Homes in Texas pay an average of 15.94¢ per kWh, 13% below the national average of 18.34¢. Enter your bill to see where you stand.
Texas ranks 24th cheapest of 51 (50 states plus D.C.) for residential electricity. At 15.94¢/kWh, it sits 13% below the national average of 18.34¢, and prices are up 4.5% over the past year.
The typical Texas household uses about 1,085 kWh a month and pays around $173. Among South Central states, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma have lower rates.
Yes, and in most of the state you have to. Homes served by Oncor, CenterPoint Energy, AEP Texas and TNMP pick a retail electric provider, while the utility keeps delivering power and handling outages. Cities with their own utilities, such as Austin Energy and San Antonio's CPS Energy, are not part of the competitive market.
There's no utility default rate in the competitive areas of Texas: every home must pick a retail electric provider. If a provider leaves the market, its customers are moved to a Provider of Last Resort, usually at a higher price, so it pays to choose a plan yourself.
Your 17- or 22-digit ESI ID on the bill identifies your meter and utility. Texas plans are advertised at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh, so compare the price at your real usage, and watch for bill credits that only apply above a certain usage. When your contract ends, many providers roll you onto a pricier month-to-month rate. You can cross-check offers on Power to Choose (powertochoose.org), the PUCT's official comparison site.
Most Texas homes are served by Oncor, CenterPoint Energy, AEP Texas and TNMP in the competitive market, plus city utilities such as Austin Energy and CPS Energy. Your utility's name and account number are near the top of your bill.
Texas restructured its market with Senate Bill 7 in 1999, and retail choice opened in most of the state in 2002.
In competitive Texas, your city decides which utility delivers your power, and that utility's delivery charge is added to every plan. Find your city below, then use the calculator to see what any plan really costs at your usage.
| City | Utility (TDU) | Delivery at 1,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Abilene | AEP Texas North | $58.55 |
| Arlington | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Baytown | CenterPoint | $54.71 |
| Carrollton | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Corpus Christi | AEP Texas Central | $60.14 |
| Dallas | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Edinburg | AEP Texas Central | $60.14 |
| Fort Worth | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Galveston | TNMP | $72.52 |
| Grand Prairie | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Harlingen | AEP Texas Central | $60.14 |
| Houston | CenterPoint | $54.71 |
| Irving | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Katy | CenterPoint | $54.71 |
| Killeen | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Laredo | AEP Texas Central | $60.14 |
| McAllen | AEP Texas Central | $60.14 |
| McKinney | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Mesquite | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Midland | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Mission | AEP Texas Central | $60.14 |
| Missouri City | CenterPoint | $54.71 |
| Odessa | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Pasadena | CenterPoint | $54.71 |
| Pearland | CenterPoint | $54.71 |
| Plano | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Richardson | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Round Rock | Oncor | $64.36 |
| San Angelo | AEP Texas North | $58.55 |
| Sugar Land | CenterPoint | $54.71 |
| Temple | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Texas City | TNMP | $72.52 |
| The Woodlands | CenterPoint | $54.71 |
| Tyler | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Victoria | AEP Texas Central | $60.14 |
| Waco | Oncor | $64.36 |
| Wichita Falls | Oncor | $64.36 |
What will a plan really cost?
Find the energy charge, base fee and bill credit on the plan's Electricity Facts Label (EFL).
Delivery charges from the Public Utility Commission of Texas rate summary, late summer 2026. See full delivery charges or decode your ESI ID.
The average residential rate in Texas is 15.94 cents per kWh as of September 2026, 13% below the national average of 18.34¢, and about $173 a month for a typical home.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT). You can compare offers on Power to Choose (powertochoose.org), the PUCT's official comparison site.
Averages are EIA residential revenue divided by kWh sold, September 2026. Your rate depends on your utility, plan and season. See average rates for all 50 states.