How to Set Up Electricity and Utilities When Moving to Texas

A gap in electric service on move-in day is a miserable way to discover how Texas handles utilities. Power off means no AC in July, no refrigerator, no phone charging—while you are still unloading a U-Haul. The fix is scheduling service before you pick up keys, not after you flip a dead light switch.

Most newcomers need utilities running 3–5 business days before lease start. Internet can wait a few extra days; electricity and water cannot if you plan to sleep in the unit the first night.

Two Texas electricity systems

Most newcomers hear “Texas has electric choice” and assume that applies everywhere. It does not.

Deregulated ERCOT areas — including much of Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Plano, Katy, and surrounding suburbs — use a split model. Oncor, CenterPoint, TNMP, or AEP Texas own the wires; you contract with a Retail Electric Provider (REP) for the electrons. You shop plans; the poles stay the same.

Municipal and cooperative exceptions — no REP shopping:

Area	Provider	What you do
City of Austin	Austin Energy	Open account at austintexas.gov; city-owned utility
San Antonio	CPS Energy	Apply at cpsenergy.com; combined electric/gas in many homes
Parts of El Paso	El Paso Electric	Regulated service outside typical ERCOT choice

If your lease address returns no results on Power to Choose, you are probably in a municipal territory. Call the landlord before signing a REP contract that will never attach to your meter.

Worth knowing: the TDU name on your bill (Oncor, CenterPoint) is not who you pay for energy supply in deregulated zones — your REP is. Outage repair still goes through the TDU.

Shopping ERCOT plans without bill shock

Grab your ESIID (Electric Service Identifier)—an 17- or 22-digit number tied to the meter—from the landlord, prior tenant, or the “View Plans” lookup on Power to Choose. Without it, REPs cannot start service to the correct address.

Comparison shopping tips that actually affect your wallet:

• kWh price matters, but so do base charges and minimum usage fees—a cheap-looking ¢ rate with a $9.95 monthly base can lose to a slightly higher rate on a 900 sq ft apartment
• Fixed vs variable — fixed plans stabilize summer budgeting; variable plans can spike when wholesale prices jump during heat waves
• Contract length — 12-month terms are common; early termination fees apply if you move again within the year

Texas summers are the real budget line. A efficient unit might run $80–$120 in April; the same unit can exceed $200 in August when afternoon highs sit above 100°F and the AC runs continuously. Students and remote workers home all day feel that jump immediately.

Start service the day before move-in when possible so the unit is cool before you arrive. Confirm the prior tenant canceled—overlapping accounts are rare, but a disconnected meter still requires a new signup in your name.

People often ask: whether door-to-door sales beat Power to Choose. Compare every pitch against the Electricity Facts Label kWh totals — clipboard specials rarely beat a fixed-rate plan you pick yourself.

Water, sewer, trash, and gas

City utilities bill water, sewer, and often trash together. Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, and other cities have online portals; some apartments include water in rent—read the lease.

Natural gas in North Texas and many suburbs flows through Atmos Energy; CPS handles gas in much of San Antonio. Schedule gas the same week as electricity if your stove, furnace, or water heater uses gas.

Deposits vary by credit history. Municipal utilities may waive deposits with good payment history elsewhere; REPs often run soft credit checks. Budget $0–$300 for REP deposits and $100–$250 for municipal utilities as planning ranges — amounts change.

Internet and the residency paperwork angle

Fiber availability is neighborhood-specific. Verify providers at the address before signing a year-long lease counting on Google Fiber. Installation windows stretch to two weeks in new construction.

For DPS and vehicle registration, a utility bill in your name is one of the two standard residency proofs. A lease plus electric bill is the pairing clerks expect. Bills in a roommate’s name do not help your application—even if you reimburse them every month. If you are renting your first Texas apartment, put at least one utility in your name at the address that will appear on your license.

Match addresses exactly: “Apt 204” on the bill and “Unit 204” on the lease should describe the same unit. The DPS appointment checklist lists other acceptable residency documents if you are short one bill.

Move-in utility timeline

Days before move-in	Task
7–14	Confirm ESIID; compare REP plans or municipal signup
5–7	Start electric and water; book internet install
3–5	Start gas if applicable; buy renter’s insurance if required for keys
1	Verify accounts show active start date; screenshot confirmations
Move-in day	Photograph meter readings; test AC, hot water, and breakers

Mistakes that cost money or time

Choosing a variable-rate plan without reading the Electricity Facts Label fine print. Letting service lapse between tenants so the REP requires a deposit and reconnection fee. Skipping Power to Choose because a door-to-door salesperson offered a “special rate” without comparing kWh totals. Assuming Austin or San Antonio rules match Houston—then discovering you signed with the wrong company entirely.

A common snag: master-metered apartments where the landlord bills electricity back — you never get an ESIID and cannot use that arrangement as personal DPS residency proof unless your name appears on a landlord utility statement.

Signing a 12-month REP contract before confirming your job will stay in the same metro — early termination fees hurt when you relocate within Texas again.

Utility and residency links

• Public Utility Commission of Texas — Power to Choose
• ERCOT — Consumer Information
• Texas DPS — Identification Requirements