Why am I paying CenterPoint if I chose a different electric company?
Because two companies serve every home in Houston's competitive market. Your retail electric provider sells you power and sends your bill. CenterPoint brings that power to you over its poles and wires. Its delivery charges come to you inside your provider's bill.
- Owns and maintains the poles, wires and meters
- Restores power after outages and storms
- Reads your meter and sends usage to your provider
- Charges delivery rates that the state sets
- Sells you electricity under the plan you picked
- Sets your energy price and contract terms
- Sends your bill and takes your payments
- Starts, stops or moves your service
CenterPoint's tariff calls it a transmission and distribution utility. It also says customers must buy their power from a retail provider. You can't switch delivery utilities. The one you get depends on where you live, and the Public Utility Commission of Texas sets its rates. What you can switch is your provider and plan. You can compare them on Power to Choose.
How do I report a CenterPoint outage?
Call CenterPoint, not your provider. Providers sell power but can't restore it; CenterPoint owns the lines.
Call 713-207-2222 or 800-332-7143, or report it in CenterPoint's online outage center. Your provider can't restore power.
Call 713-207-2222See a line on the ground? Keep yourself and others at least 35 feet back, then call CenterPoint at 713-207-2222.
Call 713-207-2222Billing questions, including the CenterPoint charges on your bill, go to your provider. If your provider won’t sort it out, the state takes complaints.
How to file a complaintYou start, stop or move service by enrolling with a retail electric provider. The provider sends the request, and CenterPoint handles the work at the meter.
How to compare providersCenterPoint owns and reads your meter. Want an extra meter reading or a meter test? Ask your provider to request it. CenterPoint fees can apply.
Get everyone out of the area first, and avoid anything that could make a spark. Then call 911 and CenterPoint at 713-659-2111 or 888-876-5786.
Call 713-659-2111Does someone in your home rely on powered medical equipment? Ask your provider about CenterPoint's critical care and chronic condition customer designations. Keep a backup plan anyway, since no utility can promise power in a big storm. Statewide grid emergencies are different from local outages. See ERCOT explained.
Keep readingPower out now? Food safety timer and outage kitWhat does CenterPoint charge on my bill in 2026?
As of October 1, 2026, CenterPoint's home delivery charges are $2.11 a month for the customer charge, $2.79 for the meter and 6.5333¢ per kWh. That's per the Public Utility Commission of Texas. You pay the same rates no matter which provider you choose.
A $2.11 customer charge plus a $2.79 meter charge. CenterPoint says the meter charge covers gathering your usage data from the meter. Neither changes with how much you use.
Pays for the high-voltage lines that bring power into the Houston area. It changes every March 1 and September 1, and nearly doubled on September 1, 2026. CenterPoint says it can't mark up or profit from this charge.
CenterPoint's base rate for local poles, wires and substations. It was set in its last rate case (PUCT Docket 56211), which settled in January 2025.
Pays CenterPoint back for money it has spent on local lines and equipment since its last rate case. This interim rate took effect September 30, 2026. PUCT Docket 59981 is still open, so the charge can still be refunded or surcharged.
Pays back storm repair bonds. SRC III (0.2848¢) covers Hurricane Beryl, Hurricane Francine and Winter Storm Enzo. SRC II (0.0636¢) is an earlier storm charge.
Pays for energy efficiency programs the state requires. It changes once a year, on March 1.
Leased emergency generators (TEEEF, 0.0742¢), rate case costs (RCE, 0.0048¢) and closing nuclear plants (NDC, 0.0013¢).
Two credits tied to taxes (ADFIT II and ADFIT III) and a refund credit (TC5) lower the total. CenterPoint's rate page shows them without minus signs. But the PUCT total only adds up when you subtract them.
Amounts are for 1,000 kWh and add up to the PUCT's $70.23. Taxes and your provider's energy charge are extra.
