How electricity choice works in Texas
In 1999 the Texas Legislature made it possible for customers in most parts of the state to choose their own electric company, also called a retail electric provider or REP. What did not change is delivery: the same transmission and distribution utility — the “wires company” — still brings electricity to the meter, reads the meter, maintains the poles and wires, and responds to outages. The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) oversees this market and operates the official shopping site, Power to Choose.
If your address is in a competitive area, you choose the company that sells the electricity. Your delivery utility does not change when you switch providers. Peoples Power Choice can review a recent bill, compare current fixed-rate offers from approved suppliers, and help you time a renewal. We do not publish or quote prices on this website.
Which areas and utilities are competitive
Not all of Texas is open to retail electric choice. It depends on the utility that delivers power to your address. Competitive delivery utilities commonly include:
- Oncor Electric Delivery
- CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric
- AEP Texas
- Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP)
Two other systems have opted into retail competition: Lubbock Power & Light, which the PUCT has confirmed is in the Power to Choose market, and Nueces Electric Cooperative, which ERCOT identifies as a cooperative that opted in. Most municipal utilities and electric cooperatives have not opted in.
Areas that are not generally open to retail choice include San Antonio, served by CPS Energy, and Austin, served by Austin Energy. The PUCT also notes that retail competition has been delayed for certain investor-owned utilities outside the main competitive market, including El Paso Electric, Entergy Texas, Southwestern Public Service Company, and AEP SWEPCO. The reliable way to confirm your address is to enter it or your ZIP code on Power to Choose, or start a chat with Optimus and tell us the utility on your bill.
What your utility still does
Regardless of which retail electric provider you choose, your local wires company still delivers the electricity, maintains the poles and wires, and is the company to call for a power outage or an emergency. The PUCT continues to regulate delivery to protect reliability. Switching providers is a paperwork and enrollment process; it does not install a new set of wires, and it should not cause a lapse in service when the switch is processed.
How a broker helps with shopping and renewals
Peoples Power Choice is independent. Our loyalty is to you, not to a specific supplier. We help businesses and homes in competitive Texas areas compare fixed-rate supplier contracts, review usage and contract end dates, and plan a renewal before a term expires. On plans with a remaining term of three or more months, Texas rules require your provider to send a written expiration notice in a set window before the contract ends, so you have time to renew or choose a new provider rather than rolling onto a month-to-month variable plan.
Start a chat with Optimus — it will open already set to Texas — upload a recent bill, or call 855-330-3580. A specialist follows up with current fixed-rate options only. Leads go to info@peoplespowerchoice.com.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose my electricity provider in Texas?
Many Texans can, but not all. Retail choice is available in areas served by competitive wires companies such as Oncor, CenterPoint Energy, AEP Texas, and TNMP, and in a few systems that opted in, including Lubbock Power & Light. San Antonio (CPS Energy), Austin (Austin Energy), and most other municipal utilities and cooperatives are not in the competitive retail market. Confirm your address on the PUCT’s Power to Choose website.
Is San Antonio or Austin deregulated for electricity?
No. CPS Energy serves San Antonio and Austin Energy serves Austin. Both are municipal utilities that have not opted into retail electric competition, so customers there generally cannot choose a retail electric provider the way customers in Oncor or CenterPoint territory can.
If I switch providers, who do I call for an outage?
Call your local wires company — the transmission and distribution utility named on your bill. That company still delivers the power, maintains the poles and wires, and restores service. Your retail electric provider sells the electricity; it does not replace the utility for outages.
How does a Texas energy broker help, and do you show rates here?
Peoples Power Choice shops approved suppliers and presents fixed-rate options after reviewing your account. We do not publish or invent rates on this page or in the Ask Optimus chat. You can start a Texas chat, upload a bill, or call 855-330-3580.
Official sources
These are the government and utility references used for this page. They are the best place to confirm whether your address can shop.
- Power to Choose — FAQs (PUCT) — official explanation of retail choice, wires companies, outages, and contract-expiration notices
- Power to Choose — the PUCT’s official site to confirm whether an address can shop and to compare offers
- PUCT — municipally owned utilities and cooperatives — munis and co-ops were not required to opt into competition; competition has also been delayed for El Paso Electric, Entergy, SPS, and AEP SWEPCO
- PUCT news — Power to Choose for Lubbock customers — confirms Lubbock Power & Light customers can use Power to Choose
- ERCOT — retail market overview — notes that most municipal and cooperative areas, including Austin and San Antonio, have not opted in, while Lubbock Power & Light and Nueces Electric Cooperative have