Two companies, one bill
Texas runs a deregulated electricity market, and new arrivals routinely misunderstand what that means.
Oncor is the transmission and distribution utility. It owns the poles and wires, delivers power to your address, and bills the delivery charges. You do not choose Oncor — your address does.
The retail electric provider (REP) is the company you choose. It sets the energy rate and sends you the bill, which includes Oncor’s delivery charges passed through.
ERCOT operates the grid itself. The Public Utility Commission of Texas regulates the market and runs the Power to Choose comparison site.
What you need to start service
- The ESID for your unit — a unique meter identifier, available from the property or from Oncor
- Your move-in date
- Identification and, sometimes, a deposit depending on the provider’s terms
Set this up at least a few days before you take keys.
Read the EFL, not the banner
Every plan publishes an Electricity Facts Label showing the average price per kWh at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh of monthly usage.
That three-tier disclosure exists because many plans are built around a bill credit that triggers at one usage level. A plan advertised at a very low rate may deliver that rate only at 1,000 kWh, with the credit disappearing at 999.
A one-bedroom apartment in a mild month can use 400 to 600 kWh. At that tier, a plan advertised as cheap can be several times its headline rate.
| What to check | Why |
|---|---|
| Rate at 500 kWh | Your likely usage in a small apartment, mild season |
| Rate at 1,000 kWh | Common summer usage; also the usual advertised tier |
| Contract term | 12, 24, or 36 months; month-to-month costs more |
| Early termination fee | Matters if your lease is 12 months and the plan is 24 |
| Fixed or variable | Variable plans move with the market |
| Bill credit structure | The mechanism behind most misleading headline rates |
Match the plan term to the lease term
A 24-month electricity contract on a 12-month lease means either an early termination fee or transferring service to your next address. Some providers allow transfers; check before signing.
Timing the transfer
Service must start the day you take keys, not the day after.
Two dates can differ: the lease start date and the actual move-in date. Properties sometimes deliver the unit with power off. In a Dallas July, moving furniture into an apartment without air conditioning is a genuine problem rather than an inconvenience.
Set the connection date to the earlier of the two, and confirm it a few days out.
Also on the list
Bulk internet. Some newer buildings carry a mandatory building-wide internet contract. Signing your own on top is money spent twice. Ask before contracting anything.
Water, sewer, trash. Frequently billed through RUBS rather than metered, allocated across residents by a formula.
Renters insurance. Most Dallas leases require it, commonly $100,000 liability, with a Certificate of Insurance to the property before keys.
We do this for free
Provider comparison at your actual usage, transfer timing, bulk internet check, and insurance requirement — all part of the free move-in concierge, whether or not we found you the apartment.