Moving in Texas: How to Set Up Electricity

Same-day power is possible — if you do these four things before the move.

By ChooseMyPower Editorial 6 min read Updated May 2026

Same-day connection is available in most of Texas if you order before noon.
Smart meters mean no technician visit — activation is remote.
Avoid prepaid plans unless you have credit issues; the per-kWh rate is higher.
Move-in deposits can be waived with a Letter of Credit from your prior REP.

This guide walks through the core decisions and pitfalls for Texans shopping for electricity. Full article content is ported from the design prototype. For production, connect this to your CMS or Convex content collection.

Start 7 days before move-in

Detailed coverage of this section lives in the full guide content — see the HTML prototype for the complete article body.

Gather your ID + proof of address

Detailed coverage of this section lives in the full guide content — see the HTML prototype for the complete article body.

Pick a plan, not a provider

Detailed coverage of this section lives in the full guide content — see the HTML prototype for the complete article body.

Schedule activation (no meter visit required)

Detailed coverage of this section lives in the full guide content — see the HTML prototype for the complete article body.

“You're not picking a provider — you're picking a plan. The provider is just whoever sells that plan today.”

— ChooseMyPower Editorial, Editorial team

Choose My Power Pick

See your real bill at your usage

Compare live Texas electricity plans from every retail provider serving your meter. Sorted by true cost at your actual usage level — not the teaser rate.

Get Started

» MORE: How to choose a provider · Best plans for apartments

The Bottom Line

Same-day power is possible — if you do these four things before the move.

Compare plans now

Editorial Independence: ChooseMyPower is editorially independent. Our opinions are our own. We may earn a referral fee when you enroll through our partner ComparePower.com — this never influences our rankings or editorial content.

6 min read

Was this article helpful?

ChooseMyPower Editorial

Editorial team

Articles on ChooseMyPower are written and reviewed by the editorial team. Plan and rate data on every page is pulled from the live electricrates.org API on every build, so the numbers you see reflect the current Texas market.

View profile

Editorial Standards

How we research and review.

Independently researched. Every claim is verified against primary sources (PUCT, ERCOT, EFLs).
No paid placement. Rankings are never influenced by advertising or referral compensation.
Reviewed by ChooseMyPower Editorial. Plan data is pulled live from the electricrates.org API on every build and cross-checked against the EFL each REP publishes.

Read our full standards

Sources

PUCT — Customer Switching and Move-In Rules
Oncor / CenterPoint — Move-In Service Standards
ERCOT — Smart Meter Deployment Report

Sources are cited for informational purposes. Data may have been updated since publication.

Find your best plan

Put this knowledge to work. Compare electricity plans in your area and start saving.

Compare Plans

Frequently asked questions

Common questions related to moving.

Where do you get your data? +

We source plan and rate data from public REP filings, the Electricity Facts Label (EFL) every plan must publish, and the live ComparePower.com database. Updates flow daily.

Are recommendations independent? +

Yes. ChooseMyPower's rankings and recommendations are made independently from any compensation we may receive when you enroll through our partner.

How often is this guide updated? +

We revisit guides on a quarterly basis at minimum, and immediately when material market or regulatory changes happen.

Moving in Texas: How to Set Up Electricity

Key Takeaways

Start 7 days before move-in

Gather your ID + proof of address

Pick a plan, not a provider

Schedule activation (no meter visit required)

See your real bill at your usage

The Bottom Line

ChooseMyPower Editorial

How we research and review.

Sources

Find your best plan

Frequently asked questions

Ready to lock in a plan?