US: standing charges & prepayment explained
What’s actually in your bill beyond the unit rate — compiled August 2026.
Standing charge
A fixed “customer charge” or “basic charge”, typically $8–$30/month depending on utility and state — billed monthly, not daily, unlike the other 4 countries here, and set state-by-state with no single national figure
Prepayment vs Direct Debit/standard billing
Prepaid electricity is real and well-established in deregulated Texas — prepaid plans typically run 15–30% higher per kWh than postpaid fixed plans (roughly 14–20c vs 10–14c/kWh), trading a higher rate for no deposit or credit check.
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Figures compiled August 2026 and cite the sources linked above — rates and charges change frequently. This is not financial advice.