TXU Energy & Ford Team Up to Offer Daily Free Home Electric Vehicle Charging Hours

[Administrator]

TXU Energy, Ford Team Up to Offer Daily Free Home Electric Vehicle Charging Hours

Aug 12, 2024 | Dearborn

• Ford and TXU Energy are teaming up to offer electric vehicle (EV) customers significant cost savings on charging at home through a first-of-its-kind energy management plan
• The TXU Free EV Miles program will benefit Ford electric vehicle customers through credits on their TXU Energy bill for electricity used during specified hours, potentially covering the entire cost of all at-home charging
• The program supports grid reliability and clean energy usage by encouraging energy consumption during off-peak hours and through educating Texans on the benefits of driving electric vehicles

Dearborn, Mich., August 12, 2024 – Today, Ford Motor Company and TXU Energy, Texas’ leading retail electric provider and subsidiary of Vistra (NYSE: VST), have teamed up to create a first-of-its-kind retail energy offering for Ford electric SUV and truck customers in Texas. The TXU Free EV Miles program offers Ford EV customers the opportunity to charge their vehicle at home entirely for free, since more than approximately 80 percent of charging takes place at home. Ford EV customers will get a credit on their TXU Energy bill for all home energy used for vehicle charging during the free charging hours, which are between 7 p.m. and 1 p.m. the next day, all year long.

Through the TXU Free EV Miles program, Ford aims to educate Texans about the perks of driving electric while incentivizing consumers to charge when demand on the grid is at its lowest.

The offering is designed for flexibility, giving customers 18 hours a day to charge for free. With easy charging scheduling through the Preferred Charge Times feature in the FordPass app or in-vehicle touchscreen, Ford electric SUV and truck drivers can ensure charging only occurs within TXU Energy’s free hours. In the unlikely event that customers need to charge outside of the free hours, they will pay a simple, fixed rate – the same rate as the rest of their home. With this foundation, Ford and TXU Energy will test customer interest in additional future retail energy offerings that further incentivize customers to support grid stability in the state, which was the third largest in electric vehicle sales nationwide in 2023.

“Encouraging our electric vehicle customers to charge at off-peak hours through programs like Free EV Miles helps to save them money while supporting a more sustainable, resilient electrical grid,” said Bill Crider, senior director, global charging and energy services, Ford Motor Company. “Ford electric SUV and trucks already have a lower operating and maintenance cost compared to gas-powered vehicles, and at-home charging offers additional financial perks and future vehicle-to-grid services never before possible, which Ford is committed to leading for our customers.”

The program enables Ford F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E, and Escape Plugin Hybrid customers to benefit from bill credits, regardless of what hardware they use to charge their vehicle at home. When Ford drivers enroll in the Free EV Miles energy plan, they will also receive additional perks from both Ford and TXU Energy, including a $100 welcome bonus from Ford and a $250 bonus from TXU Energy for staying enrolled for a year. Once enrolled and verified, customers will begin receiving automatic rebates for at-home charging costs during the free charging hours.

“This partnership with Ford fits squarely into TXU Energy’s broader strategy of educating customers on the benefits of owning an EV, removing barriers to making the switch, and increasing grid resiliency,” said Sam Sen, vice president of energy transition solutions for TXU Energy. “We are proud to support Ford’s Texas EV customers with flexible, free charging hours and the significant cost savings that come with it.”

Enrollment for the Free EV Miles program is open now to interested Ford and current or future TXU Energy customers. Please visit www.txu.com/freeevmilesford to enroll and check eligibility or here for more information.

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[ack154]

Meanwhile, I can't even get NYSEG to let me switch to a time of use or day/night rate to save on charging overnight because my garage is on its own meter and that account is not "residential" because no one lives in the garage.

I don't think I can say this often (or have every said it) but, good for Texas.

 

[Tampamike]

I’d take that deal.

 

[bshaw]

The program enables Ford F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E, and Escape Plugin Hybrid customers to benefit from bill credits, regardless of what hardware they use to charge their vehicle at home.

Yesss. Hopefully this is the direction the industry is heading. Smart cars/apps able to integrate directly with the utilities. Renders the EVSE back to just a passive extension device.

 

[ADDZ71]

I would take that deal also but would be wary of the data transfer. Duke has a similar pilot program in North Carolina where you pay $20 per month for unlimited (technically up to 800 kWh per month). They are supposed to get data from Ford monthly to issue the credit but since April they have been at a stop to get bills issued correctly. In other words I have not received a home electric bill since April. It seems that the problem is likely they get the data from Ford and then manually adjust the pilot program participants bills (either 100 or 200 users) since November of 2023. I think the person left and they now can't figure out how to do it so no one is getting a bill.

