Corpus Christi electricity: how to choose a plan and stay ready for storms

Yes. Corpus Christi is part of Texas's open power market, so you pick the company that sells your electricity. AEP Texas delivers it to most homes and fixes outages, no matter which company you pick.

AEP Texas keeps its region headquarters right here in Corpus Christi. It serves over one million meters across 97,000 square miles of South and West Texas. Your city sits in its Central area.

What about the co-op at the edge of town?

Some homes in parts of the city get power over Nueces Electric Cooperative's lines instead. The co-op's tariff names parts of Corpus Christi, plus nearby towns like Robstown, Kingsville and Bishop. It serves 34,846 members over 3,671 miles of line in 8 counties.

Here is the twist. Most Texas co-ops don't offer choice, so homes on their lines can't shop for a provider. Our Fort Worth guide shows how that catch works. But retail choice in the Nueces Electric area began on August 16, 2004, and today the whole area is open. ERCOT, which runs most of the state's grid, says only two co-op or city-owned utilities have opted in. The other one is Lubbock Power & Light. The co-op's website lists the providers that serve its area.

Sources: AEP Texas outage page; Nueces Electric Cooperative's choice page, rates page and tariff; ESI ID starts from our utility finder. Checked Oct 10, 2026.

To check your home, find the ESI ID on your bill. That is the long ID number for your meter. If it starts with 1003278, AEP Texas Central delivers your power. If it starts with 1013830, the co-op does. Or use our utility finder.

Most Corpus Christi bills have three main parts: the energy you buy, AEP Texas's delivery charge and a 1.5% city sales tax. Here is how they add up in a 1,000 kWh month.

Why does the city add 1.5%?

Texas does not charge its 6.25% state sales tax on home electricity. Most local taxes skip it, too. But Corpus Christi is on the state's list of cities that tax home gas and electricity.

The Texas Comptroller lists the city's rate as 1.375%. The city's crime control district adds 0.125%, and it has taxed home power since July 1, 2010. That makes 1.5% in all. On a $150 bill, that comes to $2.25.

Some bills also show a line called a gross receipts tax reimbursement. It pays back a state tax on electric companies. In cities of 10,000 or more people, that state tax is 1.997% of their sales.

If your bill still looks high, our guide to why Texas bills jump walks through the usual causes. You can also see what a normal Texas bill looks like.

AEP Texas Central charges $3.24 a month plus 5.6898¢ per kWh, as of October 2026. At 1,000 kWh, that's $60.14. That is less than homes pay for delivery in Houston, Dallas or Fort Worth.

In September 2025, the order was flipped. On the state's table for that month, AEP Texas Central cost the most of these three. Since then, AEP's charge fell by $4.10. CenterPoint's rose by $7.44, and Oncor's rose by $12.47.

Sept 1, 2025: the Public Utility Commission's table of average home delivery bills at 1,000 kWh. October 2026: the companies' current charges, as above.

Delivery is the same no matter which provider you pick. The state approves it, and every plan passes it on. AEP usually updates its charges around March 1 and September 1. So check the date on any fact label you compare.

To learn more about the wires company itself, read AEP Texas, explained. For the other side of the chart, see the Houston and Dallas guides, or read about CenterPoint and Oncor.

Slide to your monthly kWh, then type your plan's energy charge. This bill check adds AEP Texas delivery and the 1.5% city tax. It also shows what the same use would cost to deliver in Houston or Dallas.

Nothing you type is saved. Your kWh is printed on your bill. The check leaves out base charges, bill credits and the gross receipts line. Live in another town? Use its rate if it taxes home power. Outside any city, use 0.

A good yardstick is the Texas average of 15.88¢ per kWh, from July 2026. Compare it with each plan's fact label price at your own use. That label price already includes AEP's delivery, which is about 6.0¢ of each kWh at 1,000 kWh.

1. 1
   Find your real use

   Look at a year of bills. Write down your highest and lowest months.

2. 2
   Search your ZIP code

   Use Power to Choose, the state's official plan site. It lists plans by ZIP code.

3. 3
   Compare at your use

   Fact labels show prices at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh. Use the column closest to your own months.

