and a home that never drops under the threshold can beat Champ Saver 6 by $50 to $100 a year. Read the 4Change Energy review for how the $125 credit cliff works before you bet on it.
- You need prepaid or no-credit-check service. Champion runs a credit check and may require a deposit. Payless Power and Direct Energy’s Power-To-Go are the prepaid options at this ZIP.
- Most of your usage is on weekends. Free Weekends 24 is Champion’s only time-of-use plan and it needs roughly 30% weekend usage just to break even with Champ Saver 24. Direct Energy and TXU sell free-nights plans with different assumptions if your pattern is evenings rather than weekends.
- You want 100% renewable at the lowest price. Green Energy 24 is the most expensive Champion plan at 8.5¢ energy. Gexa and Rhythm both sell 100% renewable fixed plans at Oncor ZIPs that priced lower in our September checks; see the Gexa Energy review.
Champion Energy solar buyback
Champion says all of its residential plans include indexed solar buyback. If you have panels, surplus power you send back to the grid is credited at the ERCOT wholesale price for your load zone at the time you export it. That price moves by time of day and season, so a credit can sometimes exceed your energy charge, but it is not guaranteed. The Champ Silver-24 EFL confirms Champion buys excess distributed solar generation and points customers to its solar addendum. The Public Utility Commission of Texas solar guide explains how buyback plans work before you sign.
Champion Energy fees, deposits and the fine print
Champion’s Texas residential Terms of Service (version Champion-RES-TX-TOS-121725) are short by industry standards, and the EFLs point to them for deposits and payment rules. These are the terms that actually affect your bill.
| Term | What Champion Energy’s Terms of Service say |
|---|---|
| Deposit | Required only if you cannot show satisfactory credit; capped at the greater of two months’ estimated bills or one-fifth of a year’s estimated bills. Refunded or credited after 12 consecutive months with no more than two late payments. |
| Deposit waiver | Customers 65 and older who are not currently delinquent with a provider qualify for a waiver; low-income customers may qualify through Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs programs. |
| Late payment fee | 5% of the past-due amount. |
| Returned payment fee | $30 per transaction (or the legal maximum). |
| Service initiation | No Champion fee; Oncor’s move-in or switch charges are passed through at cost. |
| Right to rescind | Three federal business days to cancel a switch without penalty (does not apply to move-ins). |
| End of contract | If you take no action before the term expires, service continues on a month-to-month variable-rate product. |
| Early termination | $150 (6- and 12-month plans) or $250 (24-month plans); waived when you move and provide a forwarding address. |
The line that costs Champion customers the most money is the last-but-one. A month-to-month variable product is priced at Champion’s discretion and can move every month; it is where a 13.1¢ customer quietly becomes a 17¢ customer. Texas rules require your provider to send renewal notices before the term ends, but the fix is simpler than watching the mail: put the end date in your calendar the day you enroll. On Champ Saver 6 signed in late September, that is late March — a good time to shop, because spring rates in ERCOT are usually the softest of the year.
Is Champion Energy legit and a good provider?
Yes. Champion is a licensed Texas REP (PUCT #10098), backed first by Calpine and now by Constellation Energy. Its prices are unusually easy to read: no base charge, no minimum-usage fee and no bill credits to chase.
The trade-offs are that plan cards lead with the 2,000-kWh price, the green plan costs a premium, and a 24-month plan carries an early termination fee ($250 on Champ Silver-24). For a household that wants a plain, predictable fixed rate, Champion was the strongest value we priced in Oncor territory on September 21, 2026.
Champion holds BBB accreditation with an A+ rating, which it displays on its site, and its plan cards, EFLs and Terms of Service all reproduced the same numbers when we checked — the pricing is as transparent as its “No Fine Print” tagline claims. We normally add the Public Utility Commission of Texas complaint count for each provider; the PUCT’s complaint statistics page was returning an error when we checked on September 23, 2026, and we will add Champion’s figure when it is available.
Who owns Champion Energy?
Champion Energy Services, LLC is a subsidiary of Calpine, and Constellation Energy completed its acquisition of Calpine in January 2026. Champion’s corporate address is 717 Texas Avenue, Suite 1000, Houston, TX 77002.
Where is Champion Energy available, and how do you switch or cancel?
In Texas, Champion serves the deregulated areas of the state, including Oncor territory around Dallas–Fort Worth and CenterPoint territory around Houston. It is not available in Austin, San Antonio, El Paso or most co-op areas. Prices differ by utility, so enter your own address.
To switch, enroll online or call 1-877-653-5090; Champion handles the switch with your old provider. To cancel, contact customer care. A fixed-rate plan’s early termination fee applies if you leave before the term ends, but it is waived if you move and provide a forwarding address.
Champion Energy for business: the one public small-commercial EFL
Champion Energy, a Calpine company, is the only Texas supplier on this site whose small-commercial pricing can be read without a quote. Its Business Savings Champ 18 Electricity Facts Label, dated September 28, 2026 for the Oncor delivery area, shows a fixed energy charge of 9.7¢ per kWh on an 18-month term with 20% renewable content, and an average all-in price of 18.7¢ at 1,500 kWh, 17.5¢ at 2,500 kWh and 17.0¢ at 3,500 kWh a month once Oncor delivery is included (PUC certificate #10098). The early-termination fee is calculated from annual historic consumption and lives in the Terms of Service rather than on the EFL. Champion also sells multi-state commercial and industrial supply by quote. Because it publishes, it is the benchmark: any TXU, Reliant, Gexa or NRG quote for a similar Oncor load should be held against 17.0–18.7¢ all-in.
| Business plan | Price | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Business Savings Champ 18 (Oncor) | 9.7¢/kWh energy charge; 17.0–18.7¢ avg all-in | 18 months; 20% renewable; EFL dated 9/28/2026; PUC #10098 |
| Other TDU areas and terms | Quoted; EFLs by request | ETF based on annual historic consumption (Terms of Service) |
| Commercial & industrial (multi-state) | Custom quote | Fixed, index and structured products |
Source: the supplier’s own business pages (Champion: Electricity Facts Label, PUC #10098; NRG Business: Texas small-commercial terms of service, REP #10011), read September 28, 2026. Commercial electricity is priced per meter; treat these as the published starting points.