 

[dtbaker61]

TXU Energy, Ford Team Up to Offer Daily Free Home Electric Vehicle Charging Hours

Aug 12, 2024 | Dearborn

• Ford and TXU Energy are teaming up to offer electric vehicle (EV) customers significant cost savings on charging at home through a first-of-its-kind energy management plan
• The TXU Free EV Miles program will benefit Ford electric vehicle customers through credits on their TXU Energy bill for electricity used during specified hours, potentially covering the entire cost of all at-home charging
• The program supports grid reliability and clean energy usage by encouraging energy consumption during off-peak hours and through educating Texans on the benefits of driving electric vehicles

Dearborn, Mich., August 12, 2024 – Today, Ford Motor Company and TXU Energy, Texas’ leading retail electric provider and subsidiary of Vistra (NYSE: VST), have teamed up to create a first-of-its-kind retail energy offering for Ford electric SUV and truck customers in Texas. The TXU Free EV Miles program offers Ford EV customers the opportunity to charge their vehicle at home entirely for free, since more than approximately 80 percent of charging takes place at home. Ford EV customers will get a credit on their TXU Energy bill for all home energy used for vehicle charging during the free charging hours, which are between 7 p.m. and 1 p.m. the next day, all year long.

Through the TXU Free EV Miles program, Ford aims to educate Texans about the perks of driving electric while incentivizing consumers to charge when demand on the grid is at its lowest.

The offering is designed for flexibility, giving customers 18 hours a day to charge for free. With easy charging scheduling through the Preferred Charge Times feature in the FordPass app or in-vehicle touchscreen, Ford electric SUV and truck drivers can ensure charging only occurs within TXU Energy’s free hours. In the unlikely event that customers need to charge outside of the free hours, they will pay a simple, fixed rate – the same rate as the rest of their home. With this foundation, Ford and TXU Energy will test customer interest in additional future retail energy offerings that further incentivize customers to support grid stability in the state, which was the third largest in electric vehicle sales nationwide in 2023.

“Encouraging our electric vehicle customers to charge at off-peak hours through programs like Free EV Miles helps to save them money while supporting a more sustainable, resilient electrical grid,” said Bill Crider, senior director, global charging and energy services, Ford Motor Company. “Ford electric SUV and trucks already have a lower operating and maintenance cost compared to gas-powered vehicles, and at-home charging offers additional financial perks and future vehicle-to-grid services never before possible, which Ford is committed to leading for our customers.”

The program enables Ford F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E, and Escape Plugin Hybrid customers to benefit from bill credits, regardless of what hardware they use to charge their vehicle at home. When Ford drivers enroll in the Free EV Miles energy plan, they will also receive additional perks from both Ford and TXU Energy, including a $100 welcome bonus from Ford and a $250 bonus from TXU Energy for staying enrolled for a year. Once enrolled and verified, customers will begin receiving automatic rebates for at-home charging costs during the free charging hours.

“This partnership with Ford fits squarely into TXU Energy’s broader strategy of educating customers on the benefits of owning an EV, removing barriers to making the switch, and increasing grid resiliency,” said Sam Sen, vice president of energy transition solutions for TXU Energy. “We are proud to support Ford’s Texas EV customers with flexible, free charging hours and the significant cost savings that come with it.”

Enrollment for the Free EV Miles program is open now to interested Ford and current or future TXU Energy customers. Please visit www.txu.com/freeevmilesford to enroll and check eligibility or here for more information.

what a fabulous deal! (for now) It certainly will help people understand the cost/benefit of charging when there is surplus rather than peak loads on the Grid

but I would expect the allowable timeslot to move to 10am-3pm when more Solar comes online as a larger % of the line capacity. That's going to be interesting because it will require 'parking lot chargers' wherever EVs are parked all day to store daytime surplus.

 

[OldTechie]

Being the owner of a Mach-E for 2+ years and a TXU customer for 4+ years, I think I'm in position to comment on this.

When I purchased my Mach-E, TXU did not have any plans specifically for electric vehicles. But they did have a plan for free nights. Their plan offers free energy from 8pm to 5am daily as a credit on your bill for all energy used. But, you still pay for the delivery charge.

I still use the plan. I simply set my car's charging to the same time period. But when I renewed a few months ago, I found they had raised the normal energy charge over 30% as part of the renewal. Even with that, it was still a significant savings over a plan with a normal energy rate.

I'm not intending to change to this new plan. My personal calculations still leave me paying more. Since the current credit covers all energy usage, not just charging the car, I also get to lower my thermostat at night to sleep better and dry my laundry with my electric dryer "for free".

If you are someone who looks at this as an opportunity to save money, be very careful when you review the rates. You may find yourself paying a lot more than you think.

