Utilities in Texas: Four Regulators, Many Different Providers

Texas has no single utility office. Electricity, natural gas, water and sewer each answer to a different regulator. The entity that sends your bill might be a city department, a member-owned cooperative, a tax-supported district or a private company. This page lists utility offices across Texas so you can find the right billing counter or phone line for your address. Start by deciding which service you need, because that decides who can help.

A question about a city water bill goes to a municipal office. A complaint about a retail electric plan goes to a state agency. A gas leak is an emergency call, not an office visit. The sections below explain who handles each job, how Texas differs from other states, and what to have ready before you contact anyone.

Which State Agencies Oversee Utility Service in Texas

Four state bodies shape most of what you will deal with as a customer.

Cities add another layer. Texas law lets a city regulate some rates inside its limits, especially natural gas distribution. City councils also set water and sewer rates for their own municipal systems. Rate decisions for a city-owned system are therefore political as well as technical, and council meetings are the place to raise concerns.

Electricity in Texas: Choice in Some Areas, One Provider in Others

Texas opened its retail electric market to competition in 2002. Competition applies only inside the ERCOT grid and only where the local utility is investor-owned. In those areas you pick a retail electric provider and a plan. A separate wires company, called a transmission and distribution utility, owns the poles and lines. CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, Oncor, AEP Texas and Texas-New Mexico Power are the main ones.

That split matters when something goes wrong. If the lights go out, call your wires company, not the company that bills you. If your bill looks wrong or your plan changed, call your retail provider first. Then go to the PUC if the problem is not resolved. Energy businesses in our listings, such as Brilliant Energy on Wilcrest Drive in Houston and Affordable Energy on John W. Carpenter Freeway in Dallas, operate in this market.

Competition does not reach everyone. Municipal utilities such as Austin Energy and CPS Energy in San Antonio serve their own customers. Most electric cooperatives do the same, including Farmers Electric Cooperative Inc in Greenville. El Paso, much of the Panhandle and parts of East Texas sit outside ERCOT and also have a single local provider. If you live in one of those places, there is no plan to shop for.

Water, Sewer and Special Districts Across Texas

Water is the most local utility of all. Large cities run their own systems. Austin Water Utility, El Paso Water Utilities, the Plano Water Department, Irving Water Utilities Division, Longview Water Utilities and the Lufkin City Water Department all appear in our listings. Many of these offices bill water, sewer and trash together. Smaller cities such as Athens and Corsicana run a utility billing or utilities department at city hall.

Outside city limits, the picture changes. Rural customers may be served by a special utility district, a water supply corporation or a private water company. Dean Dale Special Utility District in Wichita Falls and Canyon Creek Water Company in Granbury are listed examples. Private companies that charge for water or sewer service fall under PUC rate regulation.

Suburban growth added another model. A municipal utility district, or MUD, is a local government typically created with TCEQ approval to build water, sewer and drainage systems for a new development. An elected board runs it. It repays its bonds through property taxes and service fees. West Memorial Municipal Utility District in Katy is a listed example. If you buy a home inside a MUD, a separate line for the district will appear on your property tax bill.

Water supply shapes local policy. Austin relies on the Highland Lakes on the Colorado River. El Paso draws on the Rio Grande and groundwater. Wichita Falls became known for recycling wastewater into drinking water during its long drought. Expect seasonal watering limits when reservoirs run low, and check your city's current drought stage before setting a sprinkler schedule.

Metro and Rural Utility Offices in Texas Compared

Houston has the largest concentration of listings, and suburbs such as Spring and Katy add many more. Harris County is where the MUD model is most visible. A Houston-area homeowner may deal with a city department, a MUD and a wires company all at once. Keep the three straight, and you will know where each question belongs.

North Texas offices cluster in Dallas County and the neighboring Tarrant and Collin counties. Many cities there buy treated water from regional wholesale districts and resell it. Your city's utility office, not the wholesaler, is the one that bills you and answers questions.

In the Austin area, Travis County residents inside city limits get water and electricity from city-owned utilities. One municipal relationship covers both, which simplifies moves and billing disputes.

West Texas looks different. In Midland County and the Permian Basin, listings such as Van's Gas Anchors on Garden City Highway reflect the oilfield side of the industry rather than household billing. The same is true of Gas Odorant Service & Supply in Borger, in the Panhandle. Check the office name and address before you assume a listing handles residential accounts.

Before You Contact a Texas Utility Office: What to Bring

A little preparation saves a second trip. For most new-service or account-change requests, have these items ready:

Many city counters keep weekday business hours, so call ahead. Confirm phone numbers and addresses from our listings before you drive across town. Before any digging project, call Texas811. The call is free, and state law requires notice before most excavation so crews can mark buried lines.

