No Deposit Electric Companies | Cheap Prepaid Electricity

Are you looking for trusted no deposit electricity companies (light companies) in Texas which do not require a deposit or credit check? Some “no deposit” electric plans are prepaid energy plans and some are not.

Home Energy Club will instantly show you whether a deposit is required for all plans during the enrollment process. Just choose an energy plan and provide some information to determine if a deposit is required.

For prepaid plans, Payless Power offers no deposit electricity and is a reputable company in this niche, though prepaid plans cost more than regular energy plans. Reliant Energy sometimes offers these plans as well.

Speak with a Payless Power “No Deposit” operator in English or Spanish at 833-926-9776.

Call Payless “No Deposit” (English/Spanish)

Speak with a Reliant Energy operator directly in English or Spanish at 833-339-0416.

Call Reliant (English/Spanish)

First, Try Enrolling in Regular Plans with Low Rates

You may not have to pay a deposit with a regular energy plan, since some electricity providers have low credit requirements. Thus, since prepaid plans are usually more expensive than regular energy plans, we suggest that you:

• First try and enroll in one of the many regular energy plans on Home Energy Club. Just enter your zip code or go to our home page and see if you qualify for cheap no deposit electricity by trying to enroll  (also called no deposit lights).
• If a deposit is required, then you may wish to enroll in a prepaid plan which does not require a deposit, but will likely have a higher energy rate. See details on prepaid plans below.

Interested in “No Deposit” Prepaid Plans?

If you wish to try a no deposit prepaid plan, some of these plans now have very affordable rates with no gimmicks. We especially recommend Payless Power’s prepaid plans. They are a trustworthy light company and pioneer in prepaid electricity plans.

Click here to view Payless’ prepaid energy plans directly on their website, or call a Payless operator at 833-926-9776.

Below is information that will save you lots of time in selecting the right prepaid electric company and choosing the best prepaid lights plan. At certain times, you may find cheap prepaid electricity plans.

The Best “No Deposit” Prepaid Electric Companies

There are not many trusted energy providers offering no deposit electricity in Texas. There are three Texas electric companies offering no deposit prepaid plans that are well established brands and will take good care of no-deposit customers: Payless Power, Reliant Energy, and Hello Energy.

Payless Power: No Deposit Required Prepaid Plans

Payless Power is considered to be the best “no deposit” electric company (light company) in Texas. They specialize in Prepaid Plans that have no deposit requirements.

The key difference with prepaid plans is that your energy is paid for in advance, which helps you to better manage your electricity budget. Click here to view Payless’ prepaid plans, or speak with a Payless operator at 833-926-9776.

From Payless, you receive a daily alert which provides the amount of kilowatt hours your home consumed, as well as your energy account balance, and the estimated number of days before a payment is needed to fund your account again. You can pay be credit card or money gram, and review your transaction history and account details online.

The Payless Power “SmarTricity Easy Choice” prepaid plan offers the following benefits:

• Competitive rates, without gimmicks or gotchas
• No early termination fee, so you can cancel at any time
• No credit check, since you are paying in advance
• No long-term commitment, since you use only the amount of energy you wish to pay for
• Free month-end statement, which detail your costs in the prior period and your average rate per kWh paid

Payless Power Customer Reviews

Reliant Energy: Prepaid Electricity, No Deposit, No Credit Check

Reliant Energy is one of the best operated and well established electric companies in Texas. Reliant periodically offers prepaid, no deposit electricity with no credit check during certain times of the year. Also, check out Reliant’s free nights and weekends electricity plans.

When they are offered, Reliant’s prepaid electricity plans are pay-as-you-go plans, and have instant approval with no ID required, and there is no contract.

Are you looking for no credit check apartments in Texas? Reliant currently has month-to-month plans that may be a fit for you.

Reliant Energy Plan Types

You might also consider that Reliant has a variety of other plans to fit your budget, home and lifestyle, including:

• Free electricity plans: examples include the Reliant Truly Free Nights and Reliant Truly Free Weekends plans
• Month-to-month plans: no long-term contract and no early cancellation fees
• Secure Advantage plans, which have locked-in rates for up to 36 months and more predictable bills

Hello Energy: No Deposit Prepaid Plans, plus Post Paid Plans by Champion Energy

Hello Energy is an established light company that specializes in no deposit, prepaid energy plans. They believe that citizens should be able to buy electricity at competitive rates without a credit check. They provide a simple process for enrolling through an operator.

