Houston Utilities Guide: Electricity, Water, Trash, Gas and Internet

Setting up utilities in Houston works a little differently than in most American cities. Your water and trash usually come from the City of Houston, your natural gas comes from the gas utility for your address, and your electricity is something you shop for: you pick a retail electric provider and a plan from dozens of competing offers.

Here's the one-line version: in Houston you shop for your electricity, but the wires, the meter and the outage crews stay the same no matter who you pick.

This guide walks through every utility you'll need to set up when you move to Houston, in the order you'll need them, with the official places to do it. It covers deregulated electricity, water and sewer, trash and recycling, natural gas, internet, and how to prepare for outages and hurricane season. If you're still deciding where to live, start with our moving to Houston guide and Houston neighborhoods guide.

Houston utilities at a glance

• Electricity: you choose a retail electric provider (REP). CenterPoint Energy owns the poles and wires and handles outages in most of the Houston area.
• Water and sewer: the City of Houston inside city limits. Many suburbs get water from their own city or a municipal utility district (MUD).
• Trash and recycling: City of Houston curbside collection for single-family homes and small multi-unit properties. Most apartment complexes use a private hauler.
• Natural gas: start service directly with the gas utility for your address, which in much of Houston is CenterPoint Energy.
• Internet: private providers. Check what's available at your exact address.

Six things newcomers wish they'd known

• You call CenterPoint, not your provider, when the power goes out. Your retail provider sends the bill; the wires company fixes the lines.
• Switching providers needs no phone call to your old one. Sign up with the new provider and ERCOT mails you a confirmation; there's no gap in service.
• You have three business days to back out of a new electricity contract after you receive the Terms of Service.
• If you're 65 or older and not behind on an electric bill, PUC rules say you qualify for a deposit waiver. Many people never ask.
• Some cheap-looking plans charge you for using too little. Minimum-usage fees, often below 500 or 1,000 kWh a month, hide in the Electricity Facts Label.
• Houston was the first major U.S. city to use in-ground automated water meter reading, according to Houston Public Works.

Electricity in Houston: how deregulation works

In 1999, the Texas Legislature passed a law that lets customers in most parts of Texas choose their own electric company. Houston is in that competitive market, which is part of the ERCOT grid. Under this system there are two companies involved in your power, and it helps to know which does what.

• The retail electric provider (REP) sells you electricity. You sign up with them, they bill you, and you call them with billing questions.
• The wires company, officially the transmission and distribution utility (TDU), delivers the power. For most of the Houston area that's CenterPoint Energy. It reads your meter, maintains the poles and wires, and restores power after outages, no matter which REP you choose.

Not everyone in the region has a choice. Some communities are served by a city-owned utility, an electric cooperative or another utility that isn't open to competition. Enter your ZIP code at Power to Choose; if no plans appear, your address may not be in a competitive area, and you'll sign up with the local utility instead.

How to choose an electric plan

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) runs Power to Choose, the state's official, unbiased electricity shopping site. Any provider can list its plans there for free, and the PUC does not recommend a particular company or plan. That's the place to start.

1. Enter your ZIP code on Power to Choose. If more than one wires company serves that ZIP, pick the one for your address.
2. Estimate your usage. Prices are shown at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh per month. Your old bills or your landlord can tell you what's typical for your home.
3. Compare plan types (below), then open the Electricity Facts Label for every plan on your short list.
4. Sign up with the provider. You don't need to call your old provider if you're switching; ERCOT confirms the switch by mail, and the change happens with no gap in service.

Plan types: fixed, variable and indexed

• Fixed-rate: your price per kWh stays the same for the contract term, with narrow exceptions such as changes to delivery charges or fees set by law or regulators. Most fixed plans have a contract length and an early termination fee.
• Variable-rate: no contract or cancellation fee, but the price per kWh can change month to month at the provider's discretion. You benefit if market prices fall and take the risk if they spike, for example during extreme heat or cold.
• Indexed (market-rate): like variable, the price can move each month, but it follows a formula tied to a publicly available index.
• Prepaid: pay as you go, with usage tracked through your smart meter.
• Time-of-use: cheaper or free power during set hours, such as nights or weekends.

Read the fine print: EFL, TOS and YRAC

Every plan comes with three documents. Read them before you sign.

• Electricity Facts Label (EFL): a standardized sheet with the plan's pricing, fees, contract term and renewable content, so you can compare offers apples to apples. Look for minimum-usage fees, which some plans charge if you use less than a set amount (often 500 or 1,000 kWh) in a month, and bill credits that only apply at certain usage levels.
• Terms of Service (TOS): your contract, including the early termination fee and what happens at renewal.
• Your Rights as a Customer (YRAC): your protections under PUC rules.

You can cancel a new contract within three business days of receiving your Terms of Service. When a fixed contract is nearing its end, your provider must send an expiration notice; if you don't renew or switch, you'll typically roll onto a month-to-month variable plan, so set a calendar reminder.

Deposits

A provider may ask new customers for a deposit, especially without an established credit or payment history. Under PUC rules, the total deposit can't exceed the greater of one-fifth of your estimated annual bill or the estimated bills for the next two months. Residential customers can pay a deposit over $50 in two equal installments.

You may be able to avoid a deposit entirely. PUC rules let providers accept proof of good payment history or credit, and customers 65 or older who aren't currently behind on an electric bill qualify for a waiver, as do customers determined to be victims of family violence. Ask about these before you pay.