See all 15 charge lines as CenterPoint lists them
| Charge | What it pays for | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Base Customer | Account and billing costs | $2.11/mo |
| Base Meter | Your meter and its usage data | $2.79/mo |
| Base Distribution | Local poles, wires and substations | 2.3240¢ |
| TCRF | Transmission: the high-voltage lines that bring power to the area | 3.0812¢ |
| DCRF | Distribution investment since the last rate case (interim rate) | 0.6137¢ |
| SRC III | Bonds for Hurricane Beryl, Hurricane Francine and Winter Storm Enzo repairs | 0.2848¢ |
| EECRF | State energy efficiency programs | 0.1576¢ |
| TEEEF | Leased emergency generators | 0.0742¢ |
| SRC II | Earlier storm restoration bonds | 0.0636¢ |
| RCE | Rate case expenses | 0.0048¢ |
| NDC | Nuclear plant decommissioning | 0.0013¢ |
| IRA, RRC | Currently zero | 0.0000¢ |
| ADFIT III | Tax-related credit | −0.0418¢ |
| TC5 Refund | Refund credit | −0.0278¢ |
| ADFIT II | Tax-related credit | −0.0023¢ |
| Total per kWh | Matches the PUCT's October 1, 2026 figure | 6.5333¢ |
Amounts are per kWh unless marked. CenterPoint's rate page shows the three credits without minus signs. The PUCT total only adds up when you subtract them, so we show them as credits.
How it shows up on your bill: some providers list delivery as its own line, often labeled TDU, TDSP or CenterPoint charges. Others fold it into the price per kWh. CenterPoint says providers don't have to break it out. Your plan's Electricity Facts Label tells you which way your plan works. On a pass-through plan, your bill can change when CenterPoint's charges change, even on a "fixed" rate. The rest of your bill is your provider’s energy price, so see what a fair Texas rate looks like.
How much will CenterPoint delivery cost me each month?
Multiply your monthly kWh by 6.5333¢ and add $4.90. At 1,000 kWh that's $70.23. Match the slider to the usage on your bill.
$4.90 in fixed charges + $65.33 for 1,000 kWh at 6.5333¢. Your provider's energy charge, taxes and fees are extra.
Partner toolWe may earn a fee if you sign up. It never changes our scores.
The PUCT’s own numbers match: $37.57 at 500 kWh, $70.23 at 1,000 kWh and $135.57 at 2,000 kWh. Houston summers push many homes past 2,000 kWh, which is why delivery can top $130 in August. See why Texas electric bills run high.
Keep readingAdd your provider’s price: compare plans at your usageWhy did my CenterPoint delivery charge go up this fall?
Two changes in one month. On September 1, 2026, the transmission charge nearly doubled, from about 1.62¢ to 3.08¢ per kWh. On September 30, an interim distribution charge took effect. It rose from 0.4934¢ to 0.6137¢. Per the PUCT, delivery for 1,000 kWh went from $56.36 on July 1 to $70.23 on October 1.
Is a base rate increase coming? We found no new base rate case filed in 2026. CenterPoint's last one, PUCT Docket 56211, settled in January 2025. CenterPoint says the PUCT requires a rate case every four years. For now, changes come through the separate charges above.
Is CenterPoint more expensive than other Texas delivery utilities?
It sits in the middle. The PUCT compared delivery costs on September 1, 2026. At 1,000 kWh, CenterPoint cost more than Oncor and AEP Texas but less than TNMP.
Source: Public Utility Commission of Texas. CenterPoint rose to $70.23 on October 1, 2026, after the interim distribution change. In Dallas–Fort Worth? See Oncor explained.
Does my electricity company change CenterPoint’s charge?
No. All 10 companies in the table below sell to CenterPoint homes, and every one passes along the same CenterPoint charge. What you can change is the company’s own energy price, contract and record. Champion Energy scores highest. Gexa and Frontier have the lowest simple-plan prices, about 12.2¢, but both force arbitration. For today’s cheapest plans, see our Houston electricity rates guide. Want to look past these 10? Our list of Houston electric companies shows the state’s complaint rating for every company on Power to Choose.
Scores out of 100, from public records only, with the same formula for evrey company. How we score. Scores for the 14 companies we reviewed first are as of October 13, 2026; the 11 added October 16 are as of October 15 to 16, 2026.
