As smart meter deployments wrap up in certain areas, the time has come to leverage the new systems with novel customer plans.
In Texas, where smart meters have been installed in most of the state, TXU Energy has just launched its latest time-of-use plan: TXU Energy Free Nights.
Much like the calling plans that proliferated during telecom deregulation, utilities are playing around with different plans to incentivize customers to move electricity use away from peak hours. Energy Free Nights (which should perhaps be rebranded as Free Energy Nights) offer just that: no charge for energy used from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and a rate of about 11 cents or 12 cents per kilowatt-hour the rest of the time.
