Household energy planner

RATEDIAL

Enter how you use power and the plans you're considering — RateDial estimates your real annual cost on each one, tiers, time-of-use, and fine print included.

1 Find plans in your area

Looks up whether your area lets you choose a retail provider, and pulls plans to add below — confirm every number with the provider before signing anything.

2 Your usage profile

Same every month
Varies by season

Check a recent bill — average U.S. homes use roughly 700–1200 kWh/month, but yours may differ a lot.

30% during peak / 70% off-peak

Only matters for time-of-use plans. Higher if you run AC, laundry, or EV charging during afternoon/evening peak windows.

3 Plans you're comparing

i What each plan type actually means

Fixed rate

One rate per kWh for the contract term. Predictable, but shop the base rate against tiered/TOU options — "fixed" isn't automatically cheaper.

Tiered rate

Rate increases (or sometimes decreases) after usage crosses a threshold each month. Big or small households are pushed into different tiers — worth modeling with your real usage.

Time-of-use (TOU)

Price depends on when you use power, not just how much. Only saves money if you can actually shift usage off peak hours.

Variable / indexed

Rate tracks a wholesale index and can change monthly, sometimes sharply. The rate you enter is only an estimate — treat variable plans as higher-risk.

Early termination fees

A cheap rate can be a trap if the ETF outweighs the savings from switching again later. Factor the ETF against your expected savings before signing.

Bill credits

Credits that only apply above a usage threshold can flip a plan from cheap to expensive if your usage dips below it — common in "free nights" style plans.