If you cannot pay a bill, contact the utility before the due date and ask about a payment plan. Local community action agencies deliver energy assistance funded through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Dialing 211 can point you to the nearest agency.

Municipal utility departments throughout Texas provide electricity, water, sewer, and related services to millions of residents and businesses. Utility governance in Texas is shaped by the state's public utility commission, which regulates investor-owned utilities, while municipally owned systems operate under local authority.

Utilities locations are available in 534 cities across Texas. They are spread across 210 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of utility offices include Houston, Dallas, Austin, reflecting their larger populations and service area demands.

Texas residents should contact their local utility provider directly for account setup, billing questions, and outage reporting. State-level utility assistance programs may also be available through the state's health and human services agency.

Utilities by Counties

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Texas residents who need help paying utility bills may qualify for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), administered through the state's community services offices. Contact your local utility provider to inquire about budget billing, shut-off protection, and additional assistance programs available in your area.

Browse Utilities by county across Texas to find your local utility department's contact information and service office locations.

Finding the Right Utility Office in Your Part of Texas

Texas is large enough that the same service works differently from one region to the next. Use the local picture below to narrow your search.

In El Paso County, El Paso Water Utilities is listed at 6400 Boeing Drive (915-594-5500). Electric service comes from a separate company because the area lies outside ERCOT. In Bexar County, Bexar Energy appears at 111 Soledad Street in San Antonio (210-342-7106).

On the Gulf Coast, the City of Corpus Christi Gas Department at 4225 South Port Avenue is a city-run gas office. In East Texas, Southern Utilities Co in Tyler, Longview Water Utilities and the Lufkin City Water Department serve their communities. In the Panhandle and South Plains, Stelaron Inc in Amarillo and Nix Electric Company in Lubbock are listed. In Abilene, the Abilene Sewage Treatment Plant reminds us that wastewater is permitted and inspected separately from drinking water.

Start with the company that billed you and ask for a written explanation. If the problem stays unresolved, file a complaint with the Public Utility Commission of Texas. It handles disputes involving retail electric providers and wires companies. Have your account number, dates and copies of bills or letters ready. The PUC contacts the company and asks for a response. Complaints about city-owned utilities and electric cooperatives usually go to the city council or the cooperative's elected board, so raise those issues at a public meeting.

No. Retail choice applies mainly to customers of investor-owned utilities inside the ERCOT grid. If your power comes from a city utility such as Austin Energy or CPS Energy, from most electric cooperatives, or from a utility outside ERCOT such as in El Paso, you generally have one provider. Check your bill for the company that delivers your power. If you live in an open area, read the Electricity Facts Label before signing. It shows the price at set usage levels, the contract length and any early termination fee.

Call your wires company, not your retail electric provider. In most of the Houston area that is CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, which maintains the poles and lines. Report the outage through the company's outage line or online tracker, and check its outage map for restoration updates. Your retail provider cannot restore power. If you see a downed line, stay far away and call 911, because the wire may still be energized. Keep a battery-powered radio and charged phones ready during hurricane season.

Contact the utility directly. Austin Water Utility is listed at 625 East 10th Street, phone 512-974-2000. El Paso Water Utilities is listed at 6400 Boeing Drive, phone 915-594-5500. Expect to give your service address, move-in date and identification, and ask whether a deposit applies. Renters should confirm whether the landlord keeps the account in their name. Ask about watering rules at the same time, since both cities publish seasonal restrictions that affect your bill.

A municipal utility district is a local government unit that provides water, sewer and drainage service to a defined area, usually a newer subdivision. Developers advance the cost of the infrastructure, and the district repays bonds through a property tax rate plus service fees. That is why your tax statement may list a MUD beside the city, county and school district. An elected board governs it, and its meetings are public. West Memorial Municipal Utility District in Katy is a listed example. Ask the title company for the district's tax rate before you buy.

The Railroad Commission of Texas regulates gas utilities and pipeline safety, and cities hold authority over some local rates. If you smell gas, leave the building at once. Do not touch light switches or use a phone inside, and do not search for the leak. Call 911 or your gas company's emergency number from a safe distance. Most customers are served by companies such as Atmos Energy, CenterPoint Energy or Texas Gas Service. In Corpus Christi, the city's own Gas Department can be reached at 361-854-4396.

Call the utility before the due date and ask about a deferred payment plan. For energy bills, local community action agencies run the Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program, which is overseen by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Dialing 211 connects you to a statewide information line that can point you to nearby help. Bring photo ID, proof of income and a recent bill when you apply. Disconnection rules for electric service include protections during extreme weather, so ask your provider what applies to your account.