Electric companies in McAllen: 43 compared, and who can actually switch

Three utilities own the power lines here, and only one of them lets you shop. The one that runs past your house decides whether any plan on this page is yours to buy.

Why can’t everyone shop? Texas law lets each co-op and city utility decide whether to join retail choice. In more than 20 years, ERCOT says, only two have: Nueces Electric Cooperative and Lubbock Power & Light. Magic Valley and BPUB aren’t among them.

A ZIP code can’t settle this, because many Valley ZIPs mix utilities. Your bill can. Tap the name printed at the top of your last one.

If your home is on AEP Texas lines, these are the companies you can buy from. Each row shows the state’s complaint rating, our score where we’ve reviewed the company, and its simplest 12-month plan, priced at the usage you type.

Don’t see your company here?

Two brands listed plans on Power to Choose for Houston or Dallas–Fort Worth on Oct 15, 2026, but none for AEP Texas Central’s area: Base Power and Varsity Energy. Some companies sell here only through their own websites. Base Power, for one, posts an AEP Texas Central fact label on its site, and our Base Power review covers its plans.

The state sorts companies by how often their customers complain. The PUCT compares complaints with customer counts over six months, then splits the companies into five groups. Five circles marks the group with the fewest complaints.

• The cheapest-looking plans come from the most-complained-about group. APG&E and Chariot both list a 6.3¢ plan at 1,000 kWh, and both sit at 1 of 5.
• Nine companies hold 5 of 5 here: BKV Energy, Champion, Constellation, Good Charlie, Infuse, NEC Co-op Energy, Revolution, Spark and TXU Energy.
• One co-op does sell here. NEC Co-op Energy belongs to Nueces Electric Cooperative, one of the two utilities that joined retail choice.
• Three aren’t on the state’s scorecard: Abundance Energy, SmartEnergy and Texans Choice Power.
• Ratings change. This edition covers March 1 to August 31, 2026.

To read complaint counts or file a complaint yourself, see Texas electricity company complaints. Our scoring method shows how a rating becomes points.

The two lowest prices at 1,000 kWh, 6.3¢ per kWh, both lean on a $125 credit that only comes in months you use 1,000 kWh or more. Miss it by one kWh, and that month’s bill jumps by about $125.

Want the full story on these plans? Read how bill-credit electricity plans work, and see our APG&E review and Chariot Energy review before you sign with either.

A lot. Cooling degree days measure how hard air conditioners work over a year. McAllen’s count is about 1.5 times Houston’s and 1.8 times Dallas–Fort Worth’s.

So price your summer months at 2,000 kWh, not just 1,000. On Oct 15, 2026, the cheapest one-rate plan here, True Power’s True Value 12, cost 10.9¢ per kWh at 2,000 kWh, while the 6.3¢ credit plans cost 12.4¢. For more ways to cut a summer bill, see why your electric bill is so high, free nights plans and heat pump vs. AC.

It depends on how much power you use and what a clean complaint record is worth to you. These picks come from the state’s ratings, the plans’ fact labels and our scores. No company paid to be here.

Found a company you like? Compare its plans with everyone else’s at your address, then sign up in a few minutes. This works for homes on AEP Texas lines.

Used to be an Oncor or Sharyland customer in McAllen or Mission? AEP’s tariff skips two charges in that former Oncor area, so delivery works out to about $58.99 at 1,000 kWh, our math shows. For the full breakdown, see AEP Texas delivery charges.

Call the utility that owns your lines, never the company that sells you power. Save the number that matches your bill before the next storm.

1. July 2020: Hurricane HannaAEP Texas outages peaked at 197,630 customers across Corpus Christi, Laredo and the Valley. In August, AEP asked Valley homes to save power while crews rebuilt two miles of a major transmission line in Edinburg, and lifted the request on Aug. 11 when the work was done.
2. April 28–29, 2023: spring stormsOutages in the Valley peaked at about 156,000 AEP Texas customers. On the morning of May 1, about 17,000 were still out, mostly in Mission (10,000), McAllen (3,200) and Pharr (3,200).
3. Every year: June 1 to Nov. 30Hurricane season, as AEP Texas reminds its customers. The 2026 season runs through Nov. 30.

For step-by-step help, see what to do when the power goes out. Thinking about backup power for the next storm? Here’s what a whole-house generator costs in Texas.

Often, yes. Power to Choose lists the same 168 AEP Texas Central plans for 57 Valley ZIP codes, including ZIPs where most homes sit in co-op or BPUB territory. Type yours to see the split.

Eight rural ZIPs show no plans at all: 78536 Delmita, 78545 Falcon Heights, 78561 Lasara, 78563 Linn, 78585 Salineno, 78588 San Isidro, 78590 San Perlita and 78591 Santa Elena. Five of them sit mostly in Magic Valley’s territory. Two P.O. box ZIPs, 78502 in McAllen and 78523 in Brownsville, show none either.

In McAllen 78503 and Mission 78572, the site also lists 174 Oncor plans, left over from before 2019. If your bill says AEP Texas, use an AEP Texas Central plan. To find the utility for any Texas address, see who is my electric utility.

Five checks. Each one uses a record you can see before you agree to anything.

1. 1
   Read the name on your bill

   Only homes on AEP Texas lines can switch. If Magic Valley or BPUB bills you, the plans online aren’t yours to buy.

2. 2
   Price a mild month and a hot one

   Read the fact label at 500 and 2,000 kWh. A plan that wins at 1,000 kWh can lose at both ends.

3. 3
   Find the $125 line

   If the label pays a credit at 1,000 kWh or more, think about how often your home falls short. On the 6.3¢ plans, one kWh short costs about $125.

4. 4
   Know the exit cost

   True Power’s True Value 12 charges a flat $300 to leave early, while Chariot’s GridPlus 12 charges $15 for each month left. Check the label’s cancellation line.

5. 5
   Use your 3 days

   When you switch, you have 3 federal business days after you get the terms to cancel for free. New move-ins don’t get this window.

Switching is free, takes up to seven business days, and your lights stay on the whole time. Our guide to switching electricity providers has every step.

Short answers from state records, the utilities’ own documents and our own math.

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