Each price is that company’s simplest 12-month plan at 1,000 kWh in Houston, delivery included, from the fact labels in our reviews (September 30 to October 5, 2026). Tap a name to read its review.
We’ve since scored 15 more companies, including BKV Energy (82) and TriEagle Energy (74). See all 25 ranked.
Keep readingOur picks by category, from all 25 we’ve scored Keep readingWhich of 25 Texas companies has the cleanest record?Does CenterPoint buy back solar power?
No. CenterPoint only moves power; it never pays for it. When your panels push extra power onto the grid, your provider’s buyback plan sets what you earn, which ranges from nothing to a full 1:1 credit. Fact labels say you’ll first need an interconnection agreement with CenterPoint and a meter that counts power flowing both ways.
From each company’s Houston fact labels, checked October 5, 2026. Wholesale plans pay the ERCOT price. The bar shows Champion’s posted Houston-zone average for July to September 2026. Cirro doesn’t post its rate, and Constellation doesn’t buy extra power.
This multiplies your extra kWh by each plan’s Houston credit. Most credits can’t be used against CenterPoint’s delivery charges, and plans with big credits often charge more for the power you buy.
Partner toolWe may earn a fee if you sign up. It never changes our scores.
What changed after Hurricane Beryl?
Beryl cut power to 2.2 million CenterPoint customers in July 2024. It led to a state investigation, new storm laws and a resiliency plan. Its repair costs are now a line on your bill.
- Hurricane Beryl makes landfall. By CenterPoint's count, it restored power to more than 2 million customers in 11 days.
- A PUCT investigation finds CenterPoint's outage tracker failed. It also finds its mobile generator fleet wasn't sized for a storm like Beryl. The commission logged more than 2,000 Beryl complaints.
- CenterPoint's base rate case settles (PUCT Docket 56211).
- Texas passes HB 144. It makes utilities keep plans to manage and inspect distribution poles.
- CenterPoint sells $401.5 million in storm repair bonds.
- The PUCT approves CenterPoint's 2026–2028 system resiliency plan (Docket 57579).
- About $1.193 billion in bonds pays for Beryl, Hurricane Francine and Winter Storm Enzo costs. You repay them through the SRC III charge.
- Transmission and distribution charges rise. Delivery reaches $70.23 at 1,000 kWh by October 1.
What storms cost you now: the two storm charges, SRC II and SRC III, add up to 0.3484¢ per kWh. That's about $3.48 a month at 1,000 kWh.
The leased generators: CenterPoint leased up to 505 MW of temporary emergency generators on leases that run to 2029. After criticism, it released its 15 large units to the San Antonio area. It says it won't charge customers for them going forward. In November 2025, it proposed taking the lease costs for its five medium units out of rates, starting January 1, 2026. A small generator charge, TEEEF, is still on the rate sheet at 0.0742¢ per kWh.
Does CenterPoint also sell natural gas, and how do I pay that bill?
Yes. In Houston, CenterPoint delivers natural gas too. But gas works differently from power: CenterPoint bills gas customers directly.
CenterPoint's delivery charges are inside your provider's bill. Pay that bill to your provider, never to CenterPoint. Billing questions go to the number on your provider's bill.
CenterPoint serves gas in Greater Houston, Beaumont, East Texas and South Texas. It bills those customers itself. Houston gas customer service: 713-659-2111 or 800-752-8036.
Outside Texas, CenterPoint now serves customers only in Indiana and Minnesota. It sold its Louisiana and Mississippi gas utilities on March 31, 2025. It finished selling its Ohio gas utility to National Fuel Gas on October 1, 2026.
How do I file a CenterPoint complaint?
Go first to whoever controls the problem: CenterPoint for poles, wires and outages, your provider for billing. Still stuck? Then the state steps in.
- Billing, plan or priceStart with your retail electric provider. It controls your bill.
- Outages, meters or linesContact CenterPoint at 713-207-2222.
- Still not fixedTake it to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which regulates both CenterPoint and your provider.
CenterPoint Energy questions, answered
Is CenterPoint my electric company?
If you live in greater Houston, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric is your delivery utility. It takes care of the poles, wires and meters and fixes outages. You buy power from a retail electric provider you choose. That provider sends your bill. CenterPoint bills your provider for delivery, and your provider passes the charges to you.
