Last updated: October 27, 2026. Utility tariffs, PUCT rules and Power to Choose listings checked October 27, 2026.
Getting power on in a new Texas home or apartment starts with one question. Can you pick your electricity company, or is there only one? It depends on the exact address, and every other step follows from the answer.
My family and I moved to Texas in 2025. This guide sticks to what the rules and the utility tariffs say. It’s written for anyone moving, including people arriving from another state, or from abroad without a U.S. credit history.
Quick answer
- You can choose a provider if you’re in the ERCOT region and not served by a city-owned utility or co-op (PUCT). Austin Energy and CPS Energy customers can’t; CenterPoint, Oncor, AEP Texas, TNMP and Lubbock Power & Light customers can.
- Find your ESI ID, the 22-digit number for your meter. Your provider needs it to start service.
- Same-day connection costs little or nothing. With an existing smart meter, CenterPoint charges $0 and Oncor $0.55 if the order reaches them by 7 p.m. on any day but Sunday or a holiday (CenterPoint and Oncor tariffs).
- Deposits are capped at the greater of one-fifth of a year’s estimated bills or the next two months’ estimated bills (16 TAC §25.478). Prepaid plans can’t require one.
- No take-backs on a move-in. The three-day cancellation right covers switches only, so read the EFL before you enroll.
Step 1: find out whether you can choose
In the competitive parts of Texas, a regulated delivery utility (TDU) owns the poles, wires and meter, and you buy the electricity itself from a retail electric provider (REP) you choose. Everywhere else, one utility does both. The PUCT’s rule of thumb is simple. If you’re inside the ERCOT region and not served by an electric cooperative or a municipally owned utility, you can choose (PUCT).
| Where you live | Who sells you power | Examples | How to start service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competitive area (ERCOT) | A provider you choose | CenterPoint (Houston area), Oncor, AEP Texas Central and North, TNMP, Lubbock Power & Light | Pick a plan on Power to Choose, then enroll with that provider |
| City-owned utility | The city utility | Austin Energy, CPS Energy (San Antonio) | Sign up with the utility directly |
| Electric co-op | The co-op | Co-ops that haven’t opted in (Nueces Electric Cooperative has) | Sign up with the co-op, unless it has opted in |
| Outside ERCOT | The local investor-owned utility | Entergy Texas, SWEPCO, Southwestern Public Service, El Paso Electric | Sign up with the utility directly |
City utilities and co-ops have been allowed to opt into competition since January 1, 2002, by a vote of their governing body, and for a city utility the decision can’t be undone (PUCT). Lubbock is the big recent example. Its customers moved to competitive providers between March 4 and April 1, 2024, 109,577 premises in all (ERCOT). Austin Energy is a department of the City of Austin (Austin Energy), and CPS Energy describes itself as the nation’s largest public power, natural gas and electric company (CPS Energy). Power to Choose listed no plans for either today.
Competitive customers make up 75% of ERCOT’s load, nearly 8 million meters (ERCOT fact sheet, October 2026). To check your own address, enter the ZIP code on Power to Choose. If it shows “No plans found,” your address likely isn’t open to competition. ZIP codes can straddle boundaries, so confirm with the utility that serves the address.
Step 2: get your ESI ID
Every meter in the competitive market has an Electric Service Identifier, or ESI ID. CenterPoint describes it as a 22-digit number that identifies the service location and its meter, and notes that it isn’t an account number (CenterPoint). The number belongs to the address. It doesn’t follow you when you move.
- Existing home or apartment: it’s printed on the electric bill, so ask the landlord, property manager or seller for a recent one.
- Oncor area: Oncor has a free ESI ID lookup by address.
- New construction in CenterPoint’s area: homeowners call CenterPoint at 713-207-2222 to have an ESI ID created; builders request one online. CenterPoint asks you to allow two business days after you get it before contacting a provider (CenterPoint).
Keep the number handy. You’ll need it again, with your meter number, to sign up for Smart Meter Texas and see your usage later (SMT user guide). Our Smart Meter Texas guide walks through the signup.