Hello Energy is a sister company of Champion Energy, a well respected Texas light that offers fixed electricity rates. Thus, by calling the Champion Energy operator, you can ask about Hello Energy’s no deposit electricity prepaid plans, and also ask about Champion Energy’s cheaper fixed rate energy plans.

Call toll free at 844-856-9388 (the operator will answer “Champion Energy”). You can even mention our exclusive Champion promo code “TOP” to receive a discounted rate.

As one of the trustworthy Texas light companies with no deposit plans, consumers who have credit challenges can “pay as you go” with these plans. They are also a good fit for residents looking for no credit check apartments.

How Hello Energy’s No Deposit Prepaid Plans Work

Hello Energy’s no deposit prepaid plans do not require a credit check and there are no long-term contracts. Customers set up an account and fund an initial account balance. Then, they pay as the consume the energy they use. As electricity is used, money is taken from the initial account to pay for the customer’s electricity usage and they are billed at the end of each meter-read cycle. Then, they add new funds to the account.

• Your power is turned and it’s simple, with no long-term commitment, no credit check and no ID required
• Daily alerts via text or email, sent to help you manage your usage
• Same day service is available. If you enroll by 5:00pm on weekdays, your lights will be turned on the same day

How “No Deposit” Prepaid Plans Work

No-deposit prepaid plans have no credit checks and there are no long-term contracts. Customers create an account and fund an initial account balance. Then, they pay as they go. As customers use electricity, funds are taken from the account to pay for electricity usage. With a prepaid plan, you can have your electricity turned on the same day. Prepaid plans have:

• No deposit
• No credit check
• No contract
• No ID required
• Same day service

Make Sure These Types of Electric Plans are a Good Fit for your Home

Even the largest light companies (electric companies) in Texas have plans with non-standard and sometimes confusing rate structures. Some are gimmick plans that have a catch and you should beware of, and some are good plans that can reduce the cost of electricity for homeowners with certain usage patterns.

This is why it’s so important to enroll in an energy plan with a trusted electric company who will not intentionally deceive you. Read reviews of Texas electric companies and check our list of the most trusted light companies. Also, check our Electricity Rate Chart to review energy plans side by side.

And we use our TrustPlan™ process to vet each plan in order to help protect from plans that have deceitful gimmicks which cause bill surprises. Below are examples of plans for which you need to read the fine print and make sure they are a good fit based on your home usage and budget.

Prepaid Plans:

Prepaid plans with no deposit requirements are an important service in Texas, so that residents who may be short on cash can receive affordable electricity quickly. Since these plans generally cost more than fixed rate term plans which lock in pricing for up to 3 years, you may want to consider switching to a fixed rate plan when your lifestyle allows it.

Because light companies selling prepaid plans can usually increase your rate to virtually any level after an initial period, it’s important to work with reputable electric companies such as Payless Power, Reliant Energy and Hello Energy/Champion Energy.

Free Evenings Plans:

Energy plans offering free electricity every night or every weekend are a common marketing tactic from REPs in Texas.  The truth is these plans are often only a good deal for a relatively small number of customers. The daytime weekday rate for these plans is usually highly inflated, so when you’re using energy outside of your free time, you are paying much more than the market average for electricity.

The Electricity Facts Label (EFL) will help you determine what you’ll actually pay under these plans, since the rates per usage level listed at the top of the EFL reflect an average of all hours of usage. Plans that tout “free” usage almost always have a higher than average rate, which means they will probably not give you savings on your electricity bill unless you have certain usage patterns that correspond with their “free” electricity periods.

Month-to-month Plans:

There are some valid reasons to choose a month-to-month energy plan from an REP, but they are unusual.  If you wish to switch providers every month or two to take advantage of cheap introductory rates offered by month-to-month plans (which last a very short time), or electricity market rates have spiked recently, you might want the flexibility of a month-to-month term.

