Texas Utility Comparison — November 2026
Electricity you can shop for; gas and water you can't. Starting rates, contract terms, public ratings, and who serves your area — with sources and dates, and unknown left unknown.
How to read this page
All electricity prices are starting rates for Houston, ZIP 77003, at exactly 1,000 kWh a month, checked on Choose Energy on November 7, 2026. These are average prices at that usage and include bill credits — they are NOT the rate at any usage. For example, Rhythm's own Electricity Facts Label shows 20.2¢ at 500 kWh, 7.7¢ at 1,000 kWh, and 14.0¢ at 2,000 kWh, built from a $125/month usage credit at 1,000 kWh or more. Prices change often and vary by ZIP code and usage — always verify on the provider's own site before you switch. The cheapest advertised rate is often a bill-credit plan: it only pays off if your usage lands near the plan's target (usually 1,000 or 2,000 kWh). If you use much more or much less, a plain fixed-rate plan at 10.8–11.9¢/kWh is usually the better deal.
Early termination fees are taken from each plan's Electricity Facts Label (EFL) or a marketplace page where noted. As a rule of thumb, fixed-rate plans usually carry an early termination fee and variable-rate plans usually do not, but confirm the exact fee in the plan's EFL before signing.
Ratings below come only from public sources we could check, and the source is named every time. Where we could not verify a rating, it says unknown.
Electricity — cheapest advertised plans (Houston 77003, 1,000 kWh, Nov 2026)
| Provider | Plan | Starting rate (at 1,000 kWh, incl. bill credit) | Term | Early termination fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhythm Energy | Rhythm Max Saver 20 | 7.3¢/kWh | 20 months | $20 per whole month remaining (EFL, Oct 28, 2026) |
| TXU Energy | Smart 1000 Saver 12 | 9.5¢/kWh | 12 months | $150 flat (EFL, Sep 1, 2026); 24-mo plans $295 |
| Reliant | Reliant Power Savings 12 | 12.9¢/kWh | 12 months | $150 (12-mo); $295 (24-mo) |
| Direct Energy | Live Brighter Lite 12 | 14.9¢/kWh | 12 months | $150 (12-mo); $295 (24-mo) — from a marketplace page, not the plan's own EFL |
| Green Mountain Energy | Pollution Free Conserve 12 Preferred | 18.3¢/kWh | 12 months | $150 (EFL, Sep 30, 2026); 24-mo $295; 36-mo $395 |
Source: Choose Energy, November 7, 2026, Houston ZIP 77003, 1,000 kWh (table timestamp 11/07/2026, 11:03 AM CST). Marketplace average on the same page: 9.77¢/kWh at 1,000 kWh. EIA Texas residential average: 15.9¢/kWh (Aug 2026 data). Cheapest Houston rate overall on the page was 6.9¢/kWh (APG&E SimpleSaver 9, 9 months). Prices change often — verify on the provider's site. Bill-credit plans only deliver the advertised rate when you hit the usage target.
Electricity — public ratings (only what we could verify)
| Provider | Google rating | BBB | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXU Energy | 4.7/5 (9,779 reviews, Feb 2026, via ComparePower; TXU's own site also says 4.7) | BBB Accredited, A+; customer rating 1.2/5 (~700 reviews) | NPS +67 on one 2TurnItOn page (+69 on another — pages disagree). |
| Reliant | 4.5/5 (2,500+ reviews, Feb 2026, via ComparePower; 2TurnItOn Nov 7, 2026: 4.5/5) | BBB.org current profile: Not accredited, Not Rated (older listings claim A+ — conflict, no single grade published) | NPS +52 on one 2TurnItOn page (+54 on another — pages disagree). |
| Direct Energy | 4.0–4.2/5 (sources disagree: ComparePower table 4.0 with 1,681 reviews; provider page 4.2) | BBB.org Houston profile: F (older listings show D+) | NPS +39 (2TurnItOn). |
| Green Mountain Energy | 3.9/5 (3,294 reviews, Feb 2026, via ComparePower) | BBB rating A+ (accreditation not confirmed from a BBB.org profile in this check); customer reviews 1.32/5 (41 reviews) | No NPS figure verified. |
| Rhythm Energy | 4.7/5 (5,430 reviews, Feb 2026, via ComparePower; other aggregators 4.7–4.8) | BBB.org: Not accredited, Not Rated | No NPS figure verified. |
Sources: ComparePower (Google-review aggregates, Feb 2026), 2TurnItOn (Nov 7, 2026), BBB.org profiles, This Old House (June 2025). A BBB letter grade is accreditation/complaint handling, not customer satisfaction — that is why customer-review scores are shown separately. J.D. Power does NOT rate Texas retail electric providers: its Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study covers regulated utilities only, and its 2026 results are not published yet (due Dec 2026). No J.D. Power score is claimed for any provider here.
