Houston has had retail electricity choice since 2002, so you pick the company that sells you power and the plan you pay for. What you don't pick is the wires. CenterPoint Energy delivers electricity to homes and businesses across the Houston area whichever provider you sign with, so providers compete on price, plan design and service while your power arrives the same way it always has.
The table below pulls live prices for the CenterPoint service area. Further down, we break down where Houston prices stand this month, which plans in our table suit different homes, and what to check on each plan's Electricity Facts Label (EFL) before you sign. Prices on this page were last checked on November 4, 2026, and we update them every month.
Popular Cities Around Houston: Katy | Sugar Land | Pearland | Pasadena | Baytown | Kingwood | Atascocita
Here's where the Houston market stood on November 4, 2026. Every price is the all-in average per kilowatt-hour (kWh) at 1,000 kWh unless we say otherwise, and it already includes CenterPoint's delivery charges.
In the rates tables on this page, prices run from 7.0¢ to 15.0¢ per kWh.
Power to Choose, the state's official comparison site, listed 173 plans from 42 providers for Houston addresses.
On Power to Choose, fixed-rate plans (not counting prepaid and time-of-use plans) ran from 6.2¢ to 16.1¢, half of them cost 13.1¢ or less, and the typical 12-month fixed plan was 12.8¢.
On both sites, the lowest prices come from bill-credit plans that cost around 20¢ per kWh if you use 500 kWh. More on those below.
On Power to Choose, the cheapest 12-month plans without a bill credit stay between about 11.6¢ and 12.4¢ whatever your usage.
CenterPoint's delivery charges are $4.90 a month plus 6.5333¢ per kWh, on every plan's EFL dated September 30, 2026. At 1,000 kWh that's $70.23 a month before you pay for any electricity.
For comparison, the average Texas residential price was 15.91¢ per kWh in August 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). That's preliminary data.
What this means for you: if you pay more than about 13¢ per kWh on a fixed plan, or you've rolled onto a month-to-month rate, you can very likely pay less by switching this month.
The lowest prices in our Houston table come from bill-credit plans. This month, Express Energy's Flash Value 14 shows 20.0¢ at 500 kWh, 7.0¢ at 1,000 kWh and 13.0¢ at 2,000 kWh. Express Energy's Flash Value 12, 4Change Energy's Maxx Saver Value 12 and Frontier Utilities' Frontier Saver Plus 12 each show 20.3¢, 7.3¢ and 13.3¢.
That pattern comes from a large monthly credit. Express says its Flash Value plans pay a $125 bill credit each month you use 1,000 kWh or more and require AutoPay, and Frontier advertises up to $1,500 in usage credits a year. Working from Flash Value 12's published averages, a month at 1,000 kWh costs about $73. A month at 950 kWh misses the credit and costs about $188.
These plans can be the cheapest option in Houston if your usage reliably lands at or above 1,000 kWh every month, which is common from May to October. If your usage dips below 1,000 kWh in spring, fall or winter, a plan without a credit will usually cost less over the year. Our guide to reading an Electricity Facts Label shows where to find the credit rules.
A good rate is one that stays low at the amount of power your home actually uses. Most ads quote the price at exactly 1,000 kWh, which may be nothing like your bill. Every EFL shows the average price at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh, so compare the figure closest to your real usage.
As of November 2026, a 12-month fixed plan at about 12¢ per kWh or less at your usage is a good price in Houston.
16¢ per kWh is above both the Texas average and the typical Houston fixed plan right now, so it's worth shopping.
If your contract ended and you never picked a new plan, you're on a month-to-month rate and very likely paying more than the plans in the table above. Switching off a month-to-month plan costs nothing.
Not sure how much you use? Your smart meter records it. You can see your history free on Smart Meter Texas, the state's official meter-data portal, or add up the kWh on your last 12 bills. The average Texas home used 1,096 kWh a month in 2024, according to the EIA, and Houston homes typically use far more than that in summer.
Three things push Houston bills up more than anything else.
Summer usage: from June through September, air conditioning runs for much of the day and night, and many homes use far more power than they do in spring or fall. A plan that looks cheap at 1,000 kWh can look very different at your August usage.
Delivery charges: CenterPoint charges $4.90 a month plus 6.5333¢ per kWh to run the poles, wires and meters, and every provider passes that through. On a typical 12.8¢ plan at 1,000 kWh, delivery is more than half of the bill. The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) sets these charges, and since 2023 state law has let utilities ask to update them more often. CenterPoint's rate went up again this fall, as KPRC reported in October 2026. The PUCT publishes the current delivery charges for every Texas utility.
Expired contracts: when a fixed-rate contract ends and you don't choose a new plan, you roll onto a month-to-month rate that can change every billing cycle. A missed renewal notice is behind a lot of surprise Houston bills.
The first two have the same answer: compare plans at your real summer usage, and lock in a fixed rate before the hottest months where you can. The third just needs a calendar reminder a month before your contract ends.
Your bill comes from your retail electric provider (REP), the company you choose. CenterPoint Energy is the transmission and distribution utility, or TDU: it owns the lines, reads your smart meter and restores power after storms. Every provider uses the same CenterPoint network, so switching never changes how reliable your service is.
That matters most when the lights go out. For outages and downed lines, call CenterPoint, not your provider, at 713-207-2222 or 800-332-7143, or go through the CenterPoint contact page. Houston saw this in July 2024, when Hurricane Beryl knocked out power to more than 2 million CenterPoint customers and restoration depended on CenterPoint crews, whichever company sent the bill. Our explainer on TDU delivery charges covers what CenterPoint charges for and why the amount changes.
