The average electric bill in Texas is about $164 a month. That's from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's latest full-year numbers (2024): the typical Texas home used 1,096 kWh a month and paid an average of 14.94¢ per kWh, delivery included. Rates have crept up since then. As of August 2026, the statewide residential average is 15.91¢ per kWh, up from 15.40¢ a year earlier, so a typical household today lands a little above that $164 figure.
That's the short answer. The useful answer is why your bill looks nothing like it. A one-bedroom apartment in Dallas in February and a four-bedroom house in Houston in August are both "Texas electric bills," and they can be $200 apart. Here's what's behind the average, what moves it, and how to tell whether yours is actually high or just normal for a Texas summer.
Texas has a reputation for cheap electricity, and on price alone it's earned. The 2024 average rate in Texas was 14.94¢ per kWh against 16.48¢ nationally. The catch is usage. The average U.S. home used 863 kWh a month. The average Texas home used 1,096 kWh, about 27% more, almost all of it air conditioning.
Texas | U.S. average | |
|---|---|---|
Monthly usage | 1,096 kWh | 863 kWh |
Average price | 14.94¢/kWh | 16.48¢/kWh |
Average monthly bill | $163.72 | $142.26 |
So Texans pay less per unit and more per month. If your bill feels high compared to what friends in other states pay, that's the reason. You're not getting a bad rate; you're running the AC more than they are.
Source: EIA, 2024 Average Monthly Bill by State and Electric Power Monthly (Table 5.6.A).
In the deregulated parts of the state (Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, Abilene, Lubbock and most of the area in between), your bill is really three things stacked together.
The energy charge. This is the per-kWh price your retail electric provider sells you power for. It's the part you choose when you pick a plan.
The TDU delivery charge. This goes to the wires company that owns the poles and meter: CenterPoint in Houston, Oncor in Dallas-Fort Worth, AEP or TNMP elsewhere. It's regulated, it's the same no matter which provider you pick, and at 1,000 kWh it runs roughly $60 to $70 depending on where you live. We break it down utility by utility in what TDU delivery charges are.
Base charges and credits. Many plans add a flat monthly fee, and some give a bill credit if you use a certain amount. These are what make two plans with the same advertised rate cost different amounts.
The 15.91¢ statewide figure above is the all-in number, energy and delivery together, divided by kWh. It's a fair benchmark for what a typical Texan actually pays per unit.
Three things decide your bill, and only one of them is your rate.
Usage comes first. A Texas home's electricity use is mostly its AC. Square footage, insulation, how old the unit is, whether there's a pool pump, and how low you set the thermostat matter more than anything on a rate sheet. A 2,000-square-foot house with a 15-year-old AC can pull 1,800 kWh in August while a well-insulated apartment a mile away uses 600.
Your plan's shape comes second. Plenty of Texas plans are priced for exactly 1,000 kWh. Use 900 or 1,200 and the effective rate changes, sometimes a lot, because the base charge or bill credit no longer lines up with your usage. The Electricity Facts Label on every plan shows the real average price at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh. Reading the row that matches your usage is the single most useful thing you can do before you sign.
Where you live comes third. Delivery charges differ by utility, so the same usage and the same energy rate produce a slightly bigger bill in CenterPoint territory than in Oncor's. Climate stacks on top of that: Houston's humidity keeps air conditioners running longer into the fall than North Texas does.
Here's rough arithmetic at the current statewide average of 15.9¢ per kWh, all-in, so you can place yourself:
Monthly usage | Typical home | Approximate bill |
|---|---|---|
600 kWh | Small apartment, mild month | ~$95 |
1,000 kWh | The number plans are priced around | ~$160 |
1,500 kWh | Mid-size house in summer | ~$240 |
2,000 kWh | Large house or older AC in August | ~$320 |
Those are averages, not quotes. Your plan's rate, your TDU, and the month on the calendar all push the real number around.
An annual average hides the part that actually hurts. A Texas home's usage can come close to doubling between a mild spring month and the peak of August, and the bill follows it. A household that averages $164 across the year might see something like $90 in April and $250 in August on the same plan. If your summer bill jumped, that's probably usage, not your rate, and it's worth checking before you blame the provider. We cover the mechanics and what you can do about it in why your Texas bill spikes every summer.
