Guide · Options explained

Base Power vs Generac vs solar vs grid: what's the difference?

Four options. Four very different trade-offs. Here's an independent, plain-English breakdown of what each one is, what it solves, and who it makes sense for in a Texas home — so you can compare them in the calculator without guessing.

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Option 01

Standard Retail Power

Your default — the grid.

Upfront
$0
Ongoing
Usage × rate

Standard retail power is the setup most Texas households already have: you pick a Retail Electric Provider (REP), they bill you monthly, and the grid delivers electricity to your home. Your cost is simply how much you use multiplied by your all-in effective rate.

It's the lowest-friction option by a wide margin. There's nothing to install, nothing to maintain, and switching providers is a few minutes of paperwork. The flip side: you have zero protection against outages, and every dollar you spend on electricity leaves your household. You're not building anything.

What it's good for

Renters, recent movers, anyone not ready to make a capital commitment, and households where grid reliability is acceptable. It's also the honest baseline for every other option — if another setup doesn't beat retail power on some dimension that matters to you, it's not worth the money.

What to watch for

Advertised rates are often not the rate you'll actually pay. Usage minimums, tiered pricing, and TDU delivery fees can push your effective rate well above the marketing number. Our guide walks through how to calculate your real effective kWh rate from a bill.

Option 02

Base Power + Backup

Managed service with backup built in.

Upfront
$695–$995
Membership
$19–$29/mo
Energy rate
~$0.132 - 0.14/kWh
Who owns it
Base

Base Power is trying to solve a specific problem: most Texans want reliable power and a fair rate, and don't want to think about it. Base packages an install, a lower energy rate, and backup into a managed membership — like a utility that actually acts like a service.

Instead of buying and maintaining hardware yourself, you pay a one-time install fee and an ongoing monthly membership. You get a lower-than-market energy rate and backup capability during outages. The hardware stays managed, not owned.

What it's good for

Homeowners who care about resilience and a predictable experience, but don't want to take on $12,000+ of equipment, maintenance schedules, and fuel logistics. It's particularly well-suited to people who value "hands off" — the provider handles the mechanical side.

What to watch for

It's a newer model and will feel less familiar than either standard retail or a generator. The monthly membership is a commitment, and the effective long-run cost depends on how much you use. The calculator will tell you exactly where the break-even falls for your usage level.

Option 03

Generac + Standard Retail Power

Whole-home backup, owned outright.

Install
~$12,000
Maintenance
~$400/yr
Fuel / testing
~$200/yr
Lifespan
15–20 yrs

A Generac (or equivalent) standby generator is the familiar whole-home backup category. You install a permanent unit outside the home, connect it to natural gas or propane, and during a grid outage it auto-starts and runs critical loads — sometimes the whole house, depending on size.

Importantly, a generator doesn't reduce your normal bill. Your day-to-day electricity still comes from the grid at your regular rate. A Generac is pure insurance: you're paying for resilience during outages, not for lower ongoing cost.

What it's good for

Homeowners where an outage is genuinely expensive or dangerous — medical equipment, well pumps, home offices, or just a history of long outages in your area. It's also the most intuitive option: the concept sells itself because everyone understands what a generator does.

What to watch for

The upfront cost is real, and you're taking on maintenance forever. Annual service, fuel supply, and periodic testing are part of ownership. If your outage exposure is low, the math is hard to justify on pure cost grounds.

Option 04

Solar + Standard Retail Power

Generate your own, pull the rest from the grid.

Install
~$25,000
Savings offset
~70% (conservative)
Lifespan
25+ yrs

Solar is the long-game option. You invest upfront in panels on your roof; they generate electricity during the day; you draw from the grid at night or during low-production periods. In the best case, you offset most or all of your grid usage at retail rates.

Of the four options, solar has the widest spread between an optimistic estimate and a realistic one. Real-world savings depend on system size, roof orientation, shading, weather, usage timing, and how your utility handles exports. A good system can pay for itself well inside its lifespan. A poorly-matched system can take much longer.

Honest note on solar economics. Unlike the other three options, solar's return depends on factors outside your control — weather, buyback terms, and utility rules. The calculator estimates savings at 70% of your current grid spend, a conservative figure that accounts for real-world production shortfalls and export limitations. Always get a real quote before committing.

What it's good for

Homeowners who plan to stay in the home for many years, have a suitable roof, and want to convert a recurring bill into an owned asset. Solar is also the only option on this page that can meaningfully reduce your actual electricity usage from the grid.

What to watch for

Savings are not guaranteed. A surprising share of homeowners are disappointed by their first-year production vs. the sales pitch. Ask for the assumed weather profile, shading analysis, and any buyback/export terms in writing. The calculator applies a 70% confidence factor to solar savings specifically because the optimistic scenario is rarely what happens.

At a glance

Which option is which, on one line.

Retail Base Generac Solar
Upfront cost$0LowHighHighest
Ongoing costFull billLower + membershipFull bill + upkeepReduced bill
Backup during outageNoYesYes (strong)Only with battery
You own the hardwareN/ANoYesYes
Long-term assetNoNoPartialYes
Hands-off levelHighHighLowMedium
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