Electricity in Houston
Houston electricity is shaped by two forces: a six-month cooling season driven by Gulf humidity, and an Atlantic hurricane season that periodically rewrites the local reliability story. An average Houston household runs near 14,800 kWh annually¹³ — well over half of it between May and October. The summer reality, not the EFL's tidy 1,000 kWh tier¹², is what judges a plan in this metro. Around 80 REPs sell into CenterPoint's wires here⁴; the right plan for a Houston household is the one that stays honest above 1,800 kWh.
Quick facts — Houston
- Utility (TDU)
- CenterPoint Energy (Houston)
- Market
- Deregulated (Texas competitive market)
- Avg residential usage
- 1,300 kWh/month
- Avg residential bill
- $200/month
- Retail providers serving
- ~80 REPs (PUCT-registered)
- Avg outage duration
- 130 minutes/year (SAIDI)
- Base Power available
- Yes
- TDU base charge
- $5/mo
- TDU energy delivery
- 5.00¢/kWh
About electricity in Houston
Cooling load drives the math. July and August daily highs average near 94°F¹ but dewpoints in the low 70s push the heat index well above the air temperature for months at a time. Modeled household usage swings from 800 kWh in March to 1,900 kWh in August¹³ — most of that delta is air conditioning. CenterPoint Energy delivers electricity to most of the metro¹⁴, which is the territory Base Power sells into. Hurricane Harvey's August 2017 flooding remains the prior-decade benchmark for compounded grid plus flood disruption⁷.
Reliability is a Beryl story now. Before July 2024, CenterPoint's reported SAIDI tracked the Texas median for urban utilities⁶. Hurricane Beryl made landfall on July 8, 2024 and left more than two million CenterPoint customers in the dark — some for over a week — triggering a PUCT investigation⁸ and extensive post-event coverage⁹. CenterPoint's subsequent multi-billion-dollar resilience plan¹⁰ is rewriting the next decade of Houston grid hardening in regulatory filings right now.
How usage shifts across the year
| Month | Avg kWh | Avg high °F | Avg low °F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1,100 | 63.8 | 43.7 |
| Feb | 950 | 67.8 | 47.6 |
| Mar | 800 | 74 | 53.6 |
| Apr | 850 | 80.1 | 59.8 |
| May | 1,300 | 86.9 | 67.8 |
| Jun | 1,700 | 92.3 | 73.7 |
| Jul | 1,850 | 94.5 | 75.7 |
| Aug | 1,900 | 94.9 | 75.4 |
| Sep | 1,500 | 90.4 | 70.6 |
| Oct | 1,000 | 82.8 | 60.9 |
| Nov | 850 | 72.6 | 51.5 |
| Dec | 1,050 | 65.3 | 45.6 |
Source: NOAA Climate Data Online (1991–2020 normals) + EIA RECS 2020 cooling-degree-day model
Local climate
Gulf Coast humid subtropical — long, very humid summers with July highs near 94°F and an active Atlantic hurricane season that periodically rewrites the local reliability picture.
Switch to Base Power in Houston
Type your address. We'll check service availability and route you to checkout if Base is the right fit.
Neighborhoods we serve
- The Heights 77008 Historic neighborhood north of downtown — Victorian and bungalow housing
- Montrose 77006 Cultural and arts district inside the Loop
- Memorial 77024 Wooded west-side neighborhood adjacent to Memorial Park
- Midtown 77002 High-density residential corridor between downtown and Museum District
- Galleria/Uptown 77056 Mixed-use district anchored by The Galleria and Williams Tower
Frequently asked questions
Who is my utility (TDU) in Houston?#
CenterPoint Energy delivers electricity to most of the Houston metro and owns the wires, poles, and meter¹⁴. Whichever REP bills you, CenterPoint dispatches the line crews when the lights go out. Small slivers of the broader Houston region fall under neighboring TDUs; your service address determines which TDU you sit on.