 

[Thunderbuck]

what a fabulous deal! (for now) It certainly will help people understand the cost/benefit of charging when there is surplus rather than peak loads on the Grid

but I would expect the allowable timeslot to move to 10am-3pm when more Solar comes online as a larger % of the line capacity. That's going to be interesting because it will require 'parking lot chargers' wherever EVs are parked all day to store daytime surplus.

My current “crusade” is workplace charging. Most drivers still have a day job that they go to and leave their cars to sit all day. If employers had chargers for their staff we could shift a lot of charging load.

Also, if that many commuters are able to charge and top up during the day it will reduce demand for DCFC charging on the way home.

 

[Thunderbuck]

Being the owner of a Mach-E for 2+ years and a TXU customer for 4+ years, I think I'm in position to comment on this.

When I purchased my Mach-E, TXU did not have any plans specifically for electric vehicles. But they did have a plan for free nights. Their plan offers free energy from 8pm to 5am daily as a credit on your bill for all energy used. But, you still pay for the delivery charge.

I still use the plan. I simply set my car's charging to the same time period. But when I renewed a few months ago, I found they had raised the normal energy charge over 30% as part of the renewal. Even with that, it was still a significant savings over a plan with a normal energy rate.

I'm not intending to change to this new plan. My personal calculations still leave me paying more. Since the current credit covers all energy usage, not just charging the car, I also get to lower my thermostat at night to sleep better and dry my laundry with my electric dryer "for free".

If you are someone who looks at this as an opportunity to save money, be very careful when you review the rates. You may find yourself paying a lot more than you think.

Even with $350 worth of incentives this is a bad deal for you?

 

[dtbaker61]

My current “crusade” is workplace charging. Most drivers still have a day job that they go to and leave their cars to sit all day. If employers had chargers for their staff we could shift a lot of charging load.

Also, if that many commuters are able to charge and top up during the day it will reduce demand for DCFC charging on the way home.

exactly right.

we MUST take advantage of rooftops and parking lots to charge EVs wherever they sit during the day.

I am trying to push the idea of (non-networked) L1, or L2, outlets made available anywhere you can have controlled access or assigned parking spots. This would lower cost for the property owner since they would only need to put in outlets if EV owners brought their own mobile chargers and just paid a calculated fee for however much energy they could get in a 'shift'.

 

[bpcunning]

Even with $350 worth of incentives this is a bad deal for you?

I'm not a TXU customer, but yeah, while it's a great idea it's a terrible deal. Checking the EFL, it's 18.3c/kWh Energy Charge (plus TDU, another 3.8c/kWh) so it's nearly double what a fixed rate plan costs me right now (11.3c/kWh fully burdened). I simply can't charge enough to break even with their rates being that high to begin with.

I keep looking to game the system and the only plans that might beat a fixed rate are "free nights" but you have to be very intentional about shifting your usage. When my current contract is up I'm planning on reviewing my Emporia data to build a time of use estimate and see if it's possible to save anything over the lowest fixed rate.

 

[Snakebitten]

I immediately looked into this and was excited that it's available at my residence. (Rural)

However, the price per KWH is more than I currently pay, so the savings would be more than a wash. Not to mention the early cancelation fee for the current plan I am on.

I'll compare again when my current plan is up for renewal. Perhaps there will be more parity?

 

[JED1O66]

I'm not a TXU customer, but yeah, while it's a great idea it's a terrible deal. Checking the EFL, it's 18.3c/kWh Energy Charge (plus TDU, another 3.8c/kWh) so it's nearly double what a fixed rate plan costs me right now (11.3c/kWh fully burdened). I simply can't charge enough to break even with their rates being that high to begin with.

I keep looking to game the system and the only plans that might beat a fixed rate are "free nights" but you have to be very intentional about shifting your usage. When my current contract is up I'm planning on reviewing my Emporia data to build a time of use estimate and see if it's possible to save anything over the lowest fixed rate.

This. I also don't currently have TXU and my term is up towards the end of the month so I've been shopping around and while the idea is nice, TXU rates are crazy high in comparison. I'll be better off going with a competitor offering closer to $.12/kWh. Plus, since my work has a charger, I do most of my charging there, so it even makes less sense for me.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

I'm not a TXU customer, but yeah, while it's a great idea it's a terrible deal. Checking the EFL, it's 18.3c/kWh Energy Charge (plus TDU, another 3.8c/kWh) so it's nearly double what a fixed rate plan costs me right now (11.3c/kWh fully burdened). I simply can't charge enough to break even with their rates being that high to begin with.

It seems the devil is (always) in the details.... That said, I'd be extremely happy with $0.183/kWh as it is about half what I pay for now for Off-Peak charging. At least 100% of my electricity comes from renewable sources.

 

[nuflat]

There's not really any type of savings since TXU in my area (Houston) is charging 20.3 cents per kWh. What I am currently paying is 12.3 cents per kWh. This is not a good deal.

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