However, rates for month-to-month plans often change quickly and drastically, and usually are not in the customer’s favor.  If you are on a month-to-month plan, your provider may have advertised a low front-end rate, but they sometimes dramatically increase the rate after a short period because most customers don’t monitor their rate each month. If you don’t monitor it and cancel service when the rate increases, you may be in for a significant billing surprise.

It’s normally a better decision to lock in a good rate for at least a year.  Then you can revisit the market and switch to a lower rate with a different light company at the end of your term, or renew with your current provider if you’re happy with the service.  Either way, you won’t have to constantly worry about what you’re paying for your electricity.

Narrow Range Tiered Rate Plans:

They offer low rates, but your monthly usage must stay within a very narrow range or you’ll likely pay a high rate. For example, the plan’s EFL may show that the energy rate you’ll pay if you use 1000 kWh in a given month is only 6 cents/kWh, but the fine print may effectively state that if you dip below 1000 kWh or exceed 1,200 kWh, the rate is 20 cents/kWh! It can sometimes be almost impossible for your usage to stay within a small range of just 200 kWh, especially due to the large fluctuations in Texas weather.

However, it’s important to note that there are legitimate plans with very low rates that are based on reasonable monthly energy usage ranges. You’ll just need to carefully read the EFL and make sure that the plan fits your home’s usage pattern.

Cash Reward Plans:

Some providers offer dollar rewards when you sign up, sometimes for hundreds of dollars, but it’s a good bet that you’re paying for the reward with a much higher rate. And many times cash reward plans are only offered for 24 or 36-month terms, so you’ll pay a high rate for two to three years. Always review the EFL of each plan to determine the rate you’ll pay at various usage levels, and compare the rates of cash reward plans to those of regular straight-forward rate plans. You’ll find guides on how to read an EFL and choosing the correct plan for your home at HomeEnergyClub.com.

No Cancellation Fee Plans:

If a provider offers to not charge you an early termination fee, make sure that the plan you’re offered doesn’t have a high rate. The odds are good that the provider is offsetting the loss of cancellation fees with a higher energy rate you’ll pay each month. There’s no free lunch when it comes to energy plan offers.

What are types of electric company deposit waivers?

Due to government regulations or the policies of individual electric providers, you to qualify if you are able to provide one of the following documents:

• Letter of Credit: have your most recent energy provider send a “letter of credit” confirming your last twelve consecutive months of payment history, with no more than one late payment.
• Low Income: request a letter to prove your low income status by a governmental entity.
• Military Veteran: provide a government-issued military ID for active duty and reservists.
• Age 65 or older: provide a state-issued ID card, U.S. driver’s license or passport.
• Medical Indigent: provide a letter from a government agency certifying that you are medically indigent.
• Victim of Family Violence: certification letter from the Texas Council on Family Violence or relevant government agency.

No Deposit Electricity Frequently Asked Questions

What is “no deposit” electricity?

No-deposit electricity plans such as those at HomeEnergyClub.com refers to prepaid energy plans that make electricity accessible to individuals without upfront deposits, credit checks or long-term contracts. Here are some prepaid plan facts:

• No deposit electricity plans are pay-as-you-go
• Rates may vary month to month
• They can usually be cancelled any time with no termination fee
• They usually have high than average rates due to credit risks
• Prepaid plans on some sites have gimmicks that cause bill surprises

There are a few light companies specializing in no deposit prepaid energy plans who offer trustworthy plans at more affordable rates. You’ll find vetted prepaid plans from reputable electric companies such as Payless Power on Home Energy Club.

What is prepaid electricity?

Prepaid electricity plans from Texas electric companies on HomeEnergyClub.com are energy plans in which electricity is purchased and paid for before it is used. Prepayment may be the best or only option for many Texas residents for a variety of reasons, including the following:

• Lack of “good credit history”
• Lack of funds to pay a sizable deposit
• You don’t qualify for any of the no-deposit electricity provisions mandated by the government or offered by individual energy providers, such as:
  • Low-income status
  • Active-duty or reservist military veteran
  • Medical indigent
  • Age 65 or older
  • Victim of family violence
  • A letter of credit from your most recent energy provider verifying no more than one late payment within 12 consecutive months

For discount rates on prepaid and no-deposit energy plans from top light companies, visit Home Energy Club.