How do I switch electricity providers in Houston?#
Pick a plan, give the REP your service address, and ERCOT switches your meter on the next business day or your next meter-read date. Typical changeover: 1–3 days with no service interruption. The new REP coordinates with CenterPoint automatically — you do not need to call CenterPoint.
What's the average electricity bill in Houston?#
Modeled annual residential usage in Houston is ~14,800 kWh, peaking near 1,900 kWh in August and bottoming near 800 kWh in March¹³. At Texas's February 2026 average residential rate of 15.41¢/kWh², that runs roughly $2,280 a year. The seasonal swing pulls August closer to $290 and March closer to $125.
Why does my bill go up so much in summer?#
Cooling, mostly. Houston's July and August averages near 94°F with dewpoints in the low 70s mean A/C runs hard for months¹. Modeled household kWh more than doubles between March's shoulder and August's peak¹³ — that's the half of the year when plan structure actually shows up on the bill.
What's an EFL?#
An Electricity Facts Label is the one-pager every Texas REP must publish per plan, under PUCT Substantive Rule §25.475¹². It shows the all-in rate at three usage tiers: 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh. Houston's August reality is closer to 1,900 kWh — only the 2,000 kWh column reflects what you'll actually pay; the 1,000 kWh column is the one bill-credit plans optimize around. Read both — the gap between them is the plan's honesty test.
Can I get a 100% renewable plan in Houston?#
Yes. Multiple REPs offer 100% renewable-content plans, accounted for via Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) — one REC per MWh of qualifying generation¹¹, retired by the REP against your monthly usage. Plan structure (rate, term, EFL) doesn't change. CenterPoint delivers the same electrons over the same wires regardless of which plan you pick.
What happens during a power outage in Houston?#
Report to CenterPoint Energy (713-207-2222 or centerpointenergy.com/outagetracker) — your REP can't dispatch line crews. Hurricane Beryl in July 2024 was the standout event of recent years, leaving more than two million CenterPoint customers without power and triggering a PUCT investigation⁸. Hurricane Harvey's August 2017 flooding⁷ was the prior-decade benchmark for compounded grid + flood disruption.
Does Base Power Company serve Houston?#
Yes — most of Houston is in CenterPoint territory, which is where Base Power sells¹⁴. The address widget on this page checks your specific service availability in seconds. Once Base confirms your address, the switch processes through ERCOT in 1–3 business days with no service interruption.
Sources
- NOAA NCEI Climate Data Online — 1991–2020 monthly normals, Houston Bush IAH station (USW00012960); verified against the NWS Houston/Galveston climate pageRetrieved
- EIA Open Data API v2 — Texas residential retail rate (Feb 2026: 15.41¢/kWh)Retrieved
- US Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates (2024 release), Houston city, TX housing dataRetrieved
- PUCT — Directory of Retail Electric ProvidersRetrieved
- CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric Tariff for Retail Delivery Service (residential schedule, currently effective)Retrieved
- CenterPoint Energy 2024 PUCT System Reliability Report (IEEE 1366 SAIDI, excluding major-event days)Retrieved
- NWS Houston/Galveston — Hurricane Harvey August 2017 event archiveRetrieved
- PUCT Project No. 56822 — Investigation of CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC's Response to Hurricane Beryl (July 2024)Retrieved
- Houston Chronicle — Hurricane Beryl post-event power-restoration coverage (July 2024)Retrieved
- Reuters — "CenterPoint Energy unveils multi-billion-dollar resilience plan after Hurricane Beryl criticism" (2024)Retrieved
- ERCOT — Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) program documentationRetrieved
- PUCT Substantive Rule §25.475 — Information Disclosures to Residential and Small Commercial Customers (Electricity Facts Label requirements)Retrieved
- EIA Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS 2020) — West-South-Central census division (cooling-degree-day elasticity used for monthly kWh modeling)Retrieved
- EIA Form 861 via findenergy.com — Houston metro electricity service split (CenterPoint Energy primary territory)Retrieved