Problems and complaints

Take billing questions and disputes to your provider first. If you can't resolve them, the PUC's customer hotline is 1-888-782-8477 (1-888-PUC-TIPS), and the PUC consumer help pages explain how to file a complaint. Switching you without permission (slamming) and adding unauthorized charges (cramming) are illegal in Texas.

Water and sewer

If you live inside Houston city limits, water and wastewater service comes from the City of Houston, through Houston Public Works. Residential customers can start or transfer service online through the Houston Public Works utility billing page. Customer service is at 713-371-1400, typically 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays. Your trash fees are billed on the same City utility bill.

The City's online calculator estimates monthly water and sewer charges for a typical single-family home, and the W.A.T.E.R. Fund helps seniors, low-income and disabled residents who need help paying their water bill.

Outside city limits, water usually comes from your suburb's city utility or a municipal utility district (MUD). Your title company, builder, landlord or HOA can tell you which one serves your address. Our suburb guides, such as living in Katy and living in Cypress, cover each area.

Trash, recycling and heavy trash

The City of Houston's Solid Waste Management Department collects curbside garbage, recycling, yard waste, and bulk and tree waste for single-family homes and small multi-unit properties, including duplexes, townhomes, condominiums and apartment buildings with eight or fewer units. Larger apartment complexes and businesses typically use private haulers, so ask your property manager.

To find your collection days, search your address with the City's Find Your Schedule tool or the HTX Collects app on the Solid Waste Management site. City collection fees, including a monthly cart and administrative charge, appear on your City utility bill. For missed pickups, broken carts or questions, call 3-1-1 (713-837-0311) or submit a 311 request online.

Natural gas

Many Houston homes use natural gas for heating, water heaters or stoves. Unlike electricity, you don't shop for residential gas on Power to Choose; you start service directly with the gas utility that serves your address, which across much of Houston is CenterPoint Energy.

CenterPoint asks new customers for their name, address, move-in date and a payment method for an initial deposit, and suggests requesting service about seven business days before you move in. Because a technician may need to relight pilots and check for leaks when gas is turned on, an adult has to be home for some service visits.

If you smell gas, leave right away and call 911, then report it to the gas company from a safe distance.

Internet

Internet is fully private in Houston, and what you can get varies from one street to the next. Before you sign a lease or close on a house, look up your exact address on the FCC's National Broadband Map, which shows which providers report service there and at what speeds. Then confirm availability, pricing and installation dates directly with the providers.

Power outages and hurricane season

Houston's storm season is the real test of your setup. Do this now, while the weather is calm:

• Know who to call. For an outage, call the wires company, not your retail provider. CenterPoint's outage line is 713-207-2222, and its outage tracker and Action Center shows outages and estimated restoration times.
• Sign up for alerts. CenterPoint's free Power Alert Service sends outage and restoration updates for your address, and ERCOT's TXANS alerts warn of grid conditions statewide.
• Stay away from downed lines. CenterPoint advises staying at least 35 feet away and calling 713-207-2222.
• Register medical needs. If someone in your home depends on electric-powered medical equipment, ask your provider for the PUC's application for chronic condition or critical care status. It doesn't guarantee uninterrupted power, so still have a backup plan.
• Plan for food and water. Our guide to keeping food safe during power outages covers what to keep and what to toss.

For the full storm checklist, read our Houston hurricane preparation guide, check your address on the Houston flood zones map, and know your evacuation routes.

Save this: your Houston utilities checklist

1. Two to three weeks before you move, check whether your new address has electric choice, then compare plans on Power to Choose.
2. Read the EFL and Terms of Service, ask about deposit waivers, and set your electric start date.
3. Start or transfer water service with the City of Houston, or with your MUD or suburban city.
4. Request gas service about a week ahead, if your home has gas.
5. Look up internet providers at your address and book installation early.
6. Find your trash and recycling days and sign up for outage alerts.

For budgeting the rest of your move, see our cost of living in Houston breakdown, and browse more relocation guides on our living in Houston hub.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the electric company in Houston?

You choose a retail electric provider, which sells you power and sends your bill. In most of the Houston area, CenterPoint Energy is the wires company that delivers the power, reads meters and restores outages, whichever provider you choose.

How do I choose an electricity plan in Houston?

Use Power to Choose, the Public Utility Commission of Texas's official shopping site. Enter your ZIP code, compare fixed, variable and indexed plans at your usual monthly usage, and read each plan's Electricity Facts Label before signing.

Who do I call when the power goes out in Houston?

Call the wires company, not your retail provider. In CenterPoint's service area, report outages at 713-207-2222 or online, and check its outage tracker for restoration estimates.

Do I have to pay a deposit for electricity in Texas?

A provider may ask for one, but PUC rules cap it and let you pay deposits over $50 in two installments. Customers 65 or older who aren't behind on an electric bill qualify for a waiver, and good payment history or credit can also avoid one.

How do I set up water service in Houston?

Inside city limits, start or transfer water service online through Houston Public Works utility billing, or call 713-371-1400 on weekdays. Outside the city, water usually comes from your suburb's city utility or a municipal utility district.

How do I find my trash pickup day in Houston?

Search your address with the City of Houston's Find Your Schedule tool or the HTX Collects app, or call 311. Most large apartment complexes use private haulers instead of City collection.