Houston Texas downtown skyline at night, the largest deregulated electricity market in Texas

Houston Electricity Rates

Edited by Rafael Morales
Last updated:

The cheapest True Fixed electricity rate in Houston today for a 12 to 23 month term is 11.6¢/kWh at 1,000 kWh, from True Power. Across the 57 True Fixed plans in that range we track in Houston, the average is 14.2¢/kWh. Both numbers account for the energy provider’s charges and all TDU delivery and base charges, so they reflect what you actually pay.

That 11.6¢ is the floor for a real fixed rate in Houston on a term of 12 months or longer. If you see a 12-month-or-longer plan advertised well below this rate, it is almost certainly a bill credit plan. Those rates only apply if your monthly usage lands inside a narrow window, usually right around 1,000 kWh. Over a year you will likely miss it in at least 4 months (overpaying $400 or more), using too little or too much. Clear Energy Facts does not recommend these plans.

Every plan listed here is True Fixed. If you are looking for a different plan type in Houston, we track those separately: Best Free Nights plans, Best Free Weekends plans, and No-credit-check prepaid plans.

Our Recommendation

Our Recommendation
Swipe left or right to compare term lengths
12-23 Months
24-35 Months
36+ Months
Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash

Best True Fixed Plans in Houston

True Fixed Rate plans only, enter zipcode for full list and more details

Check details in your area
1st
True Power
Review Check Availability
True Value 12
PTC
Sep 14
12 months
500 KWH
12.1¢
1000 KWH
11.6¢
2000 KWH
11.4¢

Top concerns

⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ Risk of account being transferred

⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ Need to call for Autopay setup

⚠️ ⚠️ One of the highest cancellation fees

⚠️ ⚠️ High Complain Ratio. 1 on PUCT score

⚠️ 2% fee for payments outside AutoPay.

2nd
Octopus Energy
Review Check Availability
Octo Simple 12
100% Renewable
PTC
Sep 14
12 months
500 KWH
12.2¢
1000 KWH
11.7¢
2000 KWH
11.5¢

Top concerns

⚠️ ⚠️ 2% Credit/debit card processing fee

3rd
Express Energy
Review Check Availability
Express Energy Speedy 12SM
PTC
Sep 14
12 months
500 KWH
12.3¢
1000 KWH
11.8¢
2000 KWH
11.5¢

Top concerns

⚠️⚠️⚠️ One of the lowest ratings on Google Reviews

4th
5th
Varsity Energy
Review Check Availability
HOMERUN 12
Company website
Sep 14
12 months
500 KWH
12.8¢
1000 KWH
12.3¢
2000 KWH
12.1¢

Top concerns

⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ Risk of account being transferred

6th
Frontier
Review Check Availability
Frontier Power Saver 12
PTC
Sep 14
12 months
500 KWH
12.8¢
1000 KWH
12.3¢
2000 KWH
12.1¢

Top concerns

⚠️ Common negative review: higher rates at renewal.

7th
Energy Texas
Review Check Availability
No Bull 12 - 12 month plan
100% Renewable
PTC
Sep 14
12 months
500 KWH
12.3¢
1000 KWH
12.3¢
2000 KWH
12.4¢
8th
Rhythm
Review Check Availability
Digital Choice 12 - 12 month plan
100% Renewable
PTC
Sep 14
12 months
500 KWH
12.3¢
1000 KWH
12.3¢
2000 KWH
12.4¢
9th
Gexa Energy
Review Check Availability
Gexa Eco Choice 12
100% Renewable
PTC
Sep 14
12 months
500 KWH
12.8¢
1000 KWH
12.3¢
2000 KWH
12.1¢

Top concerns

⚠️ Common negative review: higher rates at renewal.

10th
11th
Southern Federal
Review Check Availability
SoFed Digital Saver Plus - 12
Company website
Sep 14
12 months
500 KWH
13.1¢
1000 KWH
12.6¢
2000 KWH
12.4¢
12th
13th
Texans Choice Power
Review Check Availability
Choose 12
Company website
Sep 07
12 months
500 KWH
13.2¢
1000 KWH
12.7¢
2000 KWH
12.4¢

Top concerns

⚠️ Limited public review history: no active Google reviews profile

14th
15th
Varsity Energy
Review Check Availability
HOMERUN 16
Company website
Sep 14
16 months
500 KWH
13.4¢
1000 KWH
12.9¢
2000 KWH
12.7¢

Top concerns

⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ Risk of account being transferred

16th
Abundance Energy
Review Check Availability
Confident Renter 12
Company website
Sep 11
12 months
500 KWH
13.7¢
1000 KWH
13.2¢
2000 KWH
12.9¢

Top concerns

⚠️ Common negative review: long wait times on customer service calls.

17th
Branch Energy
Review Check Availability
Branch Fixed 12
100% Renewable
Company website
Aug 12
12 months
500 KWH
13.7¢
1000 KWH
13.2¢
2000 KWH
13.0¢

Top concerns

⚠️⚠️⚠️ The advertised rates don’t reflect the current TDU charges

18th
Abundance Energy
Review Check Availability
Fixed Rate – Straight Forward 12
Company website
Sep 11
12 months
500 KWH
14.3¢
1000 KWH
13.3¢
2000 KWH
12.8¢

Top concerns

⚠️ Common negative review: long wait times on customer service calls.