How does prepaid electricity work?

At Home Energy Club, getting set up for prepaid electricity from trusted light companies requires no deposit. The first steps are to:

• Enter your zip code to view plans in your area
• Enroll in a plan from a trusted prepaid electric company
• Fund your account with an initial balance, usually less than $40

Your electricity may be turned on the same day that you set up your prepaid electricity account. Features of prepaid plans include:

• No credit check
• No deposit
• No contract
• Same-day Service
• No ID required

For vetted prepaid plans from trusted energy providers specializing in no-deposit electricity, such as Payless Power, visit Home Energy Club.

Who is the best company for prepaid electricity?

Home Energy Club believes that Payless Power has undoubtedly earned the distinction of being the best company for prepaid electricity in Texas. Key points about their affordable no-deposit prepaid electricity plans include:

• Rates are competitive and free of gotchas and gimmicks
• To review vetted Payless plans, click here
• For operator help, call Payless directly at 833-926-9776

Compared to other prepaid electricity providers that charge very high rates, Payless Power has some of the cheapest prepaid rates that are even less than those of some regular plans requiring deposits from big brand providers. For vetted Payless plans, visit Home Energy Club.

What are the benefits of prepaid electricity?

Prepaid electricity, which you can find at HomeEnergyClub.com, has numerous benefits. The following are among the basic benefits of prepaid electricity:

• No credit check or deposit because you are paying in advance
• No early termination fee, so you can cancel any time penalty free
• No long-term contract is required
• Competitive rates free of tricks from some light companies
• Instant approval with no ID required

The following are among the energy rate plans available from Payless Power:

• Prepaid no deposit plans with no credit check and same-day electricity
• Fixed-rate plans with locked-in rates for more predictable bills for 12 months or more
• Month-to-month plans with no contract commitment and a flat rate

Find vetted prepaid energy plans for your zip code at Home Energy Club.

What is “pay as you go” electricity?

“Pay as you go” electricity is a prepaid electricity plan with these features:

• Electricity is paid for in advance
• No deposit or credit check are required
• The plan runs month to month so rates may change
• Cancel at any time without paying an “early termination fee”’
• Enrollment is as simple as creating an account and funding it

Find rates for pay-as-you-go electricity at Home Energy Club. Just enter your zip code for plans in your area.

Is prepaid electricity more expensive?

Texas consumers visiting Home Energy Club will find competitive rates for prepaid electricity now that more light companies provide no-deposit plans.

• Payless Power, for example, is a top electric company in Texas for simple prepaid “no deposit” electricity plans at some of the cheapest rates.
• Pogo Energy offers prepaid electricity with only 100% renewable energy plans.
• Hello Energy offers prepaid plans, though they remain small and have not become a major player.

When do light companies not require a deposit?

Light companies generally require a deposit from consumers with low credit scores. However, residents with poor credit histories may still not be required to pay a deposit due to a government mandate or an energy company’s policy. When enrolling in an energy plan, HomeEnergyClub.com will show you instantly whether a deposit is required.

If you have a low credit score, you may quality for no-deposit electricity by providing any of the following:

• Letter of Credit: if you have had no more than one late payment in the last 12 consecutive months with your most recent electricity provider, ask the company to provide a “letter of credit” confirming it.
• Victim of Family Violence: provide a certification letter from a relevant government agency, such as the Texas Council on Family Violence.
• Age 65 or Older: provide a U.S. state driver’s license, a state-issued ID card, or a passport.
• Military Veteran: if you are an active duty or reservist military veteran, provide your government-issued military ID.
• Low Income: request a letter from a governmental entity to prove your low-income status.
• Medical Indigent: if you are medically indigent, provide a letter from a government agency certifying your medical indigency.

Learn more about “no deposit” electricity and view prepaid energy plans for your zip code at HomeEnergyClub.com.

Texas Cities with Electricity Choice and Best Energy Rates

Major regulated cities include Austin, San Antonio and Beaumont.

Texas Zip Codes with Electricity Choice and Cheap Rates