Quick answer
In Houston, CenterPoint Energy delivers your power. The state sets what it can charge. As of 1 September 2026 that is $2.11 a month, plus $2.79 for the meter, plus 6.4130 cents per kWh. At 1,000 kWh that is about $69.03. Every provider in Houston charges you the same amount for it. Only the power half of your bill is open to shopping.
Who actually brings power to your house
You pick an electricity provider. But no provider owns a wire in Houston.
CenterPoint Energy owns the poles, the transformers and your meter. CenterPoint is also who turns your lights back on after a storm.
That split shows up on your bill. Your provider sets the power rate. CenterPoint’s delivery rate is set by the state and passed on at cost by everyone.
What CenterPoint charges right now
From the PUCT’s published delivery rates, as of 1 September 2026:
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Customer charge | $2.11 a month |
| Metering charge | $2.79 a month |
| Delivery per unit | 6.4130 cents per kWh |
| Total at 500 kWh | $36.97 |
| Total at 1,000 kWh | $69.03 |
That per-unit piece is what hurts in August. Delivery is charged on every kilowatt-hour, so a hot month raises it just like it raises your power charge.
What a Houston August actually looks like
Say you use 1,500 kWh. That is normal for a Houston house running AC hard.
| Part | Working | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CenterPoint fixed charges | $2.11 + $2.79 | $4.90 |
| CenterPoint delivery | 1,500 x 6.4130 cents | $96.20 |
| Power at 10 cents | 1,500 x 10 cents | $150.00 |
| Before tax and plan fees | $251.10 |
Delivery is about 40% of that. None of it changes if you switch providers.
So shop hard on the power rate. There is no shopping your way out of CenterPoint.
Houston against the rest of Texas
Delivery rates are not the same everywhere. At 1,000 kWh, per the same PUCT page:
| Utility | Area | Delivery at 1,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|
| AEP Texas North | Abilene, San Angelo | $59.93 |
| AEP Texas Central | Corpus Christi, Victoria | $61.07 |
| Oncor | Dallas, Fort Worth | $64.36 |
| CenterPoint | Houston area | $69.03 |
| TNMP | Gulf Coast, Lewisville | $81.87 |
A Houston home and a Dallas home on the same plan with the same usage still get different bills. Part of that gap is just the address.
Storms, outages and your bill
Houston gets hurricanes and hard thunderstorms. The cost of fixing and strengthening the grid comes back through regulated delivery charges over time, not through your provider.
Two things worth knowing:
- During an outage you are not billed for power you did not use. What you often see afterwards is a light month, then a heavy one as the house catches up.
- Delivery rates get updated on a schedule, usually March and September. A fixed rate on your power does not freeze your delivery rate.
Before peak season, ERCOT publishes a seasonal outlook on grid supply that is worth a quick read.
What you can control in Houston
- Your power rate. The only competitive part. Lock it in a calm month, not during a heatwave.
- Your plan type. Bill credits, base charges and minimum usage fees move your real cost more than a tenth of a cent on the headline.
- Your usage. Every unit you skip saves you on both halves.
- Your timing. Renew before your contract ends, not after.
Where we fit in Houston
We cannot change what CenterPoint charges, and we will not claim to.
What a buying group changes is the power side. Homes in the same area join a pool, and the pool goes to providers as committed volume instead of one customer at a time.
Enter your Houston ZIP code to see how it works for your area.
Frequently asked questions
Who is my utility in Houston?
CenterPoint Energy, across the Houston metro, including Katy, Sugar Land and The Woodlands.
Do delivery charges change with my provider?
No. The state sets CenterPoint’s rate and every provider passes it on the same way.
Why is my Houston bill higher than my friend’s in Dallas?
Different utility, different set rate, and usually different usage. At 1,000 kWh, CenterPoint’s delivery costs more than Oncor’s.
What happens to my bill after a hurricane outage?
You pay only for what your meter recorded. Repair and grid costs come back through regulated delivery rates over time.
Can I lower my delivery charge?
Only by using less power. The rate itself is fixed for your address.