Winter has its own trap. Most Texas homes heat with electric heat pumps or resistance strips, and a hard freeze can push a January bill past a July one. It doesn't happen every year, but when it does, the all-electric homes feel it first.
People search for the average bill in their own city, and the honest answer is that EIA doesn't publish it at that level. What we can say is where the differences come from.
In Houston, CenterPoint's delivery charge is the highest of the major Texas utilities, and the long cooling season keeps usage up. Expect bills a bit above the state average for the same size home. You can see current plans and rates on our Houston electricity rates page.
In Dallas-Fort Worth, Oncor's delivery charge runs a few dollars lower at the same usage, and winters are colder, so the swing between seasons is wider. Current plans are on our Dallas electricity rates page.
San Antonio and Austin are a different story. CPS Energy and Austin Energy are city-owned utilities, and customers there don't pick a provider at all. If you're in one of those cities, your bill is set by the utility's rate schedule, and comparison shopping isn't on the table. Same goes for El Paso and most co-op areas.
Pull your last bill and find two numbers: total kWh and total dollars. Divide one by the other. If you're paying well above 16¢ per kWh all-in on normal usage, your plan is the problem, and it's usually one of three things: a variable-rate plan that's drifted up, a fixed plan that expired and rolled onto the provider's default rate, or a bill-credit plan that doesn't match how much you use.
If your per-kWh number looks normal and the bill is still big, the fix is on the usage side: thermostat, filters, attic insulation, the AC itself.
Either way, the first step is the same. Check the EFL row that matches your real usage, then compare that against what's available at your address right now.
See what plans are available at your address
Enter your ZIP and compare current rates at your actual usage level.
Advertiser disclosure: we partner with retail providers and may earn a commission when you enroll. Commissions never affect how plans are ranked.
About $164 a month, based on EIA's 2024 full-year data (1,096 kWh at 14.94¢ per kWh). With the statewide average price at 15.91¢ in August 2026, a typical household today pays slightly more than that.
EIA doesn't publish city-level bills. Houston households tend to land above the state average for the same size home because CenterPoint's delivery charge is the highest among the big Texas utilities and the cooling season runs longer. Check live plans on the Houston rates page.
It depends almost entirely on square footage and AC. If a one-bedroom uses around 500 to 700 kWh a month, the bill at today's statewide average rate works out to roughly $80 to $110. A two-bedroom using 800 to 1,000 kWh lands closer to $130 to $160. Those are usage-based estimates, not a published average.
Usually one of two things. Usage: a hot month, an aging AC, or a leaky house. Or the plan: a variable rate that's drifted up, an expired contract that rolled onto a default rate, or a bill-credit plan that doesn't fit your usage. Divide your bill's dollars by its kWh to tell which one it is.
Per kWh, yes. Texas averaged 14.94¢ in 2024 against 16.48¢ nationally. Per month, no. Texans use about 27% more electricity than the U.S. average, so the typical bill is higher even though the rate is lower.
About 1,096 kWh a month across the year, according to EIA. Summer months run well above that, and mild spring and fall months run well below it.
Copyright © 2026 EnergyOutlet.com. All Rights Reserved.
Public Utility Commission of Texas Broker Registration BR190123.
ADVERTISER & EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE
At EnergyOutlet.com, we make shopping for electricity plans simple, transparent, and stress-free! We partner with retail electricity providers (REPs) and may earn commissions when users sign up for plans directly through us. These commissions never impact how plans are ranked.
Our listings are based on electricity rates and plan details—not compensation—so you get fair and unbiased comparisons. You can also sort and filter plans by contract length, rate type, provider, and more to find the best option for your needs!
We work hard to keep everything accurate and up to date, but plan details may sometimes differ from what’s listed on a provider’s website. Rates and terms change frequently, so we always recommend verifying the latest pricing and conditions directly with the provider before enrolling.
All our content—whether reviews, comparisons, or educational guides—is created independently by our team to provide honest, unbiased information.
Need Help?
We’re here for you! Reach out anytime at help@EnergyOutlet.com.