What is prepaid electricity in Texas?
Prepaid electricity works like a prepaid phone. You put money in first. Each day your use comes out of the balance. When the balance gets low, you add more. Some people call it pay as you go electricity, and some search for a "prepaid light company". It is the same thing.
| Feature | Regular plan | Prepaid plan |
|---|---|---|
| When you pay | After you use power, on a monthly bill | Before you use power, from a balance |
| Deposit | Possible, based on your credit | Not allowed for the service |
| Credit check | Often | The rule does not require one |
| Cut-off | After a missed bill and a notice | When the balance falls to the cut-off point, $10 or less |
| Extra fees | Usually a monthly base charge | Read the label: a daily or monthly fee is possible |
The rule says a home's starting balance cannot be more than $75. It also says the company must warn you at least one day, and not more than seven days, before your balance is expected to reach the cut-off point.
If you want to skip a deposit on a regular plan instead, the rules give several ways. Our guide to skipping a deposit shows who qualifies and how to ask.
What does prepaid cost over 12 months?
Prepaid skips the deposit, and it can cost more per kWh. The tool below prices both for a year. It also tells you how many days your first top-up lasts.
Type your use and the two prices. You will see the 12-month cost of each, the daily cost of prepaid, and how many days your first top-up lasts.
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This is an estimate of energy and fees only, not a bill. Copy both prices from the Electricity Facts Labels, and use the fees the prepaid label lists.
Another option, not the cheapest.
See plans that fit my usagePartner toolWe get paid if you sign up. You don’t pay more, and it never changes our scores.
The tool fills the regular plan price from this table. It shows the middle price of a plain 12-month fixed plan in each area, delivery included. The prices were read from the Power to Choose list on November 2, 2026.
| Delivery area | At 500 kWh | At 1,000 kWh | At 2,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oncor | 13.6¢ | 13.1¢ | 12.9¢ |
| CenterPoint | 13.5¢ | 13.0¢ | 12.7¢ |
| AEP Texas Central | 12.3¢ | 12.0¢ | 11.8¢ |
| AEP Texas North | 13.1¢ | 12.7¢ | 12.4¢ |
| TNMP | 15.7¢ | 14.8¢ | 14.4¢ |
"Plain" means a plan without a bill credit or usage fee. These rows leave out prepaid and time-of-use plans. A prepaid price is not in this table on purpose: the Commission's list shows no daily fees, so read each prepaid label yourself.
How many days does a top-up last?
This is an example, not a quote. It assumes 15 cents per kWh, no daily fee, and a 30-day month. Your plan's price and fees change the result, so run the tool above with your own label.
| Top-up | At 500 kWh a month | At 1,000 kWh a month | At 2,000 kWh a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40 | 12 days | 6 days | 3 days |
| $75 | 26 days | 13 days | 6 days |
| $100 | 36 days | 18 days | 9 days |
Heavy summer use shortens every number. Turn on low-balance alerts before a hot spell.
Do you need ID or a credit check?
The rule does not require a credit check for prepaid service and bars a deposit. Companies still ask for your service address and a way to confirm who you are, and each sets its own ID rules, so read the company's sign-up page. Some prepaid companies sell same-day starts; see our same-day electricity cut-offs and no-deposit options.
How we make money: some links on this page are partner links, and we may earn a fee if you sign up. It never changes what the tool says.
What do the state rules protect?
The Commission's prepaid rule gives a home six protections. We read it on November 2, 2026, in the Commission's own PDF, which is marked effective January 6, 2022.
| Protection | What the rule says | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Starting balance | The connection balance cannot be more than $75 | (b)(1) |
| Deposit | The company may not require a security deposit for electric service | (c)(11)(D) |
| Cut-off balance | The balance below which a cut-off can start cannot be more than $10 | (b)(4) |
| Warning | A low-balance notice at least one day, and not more than seven days, before the balance is expected to reach it | (c)(7)(D) |
| Weekends and storms | No cut-off for a short balance on weekends, when payment methods are down, or in an extreme weather emergency | (j)(1) |
| Power back | Within one hour of you putting in a connection balance | (j)(4) |
Two more rules matter. First, the company must refund any unused balance within ten business days after your final bill and meter read (c)(7)(G). Second, a home's prepaid price cannot be higher than the provider of last resort's price at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh (c)(15). That limit is a ceiling, not a promise of a low price.
The rule does not limit a daily or monthly fee. The weekend rule covers a short balance only. It does not cover other reasons for a cut-off.
Who should skip prepaid?
