Picking an electricity plan in Dallas (and why Austin is different)

Question, scoped You are moving into a Dallas apartment and must choose an electricity provider. How do you avoid a bad plan? As of October 2026. The answer Most of the Dallas area is in Texas's deregulated electricity market. The wires are run by the transmission and distribution utility (Oncor, across most of Dallas–Fort Worth), and you choose a retail electric provider to sell you power. The state's official comparison site, run by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, is https://www.powertochoose.org. How to read the offers: - Every plan has an Electricity Facts Label (EFL). It shows the average price per kWh at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh a month. Look at the figure nearest your actual usage, not the headline rate. - Watch for bill credits that apply only within a narrow usage band (for example, exactly 1,000 to 1,100 kWh). Use slightly less or more and the effective price jumps. - Minimum-usage fees penalise small apartments. - Fixed-rate plans lock the energy charge for the term; variable plans can change monthly. In a summer price spike, a variable plan can be very expensive. - Check the early-termination fee and the contract end date, and put the end date in your calendar. The exception Austin is not part of the deregulated market. Austin Energy is the city-owned utility and you cannot choose a different provider there. The same is true in other areas with municipal utilities or electric cooperatives. Sourced Public Utility Commission of Texas; powertochoose.org; the EFL of each plan. What would change this answer Changes in state law, or a city or cooperative voting to join the competitive market.