"Call AEP Texas to turn on power" is bad advice in deregulated Texas.
Old moving guides tell you to call the local utility, give your address, and schedule a turn-on. That advice is correct in regulated states like Florida or Georgia. It is wrong in Texas.
In Texas, retail electric service was deregulated in 2002. The wires utility (in your case AEP Texas) is no longer allowed to sell you electricity. AEP just owns the poles and the meter. You must pick a separate company, a Retail Electric Provider, to actually sell you the kWh.
Calling AEP first costs you time: they will tell you to pick a REP and call back. The right first move is to open Power to Choose, the PUCT shopping site, and compare REPs serving your ZIP code.
Three things you do, in order.
Setting up Texas electric service is a 3-step workflow. Done in order, it takes about 30 minutes plus 5 to 7 days for AEP to finish the connection.
Step 1
Find your ESI ID
The 17-digit ESI ID maps your address to its AEP meter. Ask the landlord, previous tenant, or check the AEP Texas site by address.
Step 2
Shop on Power to Choose
Power to Choose is the official PUCT site. Enter your ZIP, sort by total dollars at your expected kWh, read each EFL before signing.
Step 3
The REP calls AEP for you
Once you sign, the REP sends an enrollment order to AEP Texas through ERCOT MarkeTrak. AEP physically enables the meter; the REP starts billing.
If the previous tenant kept power active until your move-in date, your REP can sometimes activate same-day; if the meter was disconnected, plan on 1 to 5 business days.
Each step, decoded.
Who handles what, where to do it, and how long it takes. Skip a step and you waste a week.
| Step | Who handles it | Where | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look up ESI ID | You + landlord / AEP lookup | AEP Texas address search | Under 5 minutes |
| Compare REP plans | You | powertochoose.org | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Sign up with the REP | REP (your chosen one) | REP website or phone | 10 minutes |
| REP files enrollment | REP via ERCOT MarkeTrak | Behind the scenes | Same day |
| AEP enables service | AEP Texas field crew or smart meter | At your meter | 1 to 5 business days |
| First bill | REP (not AEP) | Email or mail | ~30 days after start |
AEP only does the physical connection. AEP never sets your rate, never sends your bill, and never decides which plan you are on.
Many movers pick the first plan they see. They overpay by hundreds.
Power to Choose lets you sort by lowest price at 500, 1,000 or 2,000 kWh. Most movers sort by the 1,000 kWh column even though their actual usage is closer to 1,500 or 2,000 kWh.
That mismatch matters. Many TX plans have usage tiers or bill credits that only kick in at specific kWh bands. A plan that looks cheap at 1,000 kWh can be the most expensive choice at 1,800 kWh.
Estimate your real usage before you sort. The average AEP Texas residential customer uses about 1,176 kWh/month, but a 3-bedroom home with central AC in Corpus Christi or Laredo in summer can hit 2,000+ kWh.
overpaid by sorting at the wrong kWh band
What happens after you click "sign up".
You sign with the REP. From there, four invisible steps unfold before your meter goes live.
REP enrolls you in its system
The REP records your name, address, ESI ID, plan choice and move-in date. It runs a soft credit check; on high-risk profiles it may require a deposit.
REP files a move-in request with AEP
Through ERCOT MarkeTrak, the REP sends AEP an "001" move-in transaction tagged to your ESI ID and your chosen start date.
AEP physically enables service
If you have a smart meter (most AEP Texas customers do), AEP turns service on remotely. If not, a field tech is dispatched, usually within 1 to 5 business days.
REP starts billing you
Your first bill arrives about 30 days after activation. It includes the REP's supply charge, the AEP TDU delivery charges (passed through), state and local taxes.
All four steps happen because the REP, not you, drives them. You never have to call AEP. If something stalls, you call the REP, and the REP works MarkeTrak with AEP.
5 mistakes new AEP Texas residents make.
Each costs real money or real days without power. Each is avoidable.
Power out? Call AEP, not your REP.
For outages and downed lines the rule flips. AEP owns the wires, so AEP fixes physical problems. Hurricane season in south Texas peaks August to October; tornado risk in west TX peaks April to June.
Register your phone with AEP outage alerts as soon as your service is active. You will get SMS updates when storms knock out your meter.
Six concrete things to do this week.
Find your ESI ID
Ask the landlord or look up the address on the AEP Texas site. The 17-digit number is the only address-to-meter link your REP needs.
Shop Power to Choose
Open powertochoose.org, enter your ZIP, sort by total dollars at your expected kWh, not the default.
Sign with the REP
Read the EFL, set your move-in date, give the REP your ESI ID. The REP handles AEP for you.
Schedule 5 to 7 days ahead
Same-day works only if power is already active. Otherwise allow up to 5 business days for AEP to enable the meter.
Register for AEP outage alerts
As soon as service is on, add your phone to AEP outage SMS alerts at aeptexas.com. Free, no marketing.
Apply for assistance if needed
Texas runs LIHEAP as CEAP via TDHCA. It pays bills and deposits for eligible households.
Common questions about moving in to AEP Texas territory.
Texas deregulated retail electricity in 2002. By law, AEP can only own and operate the wires; it cannot sell electricity to residential customers. You must pick a Retail Electric Provider (REP), and the REP coordinates with AEP on your behalf. Calling AEP first just routes you back to Power to Choose.
That arrangement is usually a short-term landlord plan, often at higher rates. You should still pick your own REP and switch the account into your name before the lease starts. The landlord can keep service on through the transition; the REP handles the swap with AEP through ERCOT MarkeTrak.
If the meter is still active from the previous tenant, many REPs can do same-day or next-day move-in (sometimes with a rush fee). If the meter is disconnected, AEP needs 1 to 5 business days to dispatch a tech or, on a smart meter, enable remotely. Plan on 5 to 7 days of lead time to be safe.
The Electric Service Identifier is a 17-digit unique ID that links a physical meter to the AEP Texas record. Ask the landlord, the previous tenant, or look it up by address on the AEP Texas site. Your REP will ask for it before signing you up. The wrong ESI ID routes your enrollment to the wrong meter.
Yes. Per Federal Trade Commission and PUCT rules, you have 3 business days to cancel any new TX retail electric contract without an early termination fee. After that, fixed-rate plans usually carry an early termination fee shown on the EFL; month-to-month variable plans can be cancelled any time.
Your REP collects the AEP delivery charges and passes them through. The REP shows them on its bill as a separate line (often labelled 'TDU Delivery'). The REP keeps the supply portion; AEP gets the delivery portion. You only ever pay one bill, from the REP.
More U.S. states with energy choice
Same playbook, different utility. Pick another deregulated state to compare utilities, suppliers and switching rules.