What a commercial contract adds over the residential plan on this page: a price built from your meter’s 12-month usage and load factor rather than a published rate card, term choices from 12 to 36 months or longer, a base charge and pass-through structure that differ from the residential EFL, and exit terms that scale with the months remaining. Compare every business quote as an all-in price at your real usage — the method is in our cheapest business electricity guide and the supplier field is compared in business electricity providers.
Business shopper? Compare business electricity providers, read how the cheapest business contracts are built, or talk to a commercial specialist.
Champion Energy FAQ
How much does Champion Energy cost per kWh?
At ZIP 75078 (Oncor) on September 23, 2026, Champion plans cost about 13.1¢ to 14.9¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh, including Oncor delivery. The cheapest plan, Champ Saver 6, has a 6.7¢ energy charge. The advertised prices of 12.9¢ to 14.7¢ are 2,000-kWh averages.
Does Champion Energy have a base charge or minimum usage fee?
No, on the plans we checked. The Champ Silver-24 EFL lists a $0.00 base charge, and the plan cards say there is no monthly fee or minimum usage requirement. Your only fixed monthly cost is Oncor’s $4.06 customer charge.
Who owns Champion Energy?
Champion Energy Services is a Calpine company, and Constellation Energy completed its acquisition of Calpine in January 2026.
Does Champion Energy have a senior discount?
Yes. Champ Silver 24 is for customers 60 and older, at 7.8¢ energy and about 14.2¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh in Oncor territory, with a $250 early termination fee. Champ Saver 12 was slightly cheaper on September 23, 2026.
Is Champion Energy’s Free Weekends plan worth it?
Only if a large share of your usage falls on weekends. Free Weekends 24 charges 0¢ for energy from midnight Friday to 11:59 p.m. Sunday but 11.3¢ on weekdays, and its advertised 14.1¢ price assumes about 30% weekend use.
Does Champion Energy buy back solar power?
Yes. Champion says all residential plans include indexed solar buyback, crediting surplus generation at the ERCOT wholesale price for your load zone.
What is Champion Energy’s cancellation fee?
It depends on the plan and is listed on each EFL. Champ Silver-24 carries a $250 early termination fee. The fee is waived if you move and provide a forwarding address.
Does Champion Energy require a deposit or credit check?
Champion runs a credit check at enrollment. If you cannot show satisfactory credit, its Terms of Service allow a deposit of up to the greater of two months’ estimated bills or one-fifth of a year’s estimated bills, refunded after 12 consecutive months with no more than two late payments. Customers 65 and older who are not delinquent with another provider qualify for a waiver.
What happens when my Champion Energy contract ends?
If you do not choose a new plan before the term expires, Champion moves you to a month-to-month variable-rate product that can change each month. Renew or switch in the final month to avoid it; there is no early termination fee once the term has ended.
Does Champion Energy offer business electricity?
Yes. Champion Energy publishes a small-commercial Electricity Facts Label: Business Savings Champ 18 on Oncor at a 9.7¢ per kWh energy charge, 17.0 to 18.7¢ average all-in, 18 months, 20% renewable, dated September 28, 2026 (PUC #10098). It also sells multi-state commercial and industrial supply by quote.
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Sources
- championenergyservices.com — Shop & Enroll plan cards and plan details for ZIP 75078 (Oncor), September 21 and September 23, 2026.
- Champion Energy Services Electricity Facts Labels, Oncor Electric Delivery, dated September 23, 2026: Champ Saver-6 (PN5133), Champ Saver-12 (PN5127), Champ Saver-24 (PN5134), Champ Silver-24 (PN5131), Green Energy-24 (PN5129), Free Weekends-24 (PN5132); versions FIXED-EFL-20251211 and TOU-EFL-20251211.
- Champion Energy Services Texas Residential Terms of Service, version Champion-RES-TX-TOS-121725 — deposits, fees, rescission and end-of-term rollover.
- Champion Solar Buyback FAQs — indexed solar buyback terms.
- Constellation Energy — completion of the Calpine acquisition, January 2026.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas — solar and REP consumer information (complaint statistics page unavailable September 23, 2026).
- Better Business Bureau — Champion Energy Services accreditation and A+ rating as displayed on championenergyservices.com.
- Discount Power and TXU Energy EFLs for ZIP 75078, September 21, 2026 (comparison figures).
Keep going
- Discount Power review: plans, EFLs and the $125 credit cliff
- TXU Energy review: plans, rates and the $100 cliff
- Payless Power review: prepaid vs. postpaid rates
- Rhythm Energy review
- Texas deregulated electricity hub
- How to read an Electricity Facts Label
- Waco electricity rates: compare plans in Oncor territory
- Direct Energy review: all 15 Oncor plans priced from the EFLs
- 4Change Energy review: the $125 bill-credit cliff explained
- Reliant Energy review: 17 Oncor plans and the $75 credit cliff