Prepaid fits a short stay, a first home with no credit history, or a person who wants to watch spending day by day. It is a poor fit if a cut-off would put someone in danger.
- You are new to credit and a deposit would strain your budget.
- You want to see your spending every day.
- You need power fast and a deposit would slow you down.
- Someone at home uses powered medical equipment.
- You will be away for weeks. The balance still goes down.
- You cannot check your balance often in summer or in a cold snap.
- You could get a deposit waived. A regular plan may cost less.
A regular plan with a waived deposit often costs less over a year. Our deposit checker shows which waivers fit you: see how to skip a deposit.
How many prepaid plans are there?
On November 2, 2026, Power to Choose listed 25 English prepaid plans from 2 company names. That is a small share of the state's plans. Some companies sell prepaid only on their own sites, so the list does not show every one.
Filter by your ZIP, then open the Electricity Facts Label of any prepaid plan.
Some sellers show prepaid plans only on their own pages. Check the Prepaid Disclosure Statement.
If you want a plan finder that lists plans at your ZIP, use the plan finder on this page. Check each plan's label for the word "prepaid" and for its fees.
Which companies sell prepaid, and what do their own pages say?
These are five sellers whose own pages we read on November 2, 2026. This is not a ranking, and plans change. Open the company's Electricity Facts Label and Prepaid Disclosure Statement before you pay.
| Company | What its own page says | Where we read it |
|---|---|---|
| Payless Power | Move-in fee $0 in the Oncor, CenterPoint and AEP Texas areas and $54 in the TNMP area. A daily balance alert gives your balance and the estimated days left. Reconnection fee up to $25. A live-rep fee of up to $4.95 each time you pay by card or change your account through a person. | Prepaid Terms of Service |
| Pogo Energy | Charge up with as little as $60. Sign up before 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, for same-day power. Says it charges no late or disconnect fees. Daily texts or emails on use and balance. | Pogo Energy home page and FAQs |
| Now Power | Advertises no credit check and a low minimum payment. Says fees vary by plan and gives a phone number for the full list. Text and email alerts. | Now Power FAQs |
| Acacia Energy | Says to start for as low as $39 and that same-day power is possible Monday through Saturday when you pay the minimum before 6:30 p.m. Advertises no credit check and no deposit. Says connection times are not guaranteed. | Acacia Energy home page |
| Reliant | Lists a Prepaid Disclosure document beside each plan's Electricity Facts Label. Fees are on the label. | Reliant prepaid page |
| You gain | You risk |
|---|---|
| No security deposit, by rule | A higher price per kWh is common, so check the label |
| No monthly bill to be shocked by; you see the balance fall | Service can stop when the balance falls to the cut-off point |
| A start of $75 or less for a home | Daily or monthly fees can raise the yearly cost |
| Low-balance alerts, with a rule-set warning window | The weekend and storm protection covers only a short balance, not every reason for a cut-off |
Fees differ by seller and by delivery area, so the same plan can cost more in one area. Put each fee into the tool above to see its yearly cost.
Sample balance alert (our example, not a company's). Balance $18.40. At your recent use of $4.60 a day, you have about 4 days left. Add money before your balance reaches the cut-off point on your paper. The rule requires a warning one to seven days before the balance is expected to reach it.
How do you start prepaid in 5 steps?
Pick a plan, read two papers, put in your first money, then set alerts. Each step takes minutes.
- 1Find your delivery area.
It sets which plans you can buy. Use Who is my electric utility if you are not sure.
- 2Open the label and the disclosure.
Look for the price, any daily or monthly fee, and the cut-off balance.
- 3Run the tool above.
Test the year cost and the days a top-up lasts.
- 4Put in your first money.
A home cannot be asked for more than $75 to start.
- 5Turn on low-balance alerts.
Top up before a weekend and before a hot or cold spell, even though the rule limits weekend cut-offs.
Price prepaid and a regular plan at your own kWh, then compare the plans at your ZIP before you pay anything.
Compare plans at my ZIPA partner runs the plan finder. If you sign up, it may pay us a fee, and that never moves a rating or a score.
Questions, answered
What is pay as you go electricity in Texas?
It is prepaid electricity. You pay into a balance first, and your daily use comes out of it. When the balance reaches the cut-off point, which is $10 or less for a home, the company can start a cut-off.
Can prepaid power be shut off on a weekend?
The rule says a company may not cut off a prepaid home for a short balance on weekends, while payment methods are down, or in an extreme weather emergency. Other reasons are not covered by that line, so keep a cushion.
