Sharyland Utilities is not your distribution utility anymore.
Most articles still treat Sharyland as an active TDU for tens of thousands of Texas homes. That has not been true since 2019.
In 2017, Sharyland's parent and Oncor's then-owner agreed an asset exchange: Sharyland's residential distribution business (mainly the Rio Grande Valley and a slice of west Texas) went to Oncor, and Sharyland kept and gained selected high-voltage transmission lines. The PUCT approved it in 2018; the transfer closed during 2019.
Today, Sharyland Utilities operates a small portfolio of transmission lines, not retail distribution. If your bill used to say "Sharyland" for poles, wires and meter reading, it now says Oncor. Your retail electric provider, the company that actually sells you the energy, did not have to change.
How the Sharyland to Oncor swap actually works.
Three layers of your service, three different answers about who is on the hook today.
Distribution & billing
Now Oncor (since 2019)
Poles, wires, transformers, meter reading, outage response and the TDU charge on your bill all moved to Oncor when the transfer closed in 2019.
Transmission (residual)
Still Sharyland
Sharyland Utilities continues to own and operate a small portfolio of high-voltage transmission lines, mainly in west Texas. You do not call Sharyland for an outage at the house; that is a distribution issue and lives with Oncor.
Your REP contract
Unchanged
Your REP kept selling you the energy through the transition. Your contract terms, plan length and end date did not reset. Your TDU line item now points to Oncor's tariff, not Sharyland's.
Pre-transition vs post-transition contacts.
If you bookmarked a Sharyland number years ago, here is what it maps to today.
| If you need to | Before 2019 (Sharyland) | Today (Oncor) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report an outage | Sharyland outage line | 1-888-313-4747 · text OUT to 66267 | Use Oncor |
| Customer service / billing question on the TDU charge | Sharyland customer service | 1-888-313-6862 | Use Oncor |
| Move in or start service | Your REP | Your REP (unchanged) | No change |
| Question about an energy charge (¢/kWh) | Your REP | Your REP (unchanged) | No change |
| Downed power line / electrical emergency | 911 + Sharyland | 911 + Oncor | Use Oncor |
| Formal complaint about the wires utility | PUCT | PUCT (unchanged) | No change |
Phone numbers verified May 2026 from oncor.com. In Texas, the IOU wires company never sells you the energy directly: that is always the REP.
About 50,000 distribution meters moved from Sharyland to Oncor.
The 2017-2019 asset exchange transferred Sharyland's residential distribution customers, concentrated in the Rio Grande Valley and a small slice of west Texas, into Oncor's much larger footprint (roughly 7.5 million meters).
On the ERCOT grid, Oncor's TDSP tariff is typically lower per kWh than Sharyland's legacy rate was, although the fixed monthly customer charge is different. Some former Sharyland customers saw their TDU line drop modestly after the transition; others saw it stay similar because the fixed charge offset the kWh-rate change.
Your energy charge, the cents-per-kWh sold by your REP, was not affected. That part of the bill follows your contract, not the wires owner.
Sharyland distribution meters transferred to Oncor by 2019.
The 2017-2019 swap, plainly.
A regulator-approved trade between two Texas utilities, not a sale of one to the other.
2017 - the deal is announced
Sharyland's parent and Oncor's then-owner publicly agree to swap assets. Oncor would take Sharyland's residential distribution business; Sharyland would receive selected transmission assets.
2018 - PUCT approval
The PUCT reviewed the trade, ran a rate-impact analysis on the affected customers and approved the exchange. Texas requires this step for any change of control over a regulated TDU.
2019 - closing & cutover
Oncor took over distribution operations in the former Sharyland service areas. Outage response, meter reading, the TDU charge and field crews all became Oncor's.
Today - Sharyland operates transmission only
Sharyland Utilities continues to own and run a small portfolio of high-voltage transmission lines in Texas, mainly in the west. It no longer reads residential meters or sends a distribution bill to any household.
A regulated utility in Texas cannot quietly hand its customers to another company. Every step of an asset exchange is a public PUCT docket, with intervenors and a rate-impact filing.
How former Sharyland customers trip themselves up.
Five patterns we keep seeing on calls and on social media.
Reporting an outage in former Sharyland territory.
Outage response in Mission, Sharyland, Palmhurst and the Brady-area is now handled by Oncor's 24/7 dispatch. Phone the outage line, text the shortcode, or use the Oncor outage map online; all three feed the same crew dispatch system.
If you see a downed line, call 911 first, then Oncor. Do not approach the line. The full guide and live outage map are on the Oncor Electric Delivery page.
What to actually do today.
Confirm your TDU is Oncor
Look at the most recent bill. The "TDU delivery" line should list Oncor Electric Delivery, not Sharyland Utilities.
Update your REP records
If your REP still references Sharyland on a portal or autopay page, call them and ask them to update the TDU on file to Oncor.
Sign up for Oncor alerts
Text REG to 66267 to opt into MyOncor outage alerts for your address.
Payment assistance
If you struggle to pay, your REP works with state-funded programs like LIHEAP and CEAP.
Find or switch your REP
In ERCOT-deregulated Texas you can still pick any participating retail electric provider. The wires company (Oncor) does not change with your choice.
PUCT complaint if unresolved
If you have a billing or service issue Oncor or your REP cannot resolve, file with the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
Common questions about the Sharyland to Oncor transition.
No. Sharyland Utilities still exists as a Texas-regulated transmission utility. It owns and operates a small portfolio of high-voltage lines, mainly in west Texas. What it no longer does is residential distribution; that role was transferred to Oncor by 2019 after PUCT approval of an asset exchange in 2018.
If the reference is on a very old paper bill or in your retail electric provider's saved profile, it has not been updated. Look at the most recent monthly bill: the TDU delivery line should say Oncor Electric Delivery. If it does not, call your REP and ask them to correct the utility on file.
Oncor. The 24/7 outage line is 1-888-313-4747, you can also text OUT to 66267, or report online from the Oncor outage map. If you see a downed power line, call 911 first.
No. The 2017-2019 asset exchange only changed the wires utility, not the retailer. Your REP, your contract length, your rate and your end date all carried through the transition unchanged.
The TDU line item on your bill switched from Sharyland's tariff to Oncor's. Those two tariffs are different: typically Oncor's per-kWh delivery rate is lower than Sharyland's was, and the fixed monthly customer charge differs too. Your energy charge (¢/kWh from your REP) was not affected by the swap; that is the part of the bill your contract controls.
Yes. The former Sharyland service areas in the Rio Grande Valley and Brady are part of the deregulated ERCOT grid, so you can choose any participating retail electric provider. The wires utility (Oncor) is fixed by where you live; the REP is your choice.
More U.S. states with energy choice
Same playbook, different utility. Pick another deregulated state to compare utilities, suppliers and switching rules.