Why am I paying CenterPoint?
Every plan in CenterPoint's area includes delivery charges set by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. As of October 1, 2026, they are $2.11 a month for the customer charge, $2.79 for the meter and 6.5333¢ per kWh. Your provider may list them on their own or fold them into its price. Either way, they're the same with every provider.
How much does CenterPoint charge for 1,000 kWh?
$70.23 a month as of October 1, 2026, per the Public Utility Commission of Texas. That's $4.90 in fixed charges plus $65.33 in per-kWh charges. At 500 kWh it's $37.57, and at 2,000 kWh it's $135.57. These amounts don't include your provider's energy charge, taxes or fees.
Why did my delivery charge go up in fall 2026?
Two changes. On September 1, CenterPoint's transmission charge nearly doubled, from about 1.62¢ to 3.08¢ per kWh. On September 30, an interim distribution charge took effect. It rose from 0.49¢ to 0.61¢ per kWh. That interim charge can still be refunded or surcharged when the PUCT issues a final order.
How do I report a CenterPoint power outage?
Call 713-207-2222 or 800-332-7143. Or report it online at CenterPoint's outage center, actioncenter.centerpointenergy.com. You can also sign up for free outage alerts. Spot a downed line? Stay 35 feet back and call 713-207-2222 right away. Your electricity provider has no crews, so it can’t fix outages.
Can I switch away from CenterPoint?
No. Your delivery utility depends on where you live, and the Public Utility Commission of Texas sets its rates. You can choose your retail electric provider and plan. That changes your energy price and your bill. But it doesn't change who keeps up your lines or brings your power back.
Is CenterPoint charging me for Hurricane Beryl?
Yes. Repair costs from Hurricane Beryl, Hurricane Francine and Winter Storm Enzo were paid for with about $1.193 billion in bonds in February 2026. You repay them through a charge called SRC III, now 0.2848¢ per kWh. Add an earlier storm charge, SRC II, and storms cost about $3.48 in a 1,000 kWh month.
Is CenterPoint raising its base rates in 2026?
We found no new base rate case filed in 2026. The last one, PUCT Docket 56211, settled in January 2025. Delivery charges still change through separate charges. Transmission changes every March and September, energy efficiency every March, and distribution up to twice a year.
Is CenterPoint more expensive than other Texas utilities?
It sits in the middle. On the PUCT’s September 1, 2026 list, CenterPoint delivery for 1,000 kWh cost $69.03. That was more than AEP Texas’s two areas (about $60 to $61) but less than TNMP ($81.87). CenterPoint rose to $70.23 on October 1, and Oncor rose to $72.73 on October 4, so Oncor now costs a bit more.
Does CenterPoint sell natural gas in Houston?
Yes. CenterPoint delivers natural gas in Houston and other parts of Texas, including Beaumont, East Texas and South Texas. It bills gas customers directly. For Houston gas service, call 713-659-2111 or 800-752-8036. If you smell gas, leave the area first. Then call 911 and CenterPoint at 713-659-2111 or 888-876-5786.
Does CenterPoint still serve Ohio, Louisiana or Mississippi?
No. CenterPoint sold its Louisiana and Mississippi gas utilities on March 31, 2025. It finished selling its Ohio gas utility to National Fuel Gas on October 1, 2026. It now serves customers in Indiana, Minnesota and Texas.
What did regulators find after Hurricane Beryl?
The Public Utility Commission of Texas reported in November 2024 that Beryl cut power to 2.2 million CenterPoint customers. The report says CenterPoint's outage tracker failed. It also says its mobile generator fleet wasn't sized for a storm like Beryl. The commission got more than 2,000 complaints about the storm.
Does my CenterPoint charge change if I switch companies?
No. Every company bills you the same CenterPoint charge, $70.23 on a 1,000 kWh bill since October 1, 2026. Switching only changes your energy price, contract and fees. Champion Energy tops our scorecard at 96 out of 100, and our Houston rates guide shows the cheapest plans we found.
Does CenterPoint buy back solar power?
