Texas REPs and TDUs are heavily regulated, and most of those regulations are designed to protect the customer. The problem: most customers don’t know what those protections are until they need them. Here’s the short list of rights every Texas electricity customer has — and how to invoke them.
The right of rescission
If you signed up for a new electricity plan over the phone, online, or door-to-door, you have a 3-day right of rescission. You can cancel within 3 federal business days for any reason, with no penalty. The contract you signed must explain this; if it doesn’t, that’s a violation.
Door-to-door sales — the long-criticized "knock-and-flip" pitch — are still legal in Texas, but the rescission window is your protection. If you signed something on your porch, you have until the third business day to walk it back. Call the REP, ask for the cancellation department, and document the call.
Disconnect protections
You cannot be disconnected for non-payment without:
- A written disconnect notice mailed at least 10 days in advance.
- The disconnection happening on a non-prohibited day (cold weather, heat index, weekends, holidays excluded).
- The REP first attempting to enter into a deferred-payment plan if you’ve requested one.
If you’re a documented medical-needs household — meaning someone in the home depends on electrically-powered medical equipment — you can register as a "Critical Care" customer with your TDU under PUCT Substantive Rule §25.493. Critical Care status extends disconnect protections substantially and requires the REP to coordinate with the TDU before any service interruption.
Billing disputes
If you believe your bill is wrong:
- Contact your REP in writing (email is fine — keep the timestamp). Describe the dispute.
- Pay the undisputed portion of the bill. You cannot be disconnected for non-payment of a disputed amount while the dispute is being resolved.
- Your REP has 21 days to acknowledge the dispute and 30 days to resolve it.
- If the REP doesn’t resolve it satisfactorily, file with the PUCT.
Meter testing
If you suspect your meter is reading high, you can request a meter test. The TDU performs the test (your REP can’t — it’s the TDU’s meter). If the meter is reading more than 2% high, the test is free and you get a refund of the over-billed amount. If the meter is within tolerance, you may be charged a small fee (typically $20–60 depending on TDU).
Smart meters in Texas, deployed throughout 2009–2013, are accurate to better than 1% in nearly all conditions. Bill spikes are almost always caused by usage changes, plan structure (bill credits, tiered pricing), or rate changes — not meter errors. But the right to test exists, and it’s rarely used.
Language access
If your primary language is Spanish, you have the right to receive your YRAC, EFL, and key contract documents in Spanish. Most major REPs serve Spanish-language customers as a matter of course; smaller REPs are required to provide translation on request.
Identity protection
Slamming — switching a customer’s service without authorization — is illegal under PUCT rules. If your REP changes without your consent, contact the new REP, demand the switch be reversed, and report it to the PUCT. The original REP must be restored at the original rate, and the offending REP can be sanctioned.
The rules favor the customer in nearly every electricity dispute. The hard part is knowing the rules exist.
How to escalate
If your REP isn’t responsive, file a complaint with the PUCT’s customer protection division. The PUCT will assign a case number and require the REP to respond within 21 days. Most complaints resolve at this step. The complaint form lives at puc.texas.gov or call 1-888-782-8477.
What this means for you
Read the YRAC document your REP gave you when you signed up. Save it somewhere you can find it. The protections are real, but they only protect you if you know they exist when you need them. Pick a REP with a strong customer rating and the chance you’ll need to invoke any of this drops dramatically.