19th
Atlantex Power
Review Check Availability
Luminous
Exclusive Offer
Sep 14
12 months
500 KWH
13.8¢
1000 KWH
13.3¢
2000 KWH
13.0¢

Top concerns

⚠️ Limited public review history: no active Google reviews profile

20th

Showing the best available 500 / 1000 / 2000 kWh prices for the selected term range. Sources include PowerToChoose (“PTC”) and direct provider sites. We are not affiliated with PowerToChoose.org or the Public Utility Commission of Texas; these offers are shown for informational purposes only.

TDU Contact and Outage Information for Houston

Houston is served by CenterPoint, the utility company responsible for delivering electricity to your home.

Curious fact: During Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, CenterPoint’s official outage tracker either crashed or provided very vague and unhelpful data. This left millions of Houstonians in the dark. Many people then turned to the Whataburger app to track which locations were open and had power, and it actually became a useful tool. Keep that in mind during the next hurricane season.

Utility Service Contacts

Centerpoint

Visit TDU Website Open Outage Map

Support Phone

800-752-8036

Houston Housing & Heating Facts

Local housing and heating composition based on city profile inputs.

Median Year Built

1987

Houston has one of the most diverse housing and heating mixes in Texas. Houses and apartments are nearly evenly split at 46.6% and 46.1%, and while 63.6% of homes heat with electricity, a third still use gas. That mix is why the estimate below defaults to a small apartment on electric heat, which describes more Houston homes than any other single profile. Change the profile if yours is different.
Whichever profile fits you, the same conclusion holds in Houston: focus on the True Fixed plans on this page rather than the lower advertised rates you will find elsewhere. Those are almost always bill credit plans, and Houston's mild spring and fall mean most households drop below the 1,000 kWh threshold for several months a year. Missing it can cost more than $400 annually.
The only way to know for certain is to use your own data. Log in and connect your Smart Meter Texas readings to compare any plan against how your home actually uses power.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau. "Selected Housing Characteristics." American Community Survey, ACS 5-Year Estimates Data Profiles, Table DP04.

Heating Type Share

Electricity 63.6%
Gas 34.4%
Other 2.0%

Housing Mix Share

House 46.6%
Apartment 46.1%
Other 7.3%

What a typical Houston home pays for electricity

Based on Houston's housing profile, a medium house with electric heat is the most common setup in the city. Priced at the average of every 12 month True Fixed plan in Houston, that runs about $1,934 a year, or roughly $161 a month, though the monthly figure swings with the season.

Use this as a reference point. If your usage is similar to the profile below and your bill is well above these numbers, you are probably overpaying.

Change the profile if yours is different.

Estimated yearly cost

$1,934

Sum of the four seasonal blocks

Average month

$161

Seasons swing above and below this

Season Usage Estimated Bill per month
Dec - Feb -- --
Mar - May -- --
Jun - Aug -- --
Sep - Nov -- --

The Real Cost of Gimmicky Bill-Credit Plans in Houston

Bill-credit plans are often advertised as having some of the lowest rates on the market. However, their actual cost depends heavily on how much electricity you use each month and whether your usage qualifies for the bill credit. 

The table below provides average estimates based on different home and electricity-usage profiles. These figures are for informational purposes only, and your actual cost and potential overpayment may vary.

Use the filters to apply the plan’s actual charges and credits to different Houston housing and heating profiles over 12 months.

Estimated yearly cost

$1,931

Average month

$161

True yearly rate

14.2¢

Total annual bill divided by annual usage

Season Usage (kWh) Energy + delivery Base cost Bill credit Estimated bill Effective rate
Dec - Feb 1,200 $230.52 $4.90 −$125.00 $110.42 9.2¢
Mar - May 850 $163.28 $4.90 $0.00 $168.19 19.8¢
Jun - Aug 1,600 $307.36 $4.90 −$125.00 $187.26 11.7¢
Sep - Nov 900 $172.89 $4.90 $0.00 $177.79 19.8¢

Top 5 Reviewed Electricity Companies in Houston

Highest review scores among True Fixed providers currently listed for Houston.