Natural gas — one provider per area (no shopping)
| Provider | Service area | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Atmos Energy | North Texas: Dallas–Fort Worth (Mid-Tex division), Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland / Permian Basin, Panhandle (West Texas division) | Largest gas distributor in Texas. |
| CenterPoint Energy | East and South Texas, including Houston, Galveston, Beaumont, and the Texas Coast | Houston's gas utility. Typical residential price roughly $0.90–$1.20/therm; varies by season. |
| Texas Gas Service | Central and West Texas, including Austin (Travis, Williamson, Hays counties), El Paso, Rio Grande Valley, and Galveston / Beaumont–Port Arthur | Austin's gas utility. |
| CPS Energy | San Antonio and parts of 7 surrounding counties | Municipal utility — gas and electric together. |
Sources: quickelectricity.com Texas gas directory 2026; amigoenergy.com; Atmos Energy 10-K FY2025; CenterPoint tariff 2026; Texas Gas Service Central-Gulf tariff. Gas is regulated by area, so you cannot switch gas providers the way you can switch electric providers — but you can still compare your $/therm against the $1.38 statewide figure in our gas calculator.
Water — provider by city and real prices (6,000 gal, Oct 2026 posted rates)
| City | Provider | Water + sewer / month |
|---|---|---|
| Houston | Houston Public Works | $130.71 (water $55.31 + sewer $75.40) |
| Dallas | Dallas Water Utilities | $66.71 (water $24.23 + sewer $42.48) |
| Austin | Austin Water | $134.24 (water $46.30 + sewer $87.94) |
| San Antonio | SAWS (San Antonio Water System) | $63.28 total |
Texas median water + sewer is about $96/month at the same usage. Trash collection (about $23/month) is billed separately in most cities. Run your own numbers in the water calculator — change the city preset and the gallons.
Check current offers on the providers' own sites
- TXU Energy — txu.com — See the latest plans and any current promotions — offers change, so check the site rather than trusting a quoted end date.
- Reliant — reliant.com — Current plans and promotions.
- Direct Energy — directenergy.com — Current plans and promotions.
- Green Mountain Energy — greenmountainenergy.com — Current plans and promotions.
- Rhythm Energy — rhythmenergy.com — Current plans and promotions.
- Choose Energy — chooseenergy.com — Independent comparison site — the source of the starting rates on this page.
Promotions
No dated promotional offer with a stated end date could be verified for any provider on November 7, 2026, so no end date is listed anywhere on this page. The offers below are ongoing plan features found on the providers' own sites or their plan documents — all without a published end date. Promotions change weekly — use the official links above and read the plan's Electricity Facts Label before switching. A promotion that is not on the provider's own site today should not be trusted.
Rhythm Energy: $125/month usage credit at 1,000 kWh or more, $5/month AutoPay + paperless credit, up to $150 ETF reimbursement when switching from another provider, $100 referral bill credit. TXU Energy: bill credits built into plans (for example $50 at 800 kWh on Smart Edge, $100 at 1,000 kWh on Smart Break). Reliant: $100 bill credit on Secure Advantage 12; three $25 credits on Flextra Credits 12; $75/month credit at 1,000 kWh or more on Power Savings 12. Direct Energy: $50/month usage credit at 500 kWh or more on other 12-month plans. Green Mountain Energy: $25 one-time bill credit (Ready, Set, Relax — described as limited-time, no end date given); $50 bill credit for returning customers (Winback, code MTHFNS).
Frequently asked questions
Why is the cheapest electricity rate not always the cheapest bill?
Many low advertised rates are bill-credit plans: you only get the low rate if your monthly usage lands near a target, usually 1,000 or 2,000 kWh. Use much more or less and the effective rate jumps. A plain fixed-rate plan at 10.8–11.9¢/kWh often costs less overall.
Can I switch electricity providers any time?
In deregulated parts of Texas you can switch, but a fixed-rate plan may charge an early termination fee if you leave before the term ends. Check the fee in the plan's Electricity Facts Label first.
Why can't I choose my gas or water provider?
Gas and water are delivered by a single regulated or municipal utility per area. You can still lower the bill — use less, fix leaks, and check that your rate matches the posted city rate.
How often are these rates updated?
The rates on this page are a November 2026 snapshot. Electricity offers change weekly; water and sewer rates are usually set once a year by the city. Verify the current number on the provider's site before making a decision.