There isn't one best electric company in Houston for everybody. The right one depends on how much power you use and what you care about most. The plans below are all in our Houston table, with each plan's average price at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh, checked November 4, 2026.
Steady usage of 1,000 kWh or more: Express Energy Flash Value 14 (20.0¢, 7.0¢, 13.0¢), or Flash Value 12, 4Change Energy Maxx Saver Value 12 and Frontier Saver Plus 12 (20.3¢, 7.3¢, 13.3¢). Only if you clear 1,000 kWh every month.
A longer lock-in: Frontier Saver Plus 24 shows 8.4¢ at 1,000 kWh, and the 36-month Flash Value 36 and Maxx Saver Value 36 show 8.6¢. They work the same way, so the same usage rule applies.
A long-standing Houston name: Reliant Energy, headquartered in Houston, offers Power Savings 12 at 20.9¢, 12.9¢ and 16.4¢, with a $75 credit in months you use 1,000 kWh or more.
Smaller homes and apartments: Direct Energy's Live Brighter Lite 12 is built for low usage, at 15.5¢, 15.0¢ and 15.3¢. It adds a $9.95 fee in months you go over 1,000 kWh.
No bill credit at all: every plan in our Houston table this month carries a credit or a usage fee. If you want a plan with neither, Power to Choose listed 12-month plans without a credit from about 11.6¢ to 12.4¢.
Renewable power: none of the plans in our Houston table this month is 100% renewable. Our reviews of Gexa Energy and Green Mountain Energy cover two providers built around renewable plans, and Power to Choose listed 43 fully renewable Houston plans on November 4.
Compare at least three plans at your own usage before deciding, and open each EFL to confirm the price and terms on the day you sign. The providers below serve Houston addresses today.
A fixed-rate plan locks your energy price for the contract term, usually 12, 24 or 36 months, which protects you from summer price spikes. Breaking the contract early can trigger an early termination fee (ETF). Among the 12-month plans above, ETFs run from $20 per remaining month to a flat $150, so match the term to how long you expect to stay at the address. Delivery charges can still change during a fixed contract, because CenterPoint's rates are set by the PUCT rather than your provider.
Variable plans run month to month and can be cancelled any time, but the price can change every billing cycle. On Power to Choose on November 4, Houston variable plans ranged from 9.7¢ to 18.7¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh. They suit people who are moving soon or between leases, and they carry the most risk during a hot summer.
Prepaid plans let you pay upfront, get usage alerts and top up as you go, with no credit check or deposit. None are in our Houston table this month. On Power to Choose, Houston prepaid plans cost 15.9¢ to 18.7¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh, a few cents more than mainstream fixed plans. Our no-deposit electricity guide explains your options.
Renewable plans are backed by renewable energy credits, often from Texas wind and solar farms. 43 of the 173 Houston plans on Power to Choose were 100% renewable on November 4, and several of the cheapest 12-month plans without a credit are among them, so going green costs little or nothing extra right now. Compare green energy plans and check the renewable content line on each EFL.
Time-of-use plans charge less at night or on weekends, which suits electric vehicle charging. Power to Choose listed nine of them for Houston this month. Solar buyback plans credit rooftop solar owners for the power they send back to the grid. Buyback terms vary widely, so compare the credit rate, any monthly fees and how leftover credits are handled.
Switching takes about ten minutes online, and your power stays on throughout.
Find your ESI ID (Electric Service Identifier) on a recent bill. It's the number that identifies your meter.
Compare plans at your usage, choose one and sign up with your service address.
Pick a start date. Your new provider arranges the change with CenterPoint, and nobody needs to visit your home.
If you're still under contract, check the end date first. PUCT rules let you switch without an early termination fee if the switch happens no earlier than 14 days before the expiration date on your renewal notice, and providers must send that notice at least 30 days before the contract ends. The PUCT electricity FAQ covers the details.
Moving to Houston? New service usually starts within a day or two of your order. Our step-by-step guide on how to switch electricity providers in Texas covers moves and transfers too.
Our Houston table shows live prices at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh. On Power to Choose, the typical 12-month fixed plan was 12.8¢ when we checked on November 4, 2026.
The lowest prices are bill-credit plans that only pay off at 1,000 kWh or more. On Power to Choose, 12-month plans without a credit start around 11.8¢ at 1,000 kWh.
CenterPoint delivers the power whichever provider you pick, and charges $4.90 a month plus 6.5333¢ per kWh for it.
For outages, call CenterPoint at 713-207-2222 or 800-332-7143.
You can switch without an early termination fee from 14 days before your contract's end date.
Ready to compare? Enter your ZIP code above to see live Houston plans side by side.
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| Provider | Plan Name | Plan Length | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 14 Months | 7.100¢ / kWh | |
| 12 Months | 7.200¢ / kWh | |
| 36 Months | 8.600¢ / kWh | |
| 24 Months | 8.900¢ / kWh | |
 | 24 Months | 9.900¢ / kWh | |
| 12 Months | 9.900¢ / kWh | |
 | 24 Months | 12.900¢ / kWh | |
| 12 Months | 12.900¢ / kWh | |
 | 12 Months | 15.000¢ / kWh | |
| 24 Months | 15.000¢ / kWh |
| Provider | Plan Name | Plan Length | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 12 Months | 7.200¢ / kWh | |
 | 12 Months | 7.200¢ / kWh | |
| 24 Months | 8.400¢ / kWh | |
| 36 Months | 8.600¢ / kWh | |
| 24 Months | 8.900¢ / kWh |
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