Step 3: choose a plan before you call anyone
In a competitive area, compare plans on Power to Choose and read each plan’s Electricity Facts Label (EFL) before you commit. Two rules make this matter more on a move than on a switch:
- No cooling-off period. The right to cancel within three federal business days after you receive the terms of service doesn’t apply to move-ins (16 TAC §25.474(j)).
- Your old contract ends without a penalty when you move out, as long as you give a forwarding address and, if asked, reasonable proof you’ve moved (16 TAC §25.475(c)).
If you haven’t shopped in Texas before, start with our step-by-step Power to Choose guide, then learn how to read an Electricity Facts Label so you know what you’re signing.
Step 4: schedule the connection
Your provider sends the move-in request to the delivery utility, which turns on the meter and charges a fee set in its tariff. Your provider may pass that fee on to you (§25.474(n)). Here’s what CenterPoint and Oncor charge for a standard home (self-contained) meter:
| Situation | CenterPoint | Oncor | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move-in, existing smart meter | $0.00 | $0.55 | Same day if the utility gets the order by 7 p.m. on an AMS Operational Day (any day except Sunday or a holiday) |
| Move-in, new smart meter (new home) | $213.00 | $28.70 | Requested date, if ordered by 5 p.m. at least two business days ahead |
| Oncor holiday move-in (existing meter) | n/a | $25.30 | On a holiday |
| Oncor priority move-in, new premise | n/a | $207.90 | First-time connection outside normal business hours |
| Move-in, non-standard (opted-out) meter | $160 existing; $171 priority | $0.55 existing; $1.70 priority | Business days; see tariff |
The 7 p.m. cutoff is for the utility, not for you, so enroll earlier in the day or the day before. New construction is slower: CenterPoint says that when no construction is needed on its side, meters are usually installed within 3 to 5 business days of the requested start date, weather and workload permitting, and permits must be in place first where they apply (CenterPoint).
Step 5: deal with the deposit
A provider can ask for a deposit if you can’t show satisfactory credit (16 TAC §25.478). The rule caps the total at the greater of one-fifth of your estimated annual bill or the estimated bills for the next two months, using only charges disclosed in the terms of service. The two-month test uses the months right after you move in, so a summer move can mean a bigger maximum. Here’s the math with average Texas residential bills from 2025:
| Move-in month | One-fifth of a year | Next two months | Maximum deposit |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | $410.09 | $327.69 | $410.09 |
| April | $410.09 | $285.29 | $410.09 |
| July | $410.09 | $458.37 | $458.37 |
| October | $410.09 | $301.94 | $410.09 |
You may be able to avoid the deposit or shrink it:
| Option | Who must accept it |
|---|---|
| Age 65 or older and not behind on any electric account | Every provider |
| Certified victim of family violence (Texas Council on Family Violence letter) | Every provider |
| Good payment history: a customer in the past two years, not delinquent, no more than one late payment in the last 12 months | The affiliated provider and provider of last resort must accept it; others may |
| Satisfactory credit rating from a credit bureau | Same as above |
| A written guarantee from another customer instead of cash | Affiliated provider and provider of last resort must offer it |
| A prepaid plan | No deposit allowed |
| Shop around | Providers may set extra ways to qualify, as long as they don’t discriminate |
If you do pay one, you get it back after 12 consecutive monthly bills paid on time, or when you leave (minus anything you owe), and a deposit held more than 30 days earns interest (4.12% for 2026, (PUCT interest rates). These deposit rules only cover providers in the competitive market. The PUCT doesn’t regulate deposits at co-ops and has never had that authority over city utilities (PUCT), so ask them directly.
For newcomers to the U.S., the practical issue is that a credit check may find no file at all. In that case the options that don’t depend on credit are a prepaid plan, a guarantor where one is offered, or paying the deposit.
