CenterPoint Houston : About & Contact

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CenterPoint Energy (and Houston Electric T&D) is the TDU (Transmission & Distribution Utility) -aka the electric utility company- powering nearly 70 REPs to provide service to approximately 2.5 million customers on the Texas Gulf coast. In terms of electricity, to be more specific as to where on the Texas Gulf coast, the service area looks more like this:

• All of Harris County (Houston) and Fort Bend County,
• A majority of service area in:
  • Galveston County,
  • Brazoria County,
  • Wharton County, and
  • Austin County 
• Limited service area in:
  • Colorado County,
  • Matagorda County,
  • Waller County,
  • Montgomery County, and
  • Chambers County

Moving to the Houston area (including Pasadena, Pearland, Sugar Land, and The Woodlands) and need to start electricity service?

Although CenterPoint Energy is the main TDU in this area, TNMP is the other utility that serves communities just south of Houston (from League City, Texas City, and the Friendswood area to Angleton and surrounding communities). When in doubt, your best bet would be to contact either utility company to ensure you start out on the right foot setting up an electricity service for your new home. Start by calling CenterPoint Energy's customer service number listed below to find out whether they provide service to your address. If, by chance, CenterPoint doesn't cover your location, give TNMP's customer service line a call to confirm (or another utility until you can confirm which one covers your home).

• CenterPoint Energy's customer service: 800-427-7142
• Texas New Mexico Power's (TNMP) customer service: 888-866-7456
• Oncor Electric Delivery's customer service: 888-313-6862
• AEP Texas North's customer service: 877-373-4858
• Sharyland Utilities's customer service: 866-354-3335
• AEP Texas Central's customer service: 877-373-4858

Another easy method to understand which TDU produces your electricity is to reference the ESI ID / ESID on the electric meter for your new address. This number is anywhere between 17 and 22 digits long, but all we need are five of those (digits 3 to 7) to know which utiltiy company the meter belongs to. The first two digits will be a ´´10´´ followed by the five digit TDU identity code. [For example: ´´10number86034669210]

After finding out which utility company covers your area, the only other step is to decide which Retail Energy Provider (REP) to go with! Once decided, starting service is pretty straightforward. The Full List of Retail Electric Providers in Texas is a great place to begin. To open an account in your name you will simply need to call your favorite REP and provide:

• Your exact address (including your street address, unit number, city/town, and zip code)
• Your full name and contact information (phone number, email, address)
• The date you require service (in other words, the date you move in)

Many REPs require a security deposit to activate accounts for new customers, so you may also be asked for your Social Security Number (SSN) in order for the provider to perform a credit check.

Some of the most recognized electric providers in Texas include:

• Spark Energy
• TXU Energy
• Stream Energy
• Champion
• Constellation
• Bounce
• Reliant
• Cirro Energy

For info on issues relating to REPs like billing problems, documented cases of slamming/cramming, and service quality experienced by customers, the Public Utility Commission of Texas website maintains a fairly current listing of formal Complaint statistics for Energy providing companies. The list ranks from the highest number of complaints to lowest so maybe working from the bottom of the list to the top will be the most efficient way to go about finding your next provider.

Blackout and Customer Service contact info

Your local electric utility is responsible for responding to power outages or electricity-related emergencies. Contact them immediately if your power goes out unexpectedly, or if you witness a dangerous situation involving downed power lines or any potential hazard (such as branches touching power lines). In most cases, for all other concerns, including questions about your bill, payment, or any other issue, call their customer service number.

The closest cities

• West University Place 8.68 miles.
• Hilshire Village 9.49 miles.
• Southside Place 10 miles.
• Hunters Creek Village 10.25 miles.
• Spring Valley Village 10.92 miles.