Chariot Energy Review

Quick Facts

Is Chariot Energy good? Chariot Energy is a Hanwha-backed solar provider with genuinely competitive buyback options and 100% renewable sourcing—but you cannot shop their plans on comparison sites.

• Parent Company: Hanwha Group (via Hanwha Energy USA)
• Years in Texas: 7 (founded 2019)
• Best For: Solar panel owners who want multiple buyback rate structures
• Avoid If: You need prepaid electricity or want to shop on comparison sites
• Deposit Required: Conditional (credit-based, with waivers for seniors, military, payment history)

Company Overview

Chariot Energy is not the scrappy solar startup their marketing might suggest. They are a subsidiary of Hanwha Group—a South Korean conglomerate with $60+ billion in revenue and deep stakes in solar manufacturing through Qcells, one of the world’s largest solar panel makers.

That corporate backing matters. When Chariot says “100% renewable energy,” they are not buying paper certificates to offset coal power. They source through Hanwha’s own solar infrastructure—the same parent company that manufactures the panels. Vertical integration from panel factory to your meter.

Founded in 2019, Chariot has grown fast. Houston Business Journal named them one of their Fast 50 in 2025. They earned a Gold Tier TER Award and BBB accreditation. Seven years is still young by Texas electricity standards, but having a global energy conglomerate writing the checks removes the startup risk that comes with truly independent providers.

The tradeoff: Chariot sells direct through their own website. You will not find their plans on ComparePower, Power to Choose, or other comparison platforms. That makes it harder to compare apples-to-apples with other providers. You have to visit chariotenergy.com, enter your zip code, and see what is available in your area.

Where Chariot Energy Operates

Chariot serves most deregulated areas of Texas through five utility territories: Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas (North and Central), Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP), and LP&L (Lubbock Power & Light). That covers Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, parts of Central Texas, Corpus Christi, and Lubbock.

Plan Types

Chariot offers a wider range of plan structures than most green-focused providers.

Fixed-Rate Plans Standard lock-in rates for 12, 24, or 36 months. All backed by 100% renewable energy sourcing. Predictable billing with no seasonal price spikes.

Free Nights No energy charge from 11 PM to 6 AM every night. Good for EV owners who charge overnight or households that run heavy appliances after hours.

Free Days No energy charge from 10 AM to 4 PM daily. Unusual offering—works for empty-nesters or remote workers with solar panels covering peak generation hours.

Free Weekends Free electricity from 12 AM Saturday through 6 AM Monday. Designed for households with heavier weekend usage.

Bill Credit Plans Earn $90-$100 in credits toward your next billing cycle through usage efficiency.

Solar Buyback (Four Options) Multiple buyback structures for rooftop solar owners—see dedicated section below.

EV Owner Plans Optimized for electric vehicle charging with overnight free charging options.

Battery Rewards Earn up to $60/month in bill credits by enrolling your home battery in grid support. Month-to-month, cancel anytime.

What They Do Not Offer:

• Prepaid plans
• Variable-rate or month-to-month standard plans (battery rewards is month-to-month, but the underlying electricity plan is not)

Solar Buyback: Four Plans, Not One

This is where Chariot separates from the pack. Most providers offer a single solar buyback plan. Chariot offers four distinct structures, each designed for different solar setups.

Shine Plan Buyback at real-time market settlement rates, capped at 25 cents/kWh. Best for homes that fully offset their usage with solar. When wholesale prices spike, you earn more. The cap protects Chariot, but 25 cents is still generous.

PowerBank Plan Fixed 3 cents/kWh buyback credit. Predictable and simple. Best for homes with steady, partial solar offset where you want to know exactly what your credits will be each month.

GreenVolt Plan Fixed 7 cents/kWh buyback credit. Higher fixed rate than PowerBank. Suited for homes with more substantial solar generation that want certainty over market upside.

Rise Plan Fixed 1:1 credit rate (energy portion only). Your buyback credit matches your consumption rate. Simple math.

