Two rights named. Ten quietly missed.
Most "Texas consumer rights" articles list two or three rules in plain words: you can cancel within three days, your REP cannot disconnect without notice, slamming is illegal. Then they stop.
The real list is closer to twelve distinct rights spread across PUCT Substantive Rules 25.43, 25.474, 25.475, 25.478, 25.480, 25.483, 25.485, 25.497 and a federal FTC cooling-off rule for door-to-door sales. Each one has a specific trigger and a specific way to invoke it.
And almost nobody explains how to actually use them. Knowing the right exists is half. Knowing the phone number, the form name, and the exact words to use is the other half.
Your 4 most-used Texas rights.
If you only remember four, remember these. They cover the situations most Texas households actually run into.
Just signed
3-day rescission
Cancel a new REP contract within 3 federal business days of getting the Terms of Service. No fee.
PUCT Rule 25.475
Moving
Move-out ETF waiver
No ETF when you move to a new permanent address and provide proof. Saves $150 to $295 per move.
PUCT Rule 25.475
Cannot pay
Deferred Payment Plan
Spread an unpaid balance over at least 5 billing cycles if you cannot pay in full. Available to eligible residential customers.
PUCT Rule 25.480
Medical need
Critical-care designation
Households with a critical medical condition can register and gain protection from disconnection for 63 days per cycle.
PUCT Rule 25.497
All twelve TX rights, decoded.
The full PUCT list with the rule citation, the trigger, the action, and who to call. Bookmark this row in your bill folder.
| Right | PUCT rule | When to use | How to invoke | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-day rescission | 25.475 | You just signed a new REP contract | Written cancellation within 3 federal business days | Your REP. |
| Move-out ETF waiver | 25.475 | You move to a new permanent address | Email lease or closing doc plus forwarding address | Your REP. |
| Slamming protection | 25.474 | You were switched without consent | File PUCT complaint, demand switch back | PUCT 1-888-782-8477. |
| Cramming protection | 25.485 | Unauthorized charge on your bill | Dispute in writing, pay the rest, request refund | REP first, then PUCT. |
| 10-day disconnect notice | 25.483 | You owe money and are at risk | Verify written notice date, request DPP | Your REP. |
| Deferred Payment Plan | 25.480 | You cannot pay the full bill on time | Call REP, ask for DPP across at least 5 cycles | Your REP. |
| Critical-care designation | 25.497 | Household member has critical medical need | Doctor signs Critical Care form, submit to REP and TDU | REP and TDU. |
| EFL disclosure | 25.475 | Comparing plans on Power to Choose | Read the EFL before signing | powertochoose.org. |
| PUCT complaint process | 25.485 + 25.486 | Dispute with REP not resolved | File online at puc.texas.gov, 21-day REP response | PUCT 1-888-782-8477. |
| Door-to-door cooling-off | FTC 16 CFR 429 | Salesperson signed you up at your door | Cancel in writing within 3 business days | FTC and your REP. |
| Provider of Last Resort | 25.43 | Your REP closes or loses license | Stay on POLR while you shop a new plan | PUCT plus powertochoose.org. |
| Deposit limits | 25.478 | REP asks for an upfront deposit | Cannot exceed 1/5 of estimated annual bill | Your REP. |
Rule numbers refer to PUCT Substantive Rules, Chapter 25 Subchapter R. The full text is published at puc.texas.gov.
The ETF waiver alone can save you $295 per move.
Roughly one in five Texas households moves each year. If you are on a fixed-rate plan, the REP wants to charge you an ETF when you cancel. Industry-typical fees run $150 to $295.
Under PUCT Rule 25.475, that fee is waived when you can show a permanent move to a new address. Proof: a lease, a closing statement, or military orders.
Most Texans never ask. The REP rarely volunteers it. The savings sit in the rule, ready to claim, for anyone who writes one email.
ETF on a typical fixed-rate plan
How the PUCT actually enforces these rules.
The rules are not self-enforcing. Three different processes turn a complaint into a fix or a fine.
Informal complaint
You file online at puc.texas.gov or call 1-888-782-8477. The PUCT forwards it to the REP. The REP must investigate and respond within 21 days. Most cases end here, free of cost.
Formal complaint and hearing
If the informal route fails, you can file a formal complaint. It runs like a small trial: discovery, written testimony, sometimes oral hearing. Many filers use a lawyer at this stage.
Enforcement actions
Pattern violations trigger PUCT enforcement: administrative penalties, license suspension or revocation. Slamming and cramming have produced six-figure fines and forced REP exits in past years.
Federal overlay for door-to-door
When a salesperson signs you up at your door, the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR 429) also kicks in. It gives 3 business days to cancel any home-solicited sale over $25, on top of the PUCT 3-day rescission.
Each step keeps the next one cheap. Start informal, escalate only if needed.
Five mistakes Texans make about their rights.
The recurring patterns that cost real money. Each is fixable.
Signed up at your door? Federal FTC rule adds 3 more days.
If a salesperson at your door signs you up for an electricity plan over $25, the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR 429) requires the seller to give you a written notice of your right to cancel within 3 business days.
This stacks on top of the PUCT 3-day rescission. You also keep the right to dispute slamming if you never authorized the switch in the first place.
What to actually do.
Read your EFL today
Pull up your current plan's EFL on powertochoose.org. Find your average usage row.
File a PUCT complaint
Free online at puc.texas.gov. Takes ten minutes. The REP must respond within 21 days.
Register critical-care
If anyone in your home has a critical medical need, ask your REP for the Critical Care form. Submit before you ever need it.
Ask for a DPP
Cannot pay the full bill on time? Call your REP and request a DPP. It runs at least 5 cycles for eligible customers.
Invoke ETF waiver on moves
Email your REP your forwarding address plus lease or closing doc. Cite PUCT Rule 25.475 and request waiver in writing.
Report slamming or cramming
Unauthorized switch or unauthorized charge? PUCT enforces both with fines. Call 1-888-782-8477.
Common questions about Texas consumer rights.
Yes. Under PUCT Substantive Rule 25.475, you have 3 federal business days from the date you receive your Terms of Service to cancel a new REP contract with no penalty. Send the cancellation in writing (email is fine), keep proof of date, and call your REP to confirm receipt.
File online at puc.texas.gov or call 1-888-782-8477. The PUCT forwards your complaint to the REP, which must investigate and respond within 21 days. If unresolved, you can escalate to a formal complaint.
Slamming is when a REP switches your electricity service without your verifiable authorization. It is illegal under PUCT Rule 25.474. If it happens, call the PUCT at 1-888-782-8477, file a complaint, and contact the slamming REP to demand a switch back to your prior provider at no cost.
No. Under PUCT Rule 25.483, your REP must issue a written disconnect notice at least 10 days before cutoff for non-payment. Disconnection is also blocked during extreme weather, while a Deferred Payment Plan is active, or when a household member has a registered critical-care designation. Meter tampering or theft is the main no-notice exception.
An Early Termination Fee (ETF) is the penalty for cancelling a fixed-rate plan early. Typical Texas ETFs run $150 to $295. Under PUCT Rule 25.475 you can waive the ETF when you move to a new permanent address and provide proof (lease, closing statement, military orders). Email your REP with the proof attached before paying the final bill.
The PUCT automatically assigns your meter to a Provider of Last Resort (POLR) under Rule 25.43. Your electricity does not turn off. POLR rates are usually higher than market plans, so you should shop a new plan on powertochoose.org within the transition window the PUCT publishes for that exit.
More U.S. states with energy choice
Same playbook, different utility. Pick another deregulated state to compare utilities, suppliers and switching rules.