Prepaid plans: no deposit, but read the trade-offs
Prepaid service means you pay first and draw the balance down. A prepaid provider can’t require a security deposit, can’t require more than $75 to start service (plus any delivery-utility fees), and must warn you one to seven days before your balance is expected to hit the disconnection level, which can be no more than $10 (16 TAC §25.498). The price can’t exceed the provider-of-last-resort rate.
The catch is price, and a thin margin for error. The 5 prepaid plans listed for CenterPoint’s area today ran 15.9¢ to 18.9¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh, against a median of 13.1¢ for plain fixed-rate plans (Power to Choose export, Oct 27, 2026). I’d use prepaid as a bridge until you qualify for a regular plan without a deposit, not as a long-term home.
Move-in checklist
| When | Task | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 3 weeks before | Confirm who serves the address: competitive area, city utility or co-op | Power to Choose ZIP search; ask the landlord or seller |
| 2 weeks before | Get the ESI ID (and meter number if you can) | A past bill, Oncor lookup, or CenterPoint at 713-207-2222 for new homes |
| 1 to 2 weeks before | Compare plans and read the EFL, Terms of Service and deposit policy | Power to Choose, provider documents |
| 1 week before | Enroll and pick your move-in date; ask whether a deposit applies | Your chosen provider |
| Same week | Give your old provider a move-out date and forwarding address | Old provider |
| Move-in day | Check the power is on; note the meter reading | At the meter |
| First month | Register for Smart Meter Texas to track usage | smartmetertexas.com |
| First bill | Check delivery charges, price and any fees against the EFL | Your bill and EFL |
When that first bill arrives, it helps to know what’s normal. In the Houston area, CenterPoint delivery charges are a fixed part of every bill, and our look at the average electric bill in Texas shows typical totals month by month.
FAQ
Can I get electricity turned on the same day in Texas?
Usually, at an existing home with a working smart meter in CenterPoint or Oncor territory, if the order reaches the utility by 7 p.m. on any day except Sunday or a holiday. New meters take longer.
How much is an electricity deposit in Texas?
No fixed amount. The cap is the greater of one-fifth of your estimated annual bill or your next two months’ estimated bills. You can often avoid it with good credit, proof of on-time payments elsewhere (not every provider has to accept it) or a prepaid plan.
Can I get electricity without a U.S. credit history?
Yes. Without satisfactory credit a provider can ask for a deposit, and prepaid plans can’t require one at all. Ask each provider what ID it needs.
Can I pick my provider in Austin or San Antonio?
Not if Austin Energy or CPS Energy serves your address. Both are public power utilities, and Power to Choose listed no plans for either today. Check your exact address, since service areas don’t always match city names.
What is an ESI ID?
A unique number for your service location and meter, 22 digits in CenterPoint’s area. It’s on your bill and it stays with the property.
Sources
- PUCT: Choosing an Electric Plan, Municipally-Owned Electric Utilities and Electric Cooperatives FAQs, Rate case process (utilities outside ERCOT), Electricity FAQs and Historical Record of Interest Rates. Checked Oct 27, 2026.
- 16 TAC §25.474 (effective 3/08/17), §25.475 (effective 01/06/2022), §25.478, Credit Requirements and Deposits (effective 5/13/18) and §25.498, Prepaid Service (effective 01/06/2022). Checked Oct 27, 2026.
- CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric Tariff for Retail Delivery Service and Oncor Tariff for Retail Delivery Service, linked from the PUCT TDU rates page. Downloaded Oct 27, 2026.
- CenterPoint, Start Service and ESI ID Request; Oncor, ESI ID Lookup. Checked Oct 27, 2026.
- ERCOT, Fact Sheet, October 2026 and Market Notice M-B022724-02 (April 11, 2024). Checked Oct 27, 2026.
- Austin Energy, About; CPS Energy, About Us. Checked Oct 27, 2026.
- Power to Choose offer export, downloaded Oct 27, 2026; Smart Meter Texas Residential User Guide; U.S. EIA retail sales data (Texas residential, 2025), fetched Oct 27, 2026.