Houston Electricity Rates and Light Companies

Updated November 10, 2026 · By Jason Thomas, co-founder of Vault Energy Solutions

Houston electricity rates start at 7.1¢ per kWh right now on our comparison pages. More than 40 light companies sell plans in CenterPoint Energy’s service area, which covers Houston and most of its suburbs. The cheapest plan for you depends on how much power your home uses, so compare before you sign up. Enter your ZIP code to see every plan at your address.

Enter your ZIP code to compare electricity rates in Houston

Cheapest electricity rates in Houston right now

These are the lowest-priced Houston plans on our comparison pages right now. Prices are the average price per kWh from each plan’s Electricity Facts Label and include CenterPoint’s delivery charges.

See all 34 Houston plans →

Green marks the lowest price in each column. Rates change often; enter your ZIP code for today’s prices at your address.

Enter your ZIP code to compare electricity rates in Houston

Houston electricity at a glance

Typical prices are the median of plain fixed-rate plans (no bill credits, time-of-use or prepaid) offered in the CenterPoint area, from our analysis of residential plans, November 2026.

Houston light companies

In Houston, people often call their electricity provider the “light company.” More than 40 of them sell plans here. You can compare plans from these companies on our Houston comparison page:

PUC rating: the Public Utility Commission of Texas complaint rating, where 5 means the fewest complaints. Prices update automatically from our comparison page.

Other light companies serving Houston

These companies also sell plans in the CenterPoint area. Click a company to read our review.

• Abundance Energy
• AE Texas
• Amigo Energy3/5
• AP Gas & Electric
• Atlantex Power
• BKV Energy5/5
• Budget Power
• Champion Energy5/5
• Chariot Energy1/5
• Cirro Energy2/5
• CleanSky Energy4/5
• Companion Energy
• Constellation5/5
• Direct Energy4/5
• Discount Power2/5
• Energy Texas
• Good Charlie
• Green Mountain Energy3/5
• Infuse Energy5/5
• Just Energy2/5
• NEC Co-op Energy5/5
• Octopus Energy2/5
• Pronto Power
• Ranchero Power4/5
• Reliant4/5
• Revolution Energy
• Rhythm Energy3/5
• Smart Energy
• Southern Federal Power4/5
• Spark Energy5/5
• Tara Energy3/5
• Texans Choice Power
• Think Energy1/5
• True Power1/5
• Varsity Energy

Enter your ZIP code to compare electricity rates in Houston

Electricity for Houston apartments

Most Houston households rent: only about 42% of homes in the city are owner-occupied, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Apartments use less power than houses, and that changes which plan is cheapest.

• Check your usage first. Many apartments use well under 1,000 kWh a month outside summer. Your past bills, or your landlord, can tell you.
• Under 1,000 kWh, skip the big bill credit plans. At 500 kWh, 4Change Energy Perfect Fit 12 costs 12.4¢ and Express Energy Flash Fit 12 costs 12.5¢. The Flash Value 14 plan that’s cheapest at 1,000 kWh costs 20.1¢ at 500 kWh.
• Moving in soon? Most companies can start service within a few days. Sign up a week or two ahead so you can pick your start date.

No-deposit light companies in Houston

Many Houston light companies ask for a deposit if your credit score is low. You have two ways around it:

• Prepaid plans need no credit check and no deposit. You pay ahead and add money as you go. Payless Power 6 Month Prepaid costs 19.4¢ at 1,000 kWh on our comparison pages right now.
• Regular plans without a deposit: many companies waive the deposit if you have good credit or a letter showing on-time payments to your last electricity company.

Prepaid plans cost more per kWh, so if you can qualify for a regular plan, it’s usually cheaper. See our guides to no-deposit electricity and prepaid electricity.

Is CenterPoint my electric company?

CenterPoint Energy is Houston’s electric utility, but it isn’t the company you buy electricity from. CenterPoint owns the poles and wires, reads your meter and restores power after outages. You buy your electricity from a light company you choose. CenterPoint’s delivery charges are the same no matter which company you pick, and they’re already included in the prices above.

• Report an outage: call CenterPoint at 713-207-2222, or report it online.
• Check outages: CenterPoint’s Outage Tracker shows outages and estimated restoration times.
• Get alerts: sign up for CenterPoint’s free Power Alert Service to get outage and restoration updates.
• Billing questions: call your light company, not CenterPoint. Your price, bill and payments all go through the company you choose.

Can everyone in Houston choose a light company?

Almost every home in the city of Houston can. Some addresses in the outer suburbs are served by Entergy Texas or by an electric cooperative instead of CenterPoint, and those areas don’t have electricity choice. Enter your ZIP code above to see whether plans are available at your address.

Moving to Houston? Setting up your utilities

Houston is home to about 2.4 million people, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2025. If you’re moving here, here’s who to contact for each utility:

Electricity rates in cities near Houston

• Pasadena
• Pearland
• Sugar Land
• Katy
• Missouri City
• Baytown
• Humble
• Kingwood
• Spring
• Cypress
• Tomball
• The Woodlands
• Deer Park
• La Porte
• Channelview
• Stafford
• Richmond
• Rosenberg
• Friendswood
• Webster
• League City
• Galveston

Questions people ask about Houston electricity

Who has the cheapest electricity rates in Houston?

It depends on how much power you use. Right now on our comparison pages, Express Energy Flash Value 14 has the lowest price at 1,000 kWh (7.1¢). For homes using about 500 kWh, 4Change Energy Perfect Fit 12 is cheapest (12.4¢), and for homes using 2,000 kWh, TXU Energy Smart 2000 Select 12 is cheapest (9.9¢).

What is the average electric bill in Houston?

The average Texas home used 1,096 kWh a month and paid $163.72 in 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In Houston, a home using 1,000 kWh pays about $130 a month on a typical fixed-rate plan, or about $71 on the cheapest bill credit plan right now.

What is a good kWh rate in Houston?

For a plain fixed-rate plan with no bill credits, anything near or below 12¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh is a good price in Houston right now. The typical fixed-rate plan costs about 13.0¢.

What is the best electricity plan for a Houston apartment?

If your apartment uses less than 1,000 kWh a month, compare prices at 500 kWh. Right now the cheapest plans at that level are 4Change Energy Perfect Fit 12 (12.4¢) and Express Energy Flash Fit 12 (12.5¢).

Which light companies in Houston don’t require a deposit?

Prepaid plans, like Payless Power’s, need no deposit or credit check. Many other companies also waive the deposit if you have good credit or a letter of good payment history from your last electricity company.

Is CenterPoint the only electric company in Houston?

No. CenterPoint is the utility that delivers power to Houston, but it doesn’t sell electricity plans. You choose your light company from more than 40 companies that sell plans in the CenterPoint area.

Who do I call when the power goes out in Houston?

Call CenterPoint Energy at 713-207-2222, not your light company. CenterPoint handles outages and repairs in Houston no matter which company you use.

How we compare Houston electricity plans

We list the plans and prices on our Houston comparison page, using each plan’s current Electricity Facts Label at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh. Typical prices come from our analysis of every residential plan offered in the CenterPoint area. Complaint ratings come from the Public Utility Commission of Texas. For other parts of the state, see Texas electricity rates. Vault Energy Solutions is a licensed Texas electricity broker (PUC broker registration BR190328).

Sources: plan prices from our Houston comparison page and our analysis of residential plans in the CenterPoint area, November 2026 · CenterPoint Energy Action Center (outages) · CenterPoint Energy contact numbers · Houston Public Works utility billing · U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Houston · EIA Table 5.A (2024)