No-Deposit Electricity in Houston
CenterPoint territory. Same-day connection available weekdays. Here's what Houston residents should look for in a no-deposit plan.
Houston-specific facts
Your transmission utility is CenterPoint Energy. They own the wires, poles, and meter. Whichever REP you sign up with, CenterPoint delivers the power and reads your meter.
Houston ZIP codes served by CenterPoint include everything in the 770-777 prefix range. AEP Texas serves portions of outlying areas (Galveston County, parts of Brazoria). Your ZIP determines which territory you're in.
Same-day electricity connection
CenterPoint can activate service same-day if the request is submitted before a weekday cutoff (typically 3:00-3:30 PM Central, varies slightly by REP). Weekends and holidays are next business day. If you're moving or your power got disconnected and you need it on today, check each REP's cutoff time — it's in the plan details.
No-deposit options in Houston
Three paths to avoid a deposit:
- Prepaid plans — no credit check, no deposit, pay as you go. Higher per-kWh rate than post-paid. See the prepaid guide for details.
- Post-paid with good credit — a standard 12-month fixed-rate plan with no deposit required if your credit score clears the REP's threshold (usually 600+).
- Letter of guarantee — some REPs will waive the deposit if a creditworthy co-signer guarantees the account.
What to watch for
Houston summer usage runs high. 1,800-2,500 kWh is typical for an average home during July-September — the humidity keeps AC running hard. That has two implications:
- Bill-credit plans can look attractive because you'll consistently hit the credit threshold in summer. But winter months drop to 700-900 kWh, when the credit disappears. Check the EFL at 1,000 kWh before signing.
- Minimum usage fees rarely hit in Houston because usage stays above the 1,000 kWh threshold most months. Still, check.
Hurricane preparedness note
Houston gets hurricane outages. Your REP doesn't restore power — CenterPoint does. Save CenterPoint's outage line in your phone: 1-800-332-7143. If you depend on medical equipment, register with CenterPoint as a Critical Care Residential Customer in advance (not after the storm).