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Best Electricity Rates in Houston

Edited by Rafael Morales
Last updated:

To find the best electricity rates in Houston, we compare plans from provider websites, Power to Choose, and select sponsor offers. We only show True Fixed plans—no gimmicks, no free night traps, and no hidden fees.

For a list of the best Free Nights, Free Weekends, and Prepaid plans in Houston, follow these links: Best Free Nights plans, Best Free Weekends plans, and No-credit-check prepaid plans.

Our Recommendation

Our Recommendation
Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash

Cheapest Electricity Rates in Houston

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

Check details in your area
PTC
Jun 15
12 months
500 KWH
12.2¢
1000 KWH
11.7¢
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

PTC
Jun 15
12 months
500 KWH
12.3¢
1000 KWH
11.8¢
2000 KWH
11.6¢

Top concerns

⚠️⚠️⚠️ Risk of account being transferred

⚠️⚠️⚠️ High Complain Ratio. 1 on PUCT score

⚠️⚠️ Poor Customer Service on Google Reviews

3rd
Southern Federal
Review Check Availability
SoFed Better Rate - 12
Company website
Jun 11
12 months
500 KWH
12.9¢
1000 KWH
11.9¢
2000 KWH
11.5¢
4th
Budget Power
Review Check Availability
No Gimmicks Green 12
100% Renewable
PTC
Jun 15
12 months
500 KWH
12.4¢
1000 KWH
11.9¢
2000 KWH
11.7¢

Top concerns

⚠️⚠️⚠️ Risk of account being transferred

⚠️⚠️⚠️ High Complain Ratio. 1 on PUCT score

⚠️⚠️ Poor Customer Service on Google Reviews

5th
Ranchero Power
Review Check Availability
Ranchero Smart & Fixed - 12
Company website
Jun 11
12 months
500 KWH
13.0¢
1000 KWH
12.0¢
2000 KWH
11.6¢
6th
AE Texas
Review Check Availability
FIXED PRICE - SMARTER SECURE
PTC
Jun 15
14 months
500 KWH
12.7¢
1000 KWH
12.2¢
2000 KWH
12.0¢

Top concerns

⚠️ Limited public review history: no active Google reviews profile

7th
Rhythm
Review Check Availability
Digital Choice 12 - 12 month plan
100% Renewable
PTC
Jun 15
12 months
500 KWH
12.3¢
1000 KWH
12.3¢
2000 KWH
12.4¢

Top concerns

⚠️ High Complain Ratio. 2 on PUCT score

Company website
Jun 11
12 months
500 KWH
12.8¢
1000 KWH
12.3¢
2000 KWH
12.1¢

Top concerns

⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ Risk of account being transferred

⚠️ ⚠️ High Complain Ratio. 1 on PUCT score

9th
Energy Texas
Review Check Availability
No Bull 12 - 12 month plan
100% Renewable
PTC
Jun 15
12 months
500 KWH
12.3¢
1000 KWH
12.3¢
2000 KWH
12.4¢

Top concerns

⚠️ High Complain Ratio. 2 on PUCT score

10th
Gexa Energy
Review Check Availability
Gexa Eco Choice 12
100% Renewable
PTC
Jun 15
12 months
500 KWH
12.8¢
1000 KWH
12.3¢
2000 KWH
12.1¢

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. The city has a nearly even split between houses and apartments, along with a strong mix of gas and electric heating. Because of that, different households should focus on different types of electricity plans.

  • Apartment + electric heating: Your bill will usually be higher in both summer and winter, and lower in spring and fall. Even so, stay away from bill-credit plans. You will likely miss the 1,000 kWh threshold in several months, especially during spring and fall, which can cost you more than $400 a year in lost credits and much higher effective rates. Focus only on the True Fixed plans shown on this page. 
  • Apartment + gas heating: This is a less common combination, but it can work in your favor. Winter bills are usually lower because heating is not driving electric usage. Even so, your summer usage can still rise above 1,000 kWh during the hottest months, especially in July and August. In most cases, a True Fixed plan is still the safer option. 
  • House + gas heating: Your highest bills will usually come in the summer. We generally do not recommend bill-credit plans because many homes, especially newer and more efficient ones, will miss the reward threshold in several months of the year.
  • House + electric heating: Bill-credit plans can work better here because usage is often stronger in both summer and winter. Still, in many cases they do not outperform a good True Fixed plan. The best way to know is to log in, connect your Smart Meter Texas data, and compare plans using your real usage. Even then, we usually recommend True Fixed rates first.

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%

Bill Estimator in Houston Using Competitive Market Rates

Pick housing type, heating type, and plan type to estimate seasonal monthly bills.

Bill Estimator for Apartments

Atlantex Power

Luminous

Atlantex Power · 14 mo

Check Availability
Season Usage Estimated Bill
Dec - Feb -- --
Mar - May -- --
Jun - Aug -- --
Sep - Nov -- --

Bill Estimator for Houses

Atlantex Power

Luminous

Atlantex Power · 14 mo

Check Availability
Season Usage Estimated Bill
Dec - Feb -- --
Mar - May -- --
Jun - Aug -- --
Sep - Nov -- --

Top 5 Reviewed Electricity Companies in Houston

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

Rank #1 Score 4.5/5
Texans Choice Power

Texans Choice Power

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

From 12.7¢ @ 1000 kWh

3 eligible plans

Read Full Review
Rank #2 Score 4.38/5
Abundance Energy

Abundance Energy

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

From 12.3¢ @ 1000 kWh

6 eligible plans

Read Full Review
Rank #3 Score 4.34/5
Constellation

Constellation

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

From 12.9¢ @ 1000 kWh

2 eligible plans

Read Full Review
Rank #4 Score 4.31/5
Branch Energy

Branch Energy

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

From 13.1¢ @ 1000 kWh

1 eligible plans

Read Full Review
Rank #5 Score 4.31/5
Spark Energy

Spark Energy

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

From 13.3¢ @ 1000 kWh

2 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 — Fixed 12mo, with a rate of 11.7¢/kWh at 1000 kWh.

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

Using our recommended 12-month style plan Luminous from Atlantex Power, the estimated monthly bill in Houston for a studio apartment with electric heating is $65.56.

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

Using our recommended 12-month style plan Luminous from Atlantex Power, the estimated monthly bill in Houston for a medium house with electric heating is $126.22.

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

Using our recommended 12-month style plan Luminous from Atlantex Power, the estimated monthly bill in Houston for a medium house with gas heating is $112.90.

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.