4. 4
   Read the fine print

   Check the contract length and the early termination fee, which is the fee for leaving early. Look for minimum use charges, too.

5. 5
   Add the city tax

   Multiply the label price by your kWh. Then add 1.5% for the city tax. That gets you close to your real bill.

Not sure which company to trust? We score 25 Texas providers with a 100-point public-records formula. Champion Energy leads at 96, and BKV Energy is next at 82. See all 25 company scores and how we score. Want a wider list? Our McAllen guide covers the companies selling on AEP Texas Central lines, which also serve most of Corpus Christi. Weighing two well-known names? Read TXU vs Reliant.

When a fixed plan ends, your price can change. Our guides to fixed and variable rates and to a contract that is ending show what to watch. The plan calculator compares up to three plans at once. For the bigger picture, see Texas electricity rates, explained.

Call AEP Texas at 866-223-8508. Your electric company can’t fix the lines. AEP owns the lines, so it fixes outages for everyone in its area, whichever provider they use.

If Nueces Electric delivers your power, call the co-op instead at 800-632-9288. That is 1-800-NEC-WATT.

How AEP Texas brings power back after a big storm

1. 1 · Check the damageOnce it is safe to work outside, crews look at the damage. Then AEP works out when power should come back.
2. 2 · Fix the biggest problemsAEP starts with hospitals, emergency responders and public utilities, and with the largest groups of customers.
3. 3 · Work down to small fixesNext come single lines and small groups of homes.
4. Good to knowHomes always come before business and industrial customers, AEP says. Power can also come back before the quoted time.

Source: AEP Texas Outages FAQ and its 4-step restoration graphic, checked Oct 10, 2026.

Right after a big storm, AEP asks people to report only dangers, like downed lines or sparking equipment. Stay far away from any line on the ground. Call 911 if anyone is in danger. You can also sign up for outage alerts in your AEP account.

A statewide grid emergency is a different thing. ERCOT, the grid operator, handles those alerts. Read ERCOT grid alerts, explained, and keep our power outage checklist handy.

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, so October is still part of it. The National Weather Service office in Corpus Christi says to keep at least a 7-day supply of food and water on hand.

Big storms are part of life on the coast. Hurricane Harvey came ashore near Rockport as a Category 4 storm in August 2017. The National Hurricane Center said Corpus Christi was spared the worst. Damage here was widespread but mostly minor. In July 2020, Hurricane Hanna made landfall on Padre Island as a Category 1 storm.

About 1 in 3 people here speak a language other than English at home. The weather service prints its hurricane guide in Spanish, too, and AEP Texas has a Spanish website. Both are in the sources below. Does someone at home need help to leave in a storm? The city's storm page links to STEAR. That is the state's list of people who may need extra help.

Want backup power for the next long outage? See whether a home battery is worth it in Texas. If a storm damages your roof, here is how Texas roof claims work.

Start with the Nueces County Community Action Agency. The state lists it as the county's office for CEAP, which helps pay energy bills. It also handles weatherization, which fixes homes so they use less energy.

CEAP uses 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. Source: TDHCA Community Affairs Income Guidelines, effective January 26, 2026.

The state's agency list was last updated in July 2023, so call  before you go. Part of the city lies in San Patricio County. For homes there, the list names Community Action Corporation of South Texas, at 361-664-0145.

Already behind? Call your provider first and ask for a deferred payment plan. That lets you pay what you owe in parts. The state housing agency's help line is 877-399-8939 on weekdays, or you can dial 2-1-1.

See every option in our guide to help paying your electric bill, and learn how free weatherization works. Some utility energy-saving rebates can cut costs, too.

Power is a separate step. The City of Corpus Christi runs water and natural gas service, but for electricity you pick a provider yourself. Your provider then asks the wires company to turn the power on.

About 4 in 10 homes in the city are rented, the Census says. Renters should ask the landlord which bills stay in thier name and which ones are yours.

Worried about a deposit? A prepaid plan can't charge one, and it can't ask you to start with more than $75. Our guide to no-deposit and prepaid plans has more. For the full move-in checklist, read how to set up electricity in Texas.

Already settled in and want a better deal? Here is how to switch providers without surprises. Opening a shop or an office? Read our business electricity guide.

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