Gexa Energy vs Chariot Energy: Two Green Strategies for Solar Owners

At a Glance

Factor	Gexa Energy	Chariot Energy
Parent Company	NextEra Energy (NYSE: NEE)	Hanwha Group (via Hanwha Energy USA)
Years in Texas	24	7
Credit Check	Yes (soft pull)	Yes
Prepaid Available	No	No
Green Plans	100% renewable (all plans)	100% renewable (solar-backed)
On ComparePower	Yes	No (direct only)

Bottom Line: If you have solar panels, Chariot’s four buyback structures and battery rewards make it the stronger pick. If you don’t have solar and just want cheap 100% green electricity, Gexa wins on price and shopping convenience.

---

The Corporate Reality

Two genuinely green providers backed by global energy companies—but with very different corporate DNA.

Gexa Energy is NextEra Energy’s [NYSE: NEE] Texas retail brand. NextEra is the world’s largest wind and solar generator. $190 billion market cap. They generate renewable power at scale and sell it through Gexa and sister brand Frontier Utilities.

Chariot Energy is backed by Hanwha Group, a South Korean conglomerate with $60+ billion in revenue. Hanwha owns Qcells, one of the world’s largest solar panel manufacturers. When Chariot says “solar-backed,” they mean their parent company makes the panels. Vertical integration from factory to meter.

Both are legitimate green energy companies. The difference: NextEra generates wind and solar at utility scale. Hanwha manufactures the hardware. Gexa sells green electricity. Chariot sells a solar ecosystem.

What They Actually Sell

Gexa’s lineup:

• Fixed-rate plans (12, 24, 36 months) at 8.6-20.4 cents/kWh—all 100% renewable
• Variable-rate (Gexa Flex)—month-to-month, no ETF
• Solar buyback: Solar Export Saver with fixed buyback rate; Battery Benefits for battery owners
• EV charging: free electricity 11 PM - 5 AM nightly
• Smart thermostat bundles with free Sensi devices
• Available on ComparePower for rate comparison

Chariot’s lineup:

• Fixed-rate plans (12, 24, 36 months)—100% solar-backed renewable
• Free nights (11 PM - 6 AM), free weekends, free days (10 AM - 4 PM)
• Four solar buyback plans: Shine (real-time rates, 25 cent cap), PowerBank (3 cents fixed), GreenVolt (7 cents fixed), Rise (1:1 credit)
• Battery Rewards: $40-$60/month for grid support enrollment
• Fusion program stacking solar + battery credits
• Qcells customers get up to 60-month contract locks
• NOT on ComparePower—direct enrollment only at chariotenergy.com

For non-solar customers, Gexa is the clearer value. You can shop rates on ComparePower, pick from competitive plans, and get 100% green energy without a premium.

For solar panel owners, Chariot pulls ahead. Four distinct buyback structures let you match your plan to your solar setup. The Shine plan’s real-time pricing (capped at 25 cents) rewards peak-hour exports. PowerBank and GreenVolt offer fixed buyback certainty. Rise gives you simple 1:1 credits. No other Texas provider offers this range.

The Solar Showdown

This is where Chariot separates itself.

Gexa’s solar buyback: One or two options. Solar Export Saver gives you a fixed buyback credit for excess generation. Battery Benefits pays more if you have storage and let Gexa dispatch during peak demand. Straightforward.

Chariot’s solar buyback: Four plans, each designed for different solar setups:

• Shine: Real-time market rates, 25 cent/kWh cap. Best for homes that fully offset with solar.
• PowerBank: Flat 3 cents/kWh. Predictable. Best for partial offset.
• GreenVolt: Flat 7 cents/kWh. Higher fixed return.
• Rise: 1:1 credit rate. Simple math.

Plus Chariot’s Fusion program stacks solar buyback with battery rewards—$40/month for batteries under 15 kWh, $60/month for 15+ kWh. Compatible with Tesla, Enphase, SolarEdge, and Qcells Q.HOME CORE.

If you have solar panels and especially a home battery, Chariot’s ecosystem is purpose-built for you. Gexa’s solar offerings are competitive but not as deep.

The Credit & Deposit Question

Gexa: Soft credit pull. Good credit = no deposit. Bad credit = $400 deposit. Waivers for utility history, age 65+, family violence.

Chariot: Credit check required. More waiver options than most: good credit, 12-month payment history, senior (65+), active military, letter of credit, medically indigent, family violence victims. The military waiver is notable—Gexa doesn’t offer one.

Neither offers prepaid. Neither works for people who can’t clear any credit check.

The Verdict

Choose Gexa if:

• You don’t have solar panels and just want cheap 100% green electricity
• Shopping on ComparePower for rate comparison is important to you
• A 24-year NextEra-backed track record gives you confidence
• EV charging plans with free overnight electricity matter

Choose Chariot if:

• You have solar panels and want the deepest buyback options in Texas
• You own a home battery and want $40-$60/month in Fusion credits
• You have Qcells panels and want 60-month rate locks
• Free nights, free days, or free weekends fit how you use electricity

Skip both if:

• You need prepaid electricity—look at Payless Power
• Price is your only factor and green energy is irrelevant—look at Discount Power or 4Change
• You want to compare everything on one site—Chariot’s direct-only model makes this hard