All solar buyback plans offer 12, 24, or 36-month contracts. Qcells solar customers can lock in rates for up to 60 months—a meaningful advantage if you want long-term rate certainty. Credits roll over month to month and never expire as long as you remain a Chariot customer.

Every plan includes a fixed rate for grid power when your panels are not producing. You are not exposed to wholesale price volatility on the consumption side.

Fusion: Solar + Battery Combined

Chariot’s Fusion program stacks solar buyback with battery rewards. If you have both rooftop panels and a home battery, this is the full package.

How it works: Your solar panels earn buyback credits as usual. Your battery earns separate credits—$40/month for systems under 15 kWh, $60/month for 15 kWh and above—by discharging to the grid during peak demand.

Battery protection: The system keeps your battery above 20% charge and prioritizes your home’s power needs before grid discharge. During forecasted outages or severe weather, Chariot will not discharge your battery at all.

Compatible batteries: Qcells Q.HOME CORE, Tesla, Enphase, and SolarEdge.

The math: If you have a 15+ kWh battery and decent solar production, the $60/month battery credit alone covers a meaningful chunk of most electricity bills. Add solar buyback credits on top, and some months your effective electricity cost could be near zero or negative.

Deposit Requirements

Chariot runs credit checks on all new customers. Good credit means no deposit. Below the threshold, you will need a deposit—though Chariot offers more waiver options than most providers.

Deposit waivers available for:

• 12 consecutive months of payment history from a previous provider (no more than two late payments)
• Senior citizens aged 65 and older
• Active military with deployment orders or command verification
• Letter of credit from a previous provider
• Medically indigent households (income at or below 150% federal poverty guidelines)
• Victims of family violence (per Texas Family Code)

These waivers go beyond the standard “good credit or autopay” that most providers offer. The senior citizen and military waivers in particular are worth knowing about.

Chariot vs. Green Mountain

Both are legitimate green energy providers. The similarities end there.

Choose Chariot if: You have rooftop solar panels. Chariot’s four buyback plan structures give you options Green Mountain simply does not offer. The Hanwha/Qcells connection means your solar panel manufacturer and your electricity provider share a parent company—that vertical integration translates to better buyback terms and longer lock-in periods.

Choose Green Mountain if: You want 27 years of operating history and brand recognition. You do not have solar panels and just want straightforward renewable electricity. Green Mountain’s plans are available on comparison sites, making it easier to shop rates.

Choose neither if: Price is your only priority. Both charge premiums for genuine green energy. Budget shoppers should look at providers on ComparePower where you can sort by rate.

The real difference: Green Mountain is a renewable retailer backed by NRG. Chariot is a renewable retailer backed by a solar manufacturer. If you have or plan to install solar panels, Chariot’s corporate structure gives them a structural advantage in buyback programs. If you just want clean electricity without the solar component, Green Mountain’s longer track record and wider plan availability make comparison shopping easier.

Customer Service

Phone: 855-524-2746 Email: customercare@mychariotenergy.com Hours: Monday-Friday 8 AM - 6 PM CST, Saturday 9 AM - 1 PM CST, closed Sunday

Chariot offers online account management and a billing portal. Budget billing is available if you prefer predictable monthly amounts.

Worth knowing: Chariot will never send someone to your door to collect payment, demand payment info by email, or have your utility collect on their behalf. If someone claiming to be Chariot does any of these things, it is a scam.

The Bottom Line

Chariot Energy is not just another green electricity provider with recycled marketing language. The Hanwha backing, Qcells solar integration, and four distinct solar buyback plans make them the most serious option in Texas for homeowners with solar panels or home batteries.

The downsides are real: only 7 years old, no prepaid option, and you cannot shop their plans on comparison sites. If you do not have solar panels or a battery, the free nights/weekends/days plans are competitive but harder to compare without third-party tools.

Best case: You have Qcells panels and a compatible battery. Lock in a 60-month solar buyback plan, stack the Fusion battery rewards, and your effective electricity cost could be remarkably low.

Worst case: You have no solar, no battery, and just want cheap power. Chariot is not competing for your business, and they would tell you the same thing.