How to set up electricity in Dallas when you move
By kWhCompare · Updated November 3, 2026 · 5 min read
To set up electricity in Dallas, you choose a retail electric provider and plan, since Dallas is deregulated and sits on Oncor Electric Delivery's grid. You'll need your address and move-in date, maybe an ESI ID, and sometimes a deposit. Most sign-ups take under 15 minutes online, with service starting the next business day.
Dallas is one of the more straightforward Texas cities to set up power in, but it still works differently than most of the country. You're not calling a single utility and getting a meter number. You're shopping a competitive market, choosing your own supplier, and letting a separate company called Oncor handle the wires.
Why Dallas electricity shopping is different from most of the US
In Dallas, the poles and wires belong to Oncor Electric Delivery, the transmission and distribution utility (TDU) for most of North Texas. Oncor does not sell you electricity and you can't choose a different wires company. What you choose is a retail electric provider (REP), the company that bills you for the power itself.
This split is standard across deregulated Texas markets. If you've read about setting up electricity in Houston, the process is nearly identical there, except the local TDU is CenterPoint Energy instead of Oncor. Same rules, different wires company, different delivery rate.
Step-by-step: set up electricity before you move into a Dallas home
- Confirm your move-in date and address. Providers typically need 1 to 3 business days' notice for a smooth connection, though same-day and next-day starts are common if you enroll before the provider's daily cutoff.
- Compare plans and rates. Every Texas plan publishes an Electricity Facts Label (EFL) showing average price per kWh at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh. Learn how to read an EFL before you pick anything, since the advertised rate and your real average price can differ a lot depending on usage.
- Decide between fixed and variable rates. Most Dallas renters and homeowners do better on a fixed-rate plan for budgeting; see fixed vs variable electricity rates in Texas for the tradeoffs.
- Enroll online or by phone with your name, address, Social Security number (for a credit check), and move-in date.
- Pay a deposit if one is required (see below), or request a waiver.
- Confirm your start date directly with the provider. Oncor will energize the meter on that date if it isn't already on.
Find your ESI ID before you call anyone
Every Oncor meter has a unique 17 to 22-digit number called an ESI ID (Electric Service Identifier). Providers use it to confirm exactly which meter is yours, which matters a lot in apartment buildings or duplexes where addresses look similar.
You can usually find it on a previous resident's bill, ask your landlord or leasing office, or look it up by address. Our Texas ESI ID lookup tool walks through all three methods and explains what each segment of the number means.
Will you need a deposit to set up electricity in Dallas?
Texas rules cap how much a provider can ask for. Under PUCT §25.478, a deposit can't exceed the greater of one-fifth of your estimated annual billing or two estimated monthly bills.
Worked example: say a provider estimates your new Dallas home will use about 1,200 kWh a month, and your plan's average rate works out to 13 cents per kWh.
- Estimated monthly bill: 1,200 kWh × $0.13 = $156
- Estimated annual billing: $156 × 12 = $1,872
- One-fifth of annual billing: $1,872 ÷ 5 = $374.40
- Two estimated monthly bills: $156 × 2 = $312
The cap is whichever number is larger, so this household could legally be asked for up to $374, not a penny more. If you're over 65 with no delinquent history, a certified family violence victim, or you can show a satisfactory payment history letter from a prior Texas provider, you may be able to skip the deposit entirely. Our guide to getting electricity in Texas with no deposit covers all four legal workarounds in detail.
How Oncor delivery charges show up on your Dallas bill
Your bill has two main pieces: the energy charge from your retail provider, and the delivery charge from Oncor, which is the same for every provider and every plan in Dallas. Oncor currently charges a $4.23 monthly base fee plus 6.013 cents per kWh delivered.
Example 1: a Dallas apartment using 500 kWh in a mild month.
- Oncor delivery: $4.23 + (500 × $0.06013) = $4.23 + $30.07 = $34.30
- Energy charge at an illustrative 13 cents/kWh plan: 500 × $0.13 = $65.00
- Estimated total before taxes and fees: $99.30
Example 2: a large Dallas house running AC hard in August at 2,500 kWh.
