One item on a Houston move-in checklist surprises almost everyone arriving from another state: you choose your own electricity company. Houston sits in Texas’s deregulated electricity market, so instead of being assigned a utility, you pick a retail electric provider and a plan. Many apartment communities ask for an active electricity account number before they hand over keys, so it pays to sort this out a week or two before move-in.
Short answer: CenterPoint Energy owns the poles, wires and meters across the Houston area and restores power after outages, no matter who you buy electricity from. You choose the retail provider, usually by comparing plans on Power to Choose, the official comparison site run by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Read each plan’s Electricity Facts Label before you enroll, line the contract up with your lease, and expect your bill to rise in summer, when air conditioning runs for months.
Who does what
- CenterPoint Energy delivers power to your unit, maintains the lines and handles outages. It is set by your address, so you do not choose it and cannot switch away from it. Its delivery charges are built into every plan.
- Your retail electric provider sells you the electricity, sets your rate and contract terms, and sends the bill. This is the choice you make.
- Natural gas, if your building has it, is also delivered by CenterPoint and is not something you shop for.
- Water, sewer and trash are often billed by the apartment community itself rather than by the city directly. Ask the leasing office how those charges are divided among residents and what a typical month costs.
How to compare plans
Power to Choose lists plans by ZIP code, and dozens of them can look nearly identical at first glance. The details are on each plan’s Electricity Facts Label, a standard disclosure every provider must publish. It shows the average price per kilowatt-hour at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh of monthly use. Those are three snapshots, not one rate, so look at the one closest to your expected usage.
- Fixed or variable. A fixed-rate plan holds the energy price for the contract term. A variable plan can change month to month. For a 12-month lease, a fixed plan of the same length is the simplest match.
- Bill credits and tiers. Some plans advertise a low price that applies only when usage lands in a narrow band, often right around 1,000 kWh. Use less or more and the effective price can jump. Do the math on the label at your likely usage in both a mild month and an August month.
- Early termination fee. Note the amount and read the terms on moving. Providers commonly waive the fee when you move out of the address and give them notice, but confirm it in the plan’s terms before you enroll.
What your unit does to your bill
Houston’s cooling season is long, and the air conditioner is the biggest driver of an apartment electric bill. A top-floor unit under the roof, a corner unit with more glass, or west-facing windows all add load in the afternoon. Older buildings may have older, less efficient systems. Before you sign, ask the leasing office what residents in your floor plan typically pay in summer. Many properties can give you a range.
Timing checklist
- Get your exact unit address, and the ESI ID if the property has it. The ESI ID is the meter identifier providers use to start service.
- Compare plans and enroll a few days before move-in. Same-day starts are often possible, but do not count on it.
- Send the account confirmation to the leasing office if they require it.
- Sign up for CenterPoint outage alerts. After Hurricane Beryl in 2024, Houston renters learned that outage information comes from CenterPoint, not from their retail provider. Our hurricane season guide covers what to ask about backup power.
Using the directory
Every building page in this directory lists the year built and floor count, which give you a rough sense of how new the building systems are and how many units sit under the roof. Start with the full directory, shortlist a few buildings, and add the summer electric question to your tour list.