No. Your retail provider, not CenterPoint, decides what your extra solar power earns, from nothing up to a 1:1 credit. Before credits start, providers’ fact labels say you need an interconnection agreement with CenterPoint and a two-way meter. Compare plans in our solar buyback guide.
More Texas electricity guides
Curious how Texas compares? Our electricity prices by state map shows every state’s average. Every Texas guide is listed below and on the Texas hub.
Every Texas guide, by topic
Sources and updates
Sources (19)
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Transmission and Distribution Utility Rates: residential charges and average bills as of October 1, 2026; utility comparison as of September 1, 2026.
- CenterPoint Energy, Houston Electric rates: residential charge lines, read October 2026.
- CenterPoint Energy, 2026 market notices: DCRF effective September 1, 2026 ($0.004934/kWh) and interim DCRF effective September 30, 2026 ($0.006137/kWh, Docket 59981).
- CenterPoint Energy, Tariff for Retail Delivery Service.
- CenterPoint Energy, Understanding CenterPoint Energy charges (bill explainer).
- CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, prospectus supplement, February 24, 2026: customer count and storm bonds.
- PUCT, Hurricane Beryl investigation report (Project 56822), November 2024.
- CenterPoint Energy, Beryl cost filing statement: restoration figures.
- PUCT Docket 56211, rate case settlement, January 2025.
- PUCT Docket 57579, resiliency plan final order.
- PUCT, TCRF update schedule (March 1 and September 1).
- CenterPoint Energy, 2025 annual report (Form 10-K): leased generators.
- CenterPoint Energy, Ohio gas sale announcement, October 1, 2026.
- Texas Legislative Reference Library, HB 144 (2025).
- CenterPoint Energy, contact, safety and outage center pages: phone numbers and outage tools.
- Reliant Energy, Solar Payback Plus 12 fact label, Houston, September 30, 2026: solar credit and its interconnection and meter requirements.
- TXU Energy, Solar Buyback Plus 12 fact label, Houston, October 5, 2026.
- Green Mountain Energy, Renewable Rewards Solar Credit 12 fact label, Houston, September 30, 2026.
- Champion Energy, Solar buyback rate history: Houston-zone average wholesale credits, July to September 2026.
Changelog · last updated October 16, 2026 · 5 updates
- October 16, 2026: Linked our new list of Houston electric companies from the company-choice section and the related guides. We also pointed an old menu link straight at its current page. We now score 25 Texas electricity companies, so the score chart shows all 25 and the count lines say 25; the score, price and solar table is labeled as our dated snapshot of the first 10 companies we scored. Delivery charges, plan prices and solar credits did not change. We also added our new city guides, four new company reviews and the Smart Meter Texas guide to the guide map.
- October 13, 2026: Added a quick decision box, a date alert, yearly money-at-stake lines in the tools and next-step links. Reworked the provider section to answer whether your company choice changes CenterPoint’s charge (it doesn’t), with a link to our Houston rates guide for plan prices. Updated the utility comparison answer: Oncor now costs a bit more than CenterPoint after its October 4 increase. Rewrote parts of the page in our own words and added a full list of Texas guides. No figures changed.
- October 12, 2026: Moved to theday.company/tx/centerpoint-energy-rates; the old address forwards here. Rewrote the page in plainer words and updated links to our renamed Texas guides. No figures changed.
- October 5, 2026: Added a quick-facts box, a section comparing the 10 electricity companies we’ve scored for Houston homes, a solar buyback section with Houston credits and a calculator, two new answers, and links to our outage, bill-help and plan-calculator guides.
- October 2, 2026: Page published with October 1, 2026 delivery rates.
How to cite this page: The Day Company, "What is CenterPoint Energy, and why is it on my electric bill?", updated October 16, 2026, https://theday.company/tx/centerpoint-energy-rates.
Delivery charges are CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric's residential rates as reported by the Public Utility Commission of Texas as of October 1, 2026, and listed on CenterPoint's rate page. The distribution charge is interim and can change. Your bill also includes your provider's energy charge, taxes and fees. The Day Company is not affiliated with CenterPoint Energy or any retail electric provider, and no company pays for placement in this guide.