- Oncor delivery: $4.23 + (2,500 × $0.06013) = $4.23 + $150.33 = $154.56
- Energy charge at the same 13 cents/kWh: 2,500 × $0.13 = $325.00
- Estimated total before taxes and fees: $479.56
Notice that delivery charges scale with usage too, not just the energy rate. That's one reason a hot Dallas summer can roughly quadruple a bill even on the exact same plan. For a deeper line-by-line breakdown of what each charge covers, see our electric bill breakdown guide.
Dallas (Oncor) vs other Texas delivery areas
If you're comparing a Dallas move against another Texas metro, the delivery charge itself is one of the few things that doesn't change by provider, only by location. Here's how Oncor stacks up against the other major Texas TDUs at 1,000 kWh of usage.
| TDU (service area) | Fixed charge/month | Per-kWh charge | Delivery cost at 1,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oncor (Dallas-Fort Worth) | $4.23 | 6.013¢ | $64.36 |
| CenterPoint Energy (Houston) | $4.99 | 4.972¢ | $54.71 |
| AEP Texas Central | $3.24 | 5.69¢ | $60.14 |
| AEP Texas North | $3.24 | 5.531¢ | $58.55 |
| Texas-New Mexico Power | $7.85 | 6.467¢ | $72.52 |
Oncor's delivery rate is higher than CenterPoint's and the AEP areas, so a Dallas household and a Houston household on identical energy rates will not see identical bills. See the full Texas TDU delivery charges breakdown for all five utilities and how these rates update every March 1 and September 1.
Summer electricity use in Dallas: what actually changes
Dallas summers push air conditioners hard for months at a time, and usage in July and August can easily run double or triple a mild-month baseline for the same house. A home using 900 kWh in April might hit 2,200 to 2,800 kWh in August once the AC runs most of the day.
That swing is exactly why the deposit math and plan comparison above matter before you sign anything: a rate that looks cheap at 500 kWh on the EFL can look very different once your actual Dallas summer usage shows up. Our guide on average electric bills in Texas shows typical seasonal ranges by home size, and 15 ways to lower your summer electric bill covers concrete steps that reduce the kWh side of this equation, not just the rate.
What to do next
- Look up or request your ESI ID using the ESI ID lookup tool as soon as you have an address.
- Compare plans using average price at your expected usage level, not just the headline rate, with help from the EFL reading guide.
- Run the numbers on your specific home with our free electricity rate comparison tool before you enroll, so you know your real monthly cost at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh.
- Ask about deposit waivers if you qualify, and if you already have service and just want a better rate, check how to switch electricity providers in Texas for the no-fee switching windows.
See real cost per kWh at your actual usage before you enroll
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to use Oncor for electricity in Dallas?
No. Oncor only delivers power over the local wires and reads your meter. You choose a separate retail electric provider to supply the actual electricity and set your rate.
How long does it take to turn on electricity in Dallas?
Most enrollments activate the next business day, and some providers offer same-day connection if you sign up before their daily cutoff time, typically mid-afternoon.
Can I avoid a deposit when setting up electricity in Dallas?
Often yes. Texas law allows waivers for customers 65 and older with no delinquent history, certified family violence victims, and anyone who can show a satisfactory payment history letter from a previous Texas provider.
What is an ESI ID and do I need it to set up electricity in Dallas?
An ESI ID is the unique 17 to 22-digit number assigned to your specific meter. Many providers can enroll you without it using just your address, but having it ready speeds up the process and avoids mix-ups in multi-unit buildings.
Sources
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, PUCT §25.478 deposit rules (puc.texas.gov)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, residential electricity data (eia.gov)
- Oncor Electric Delivery, tariff and delivery charge filings (oncor.com)
Figures are checked against these sources when each guide is updated. See how we research and calculate. This guide is for general information and isn't financial advice.