Is there a limit on how much prepaid can charge per kWh?
Yes, but only on the energy price. A prepaid price can be no higher than the provider of last resort's price at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh. Daily and monthly fees have no limit, so they can still make a year cost more. Use the tool above.
What does prepaid electricity mean?
It means you pay first and use power after, like a prepaid phone. Your daily use comes out of a balance, you add money when it runs low, and the company can start a cut-off when the balance reaches the cut-off point on your paper.
What is the cheapest prepaid electricity?
There is no one cheapest plan, because the price you pay depends on your kWh and the plan's daily or monthly fees. Put each plan's three fact-label prices and its fees into the tool above and compare the year totals, not the headline cents.
Who has the cheapest electricity rates in Texas?
It changes by week and by delivery area. Our cheapest plans page shows this week's lowest, and our Power to Choose guide shows how to check any plan's fact label.
Where can I find prepaid electricity in Houston, TX?
Houston is in the CenterPoint delivery area, where you pick the company. Search Power to Choose with a Houston ZIP and filter for prepaid, then read each plan's Prepaid Disclosure Statement and fact label before you pay.
Which companies sell prepaid electricity in Texas?
On the Power to Choose list we read on November 2, 2026, 2 company names listed prepaid plans. Some sellers show prepaid plans only on their own sites. Check each company's Prepaid Disclosure Statement.
Can I get prepaid electricity if someone at home needs medical equipment?
The rule does not let a company knowingly give prepaid service to a critical care or chronic condition customer. Talk to the company about a regular plan and ask what protections apply.
What happens to my prepaid balance when I move out?
The company must refund any unused balance within ten business days after it gets your final bill and final meter read. If the balance is under $5, the rule has the company tell you instead, and you can ask for the refund; it then pays within ten business days. Give a forwarding address.
Does prepaid electricity have a daily fee?
It can. The rule does not limit daily or monthly fees, so the fact label is the only place to see them. Type the fee into the tool to see its yearly cost.
Are there prepaid plans with free nights and weekends?
Check each label. A free-hours plan is a separate plan type with its own math, which our free nights and weekends guide explains. Read the label for both the word "prepaid" and the free hours.
What do you want to do next?
Browse every Texas guide by topic below, or start at our Texas hub.
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Sources and updates
Sources (8)
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, 16 TAC section 25.498, prepaid service (PUC PDF, read Nov. 2, 2026; marked effective Jan. 6, 2022): The $75 starting balance, the $10 cut-off balance, the deposit ban, the low-balance warning, the weekend and weather limits, the one-hour reconnection, the refund and the price ceiling.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, 16 TAC section 25.478, credit requirements and deposits (PUC PDF, read Nov. 2, 2026; marked effective May 13, 2018): The deposit comes back after 12 bills paid on time.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Power to Choose plan list: The count of prepaid plans and the middle 12-month prices, read Oct. 25, 2026.
- Young Energy, LLC (Payless Power), Prepaid Terms of Service Agreement (read Nov. 2, 2026): Move-in fees by delivery area, the daily balance alert the reconnection fee and the live-rep fee.
- Pogo Energy, Home page and FAQs (read Nov. 2, 2026): The $60 charge-up, the 6 p.m. same-day cut-off and the fee statements.
- Now Power, Electricity FAQs (read Nov. 2, 2026): The no credit check claim, the minimum payment and the fee statement.
- Acacia Energy, Home page (read Nov. 2, 2026): The $39 start, the 6:30 p.m. same-day cut-off and the no credit check claim.
- Reliant Energy, Prepaid electricity page (read Nov. 2, 2026): The Prepaid Disclosure document listed with each plan.
Changelog · 1 update, newest November 2, 2026
- November 2, 2026: Guide published. Fixed the deposit-ban section cite, made the short answer match the rule, added the under-$5 refund case, a named-company table and a sample balance alert.
How to cite this page: The Day Company, "Prepaid electricity in Texas: what it costs and what protects you", updated November 2, 2026, https://theday.company/tx/prepaid-electricity.
Reviewed is the last day a person re-checked every number on this page. Prices checked is the last day our robot updated or re-confirmed the Texas plan prices.
The Day Company is not affiliated with any retail electric provider, delivery company or agency named on this page. Counts and prices come from the Power to Choose list, which can change between our daily reads. The rule text was read from the Commission's own PDFs, and the Commission's own site is the official source. Check a plan's Electricity Facts Label and Prepaid Disclosure Statement before you pay.