Rank #1 Score 4.59/5
Spark Energy

Spark Energy

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

From 13.5¢ @ 1000 kWh

1 eligible plans

Read Full Review
Rank #2 Score 4.53/5
Varsity Energy

Varsity Energy

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

From 12.3¢ @ 1000 kWh

2 eligible plans

Read Full Review
Rank #3 Score 4.29/5
Cleansky Energy

Cleansky Energy

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

From 13.1¢ @ 1000 kWh

6 eligible plans

Read Full Review
Rank #4 Score 4.24/5
Champion Energy

Champion Energy

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

From 14.0¢ @ 1000 kWh

4 eligible plans

Read Full Review
Rank #5 Score 4.23/5
Constellation

Constellation

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

From 13.8¢ @ 1000 kWh

1 eligible plans

Read Full Review

Moving to Houston? Avoid These Common Bill Credit Traps

Houston is part of the Texas deregulated electricity market, which gives you the power to choose your provider, but it also exposes you to dozens of confusing plans and marketing tactics. This guide: How to buy Electricity in Texas will help you avoid two of the most common mistakes:

  1. Getting a Bill Credit Plan for an Apartment: If you live in an apartment, never simply choose the lowest advertised rate you see online, especially if it is significantly lower than the standard fixed rates on this page. We provide the most competitive Truly Fixed Rate options available. Anything advertised below that level is likely a Bill Credit plan. These plans only become cheap if you hit a specific usage threshold, usually 1,000 kWh. If you live in an apartment, your usage likely will not hit that 1,000 kWh threshold for at least 6 months out of the year
  2. Enrolling in a "Free Nights" Plan Without Testing Your Data: Whether a free nights plan is worth it depends entirely on your willingness to shift your electricity usage into the free hour windows. Clear Energy Facts allows you to track exactly how a specific free nights plan will behave using your actual Smart Meter Texas data.
    Give our Free Nights Calculator a shot: pick a plan, upload your data, and the tool will show you your usage for the last 7 days and the past month. It will tell you if your current habits are good enough to save money during the free hours. Use this tool about 15 days before selecting a plan to evaluate if a free nights electricity plan actually makes sense for you.

Types of Electricity Plans Available in Houston

If you are shopping for electricity in Houston, you will see several different plan types. Some are simple and easy to understand, while others depend on your monthly usage, the time of day, or special equipment in your home.

  • Truly Fixed Plans: These plans keep the same energy rate for the full contract term, which makes them one of the most predictable options in Houston.
  • Bill Credit Plans: These plans give you a bill credit only when your monthly usage falls within a certain range, so your real rate can change a lot from month to month. Almost all comparison websites feature this kind of plan.
  • Tiered Plans: These plans use different pricing levels based on how much electricity you use during the billing cycle. These plans are very common among large companies such as Reliant and TXU.
  • Free or Discount Nights Plans: These plans offer free or lower-priced electricity at night, but the daytime rates are often much higher. Reliant, TXU, Infuse, Revolution, Green Mountain, Amigo, and Just Energy are some of the companies that offer these kinds of plans.
  • Free or Discount Weekends Plans: These plans give you free or discounted electricity on weekends, but weekday pricing may be less attractive.
  • Buyback Plans: These plans are made for homes with solar panels and let you receive credit for extra electricity sent back to the grid.
  • Special Equipment Plans: These plans are linked to certain devices, such as smart thermostats, and may include special discounts or program benefits. Octopus and Think Energy are two companies that usually offer this type of plan.
  • EV Plans: These plans are designed for electric vehicle owners and usually offer better pricing during overnight charging hours.
  • Prepaid Plans: These plans let you pay in advance for electricity and usually do not require a long contract, though you must keep enough balance in the account.
  • Variable Plans: These plans do not lock in a fixed rate, so the price can go up or down each month.

Frequently Asked Questions about Electricity Rates in Houston

What is the best 12-month True Fixed rate in Houston right now?

The Cheapest 12-month True Fixed plan right now in Houston is True Power — True Value 12, with a rate of 11.6¢/kWh at 1000 kWh.

What is the average electricity bill in Houston for a studio apartment (electric heating)?

Priced at the average of every 12 month True Fixed plan in Houston, the estimated monthly bill for a studio apartment with electric heating is $75.31. That average includes the TDU delivery charges and assumes no provider base charge, so it works as a reference point: a similar home paying well above it is probably on an expensive plan.

What is the average electricity bill in Houston for a medium house (electric heating)?

Priced at the average of every 12 month True Fixed plan in Houston, the estimated monthly bill for a medium house with electric heating is $161.18. That average includes the TDU delivery charges and assumes no provider base charge, so it works as a reference point: a similar home paying well above it is probably on an expensive plan.

What is the average electricity bill in Houston for a medium house (gas heating)?

Priced at the average of every 12 month True Fixed plan in Houston, the estimated monthly bill for a medium house with gas heating is $149.16. That average includes the TDU delivery charges and assumes no provider base charge, so it works as a reference point: a similar home paying well above it is probably on an expensive plan.

How do I know if a plan I choose is a True Fixed plan in Houston?

If you find a plan that looks good on another provider’s website, in an online ad, or even on Power to Choose, you can still use Clear Energy Facts to double-check it.

First, download or open the plan’s Electricity Facts Label (EFL). Then compare it using our EFL Inspector: EFL Inspector .

This tool helps you tell whether a plan is truly fixed, a bill-credit plan, a free nights/weekends offer, or something else.

Which TDU serves Houston?

The primary TDU serving Houston is Centerpoint. This TDU owns and maintains local delivery poles and wires, and also manages outage restoration.

How do I confirm the correct TDU for my address in Houston?

Check your current electricity bill or service paperwork for the delivery utility name. If you are moving, enter your ZIP code and address during enrollment to confirm the exact TDU.