Houston utilities are not a one-provider setup. Two homes with the same city name or ZIP code can have different electricity choices, water districts, trash service, and setup steps. Start with the exact address.
Start with the exact address
Many Houston-area addresses let the customer select a retail electric provider, or REP, and a plan. Municipal utilities and electric cooperatives can work differently, so confirm the service territory before comparing offers. The Katy, The Woodlands, and Clear Lake pages show why the mailing name is not enough.
For addresses open to retail competition, use the Public Utility Commission of Texas’s Power to Choose marketplace. Enter the service location rather than relying on a ZIP code, which can cross utility boundaries.
Your electric company and the company that maintains the lines are different
In a competitive area, the REP sells the retail electricity plan and handles the retail account. The transmission and distribution service provider owns or operates the facilities that transmit or distribute electricity. ERCOT describes these as separate market roles.
Changing REPs does not replace the poles, wires, or local delivery company serving the address. Delivery charges and other regulated items can appear within the REP’s bill under the applicable structure.
Keep the contacts straight. Use the bill or service-territory information to identify whom to call for an outage, a damaged line, a meter issue, billing, or plan terms. ERCOT directs residential service questions to the electric utility or REP and does not provide retail service to individual customers.
Read the plan, not just the advertised rate
For a competitive offer, open the Electricity Facts Label, Terms of Service, and Your Rights as a Customer disclosure. PUCT rules require standardized disclosures for residential and small commercial customers. These documents show how the offer works.
Read for:
- The price structure at different usage levels.
- The contract term and expiration process.
- Fixed, variable, or indexed pricing terms.
- Base charges, delivery charges, bill credits, or minimum-use features.
- Early termination, deposit, late-payment, and disconnection terms.
- Renewable-content claims and any special enrollment condition.
- How notices and contract changes are delivered.
A displayed average price is based on stated assumptions. It is not a promise that every monthly bill will match that figure. Compare the plan formula against realistic usage for the property. If past bills are available with permission, use them to understand prior seasonal usage, not to assume the next occupant will use the same amount.
Providers supply the listings on Power to Choose. If a plan looks promising, ask the REP any remaining questions and save the version of the documents you relied on when enrolling.
Set service up before move-in week
Before move-in, ask the REP or local utility what it needs to start service. Have the service address, requested start date, meter information, identification, and any required deposit ready. If the home is new or service has been disconnected, ask whether construction or connection work is still needed.
For new construction, a house without active service, or a property with a meter problem, retail enrollment may not be the only step. The delivery utility, builder, electrician, or local permitting authority may have work to complete. Ask each party to state its responsibility and expected sequence in writing.
Make sure the contract address, postal address, appraisal record, unit number, and utility service address agree before closing day. A small mismatch can delay an otherwise routine connection.
Water and wastewater follow different boundaries
Water and wastewater service may come from a city, municipal utility district, water control and improvement district, special utility district, water supply corporation, or another utility. The provider may not match the city name used in the mailing address.
PUCT’s Water and Sewer CCN Viewer can point you toward the certificated service area, and TCEQ’s Water Districts Map Viewer can help locate a water district. Use those maps to find the likely provider, then ask that provider whether it serves the exact home and what the account requires.
Ask:
- Who provides drinking water and who provides wastewater service?
- Is service active, and are the meters separate or shared?
- Are there deposits, connection charges, inspections, or transfer procedures?
- Does a district tax support infrastructure in addition to the monthly bill?
- Who issues water-quality notices and emergency updates?
- Is the property on a private well, septic system, or another on-site system instead?
If the home uses a well or septic system, this is no longer a simple account transfer. Ask who maintains the equipment, what permits or inspections apply, and which professional should evaluate it.
Check gas and trash separately
Natural gas availability is not universal, and the presence of gas appliances does not identify the current account status. Ask the seller or utility which company serves the address, then verify the meter, start-service process, and any inspection requirement directly with that company.
Trash and recycling may come from a city, utility district, HOA, landlord, or contracted company. Find out where the charge appears, who supplies the containers, the collection schedule, bulk-pickup rules, and whether the address must use a particular provider.
A managed community does not automatically include utilities. Ask for a current list showing what is included and what needs a separate account.
Keep bills, taxes, and association charges separate
A monthly utility bill is not the only way an address can pay for service-related infrastructure. A utility district may levy an authorized property tax or charge user fees. An association assessment may include a service. A city can bill several services together.
List each amount by source and purpose:
- Retail electricity plan charges.
- Electric delivery charges shown through the applicable billing structure.
- Water and wastewater usage or base charges.
- District taxes or assessments.
- Association charges that include a utility or collection service.
- One-time deposits, connections, transfers, or inspections.
Keep each charge on its own line. They follow different billing cycles and can change for different reasons.
Keep one utility sheet for each property
For each serious property, write down:
- Electric service territory and whether retail choice applies.
- REP and plan documents, if a REP is selected.
- Delivery utility and outage contact.
- Water provider and account contact.
- Wastewater provider or on-site system details.
- Natural gas provider, if available.
- Trash and recycling provider.
- Deposits, setup steps, inspections, and confirmed start dates.
- Any district taxes or association charges that support services separately from monthly bills.
Keep a copy of every enrollment confirmation and record the date. Provider offerings, rates, rules, and contact details can change.
Before move-in
Start with the service address and work through electricity, water, wastewater, gas, and trash one at a time. For each one, know who serves the home, what the account requires, and when service can begin. Ten minutes of checking now can save a closing-week scramble.