Who Is My Electricity Provider? A Guide for Regulated and Deregulated Areas

Moving into a new home or simply trying to get more control over your electricity bill can raise a basic question: who provides my electricity? In some U.S. states you have a single monopoly utility company and no choice over who you purchase electricity from. In other states the market has been restructured, allowing different companies to sell power and compete on price or features. Knowing which type of market you live in will determine how you find your provider and what options you have for lowering your costs.

To understand your options, you first need to know the difference between regulated and deregulated electricity markets:

• Regulated markets – Traditional electricity markets are “monopolies.” One utility company owns and operates everything from energy generation to the lines running into your home, and it sells power directly to customers. Rates are set by state public utility commissions and the utility must abide by those rates. Customers enjoy some price stability but have no choice in who they buy electricity from.
• Deregulated markets – In a deregulated market, the wires, and poles are controlled usually by one entity, but power generation and sales are opened to competition. Independent companies generate electricity and retail suppliers sell it to consumers. You still have a distribution utility that delivers the electricity, but you must choose a retail electricity provider (REP) for the supply portion of your bill. Competition often leads to different contract structures (fixed‑rate, time‑of‑use, renewable, etc.), and there are usually more options for renewable power.

Some states offer retail choice only for certain classes of customers or only for natural gas. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, as of September 2025 retail choice for electricity was available in the District of Columbia and 18 states:

1. California
2. Oregon (only commercial and industrial)
3. Texas
4. Michigan
5. Illinois
6. Ohio
7. Georgia
8. Virginia
9. Pennsylvania
10. Maryland
11. Delaware
12. New Jersey
13. New York
14. Connecticut
15. Massachusetts
16. New Hampshire
17. Rhode Island
18. Maine

In these markets the distribution utility still delivers the power and you cannot change it, but you can pick your supplier. In Texas, deregulation is widespread; about 85 to 90% of households live in areas where they must shop for an electric provider.

In a deregulated market there are two companies associated with your service:

• Utility company – Delivers power to your home, maintains the lines and handles outages. You are assigned to a utility based on your address and cannot change it. In Texas, for example, utilities such as Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas and TNMP manage the transmission and distribution network.
• Retail electricity provider (REP) – Sells electricity, manages customer service and bills. You must choose a REP to supply your power.

Because some ZIP codes are served by multiple utilities and dozens of retail suppliers, the easiest way to identify your electric company is to use a lookup tool:

1. Check Your Mail – If you receive paper bills, your electricity provider’s name is often hiding in plain sight. Gather any unopened mail and sift through each envelope. Utility or provider bills typically have the company’s name and logo on the outside or in the return address, so take a moment to inspect them carefully.
2. Check Your Email – Many utility or provider companies have shifted to paperless billing, so the name of your electricity provider might be sitting in your inbox. Use your email service’s search function to look for terms like “electric bill,” “energy statement,” or the word “electricity” along with your address.
3. Check Your Credit Card Statement – If you use automatic payments, your credit card or bank statements can help identify your electricity provider. Review your recent transactions, looking for recurring charges labeled with unfamiliar company names.
4. ESID lookup (Texas) – Each Texas meter has a unique Electricity Service Identifier (ESID). You can find yours in the Power Wizard ESID lookup tool. Enter your address to find your ESID, see which utility serves your home and call the utility and they will be able to give you the name of the provider.

In regulated states, you cannot choose your electric supplier. A single utility owns the infrastructure and sells power to all customers in its service territory. However, you may still need to identify which utility serves your address, especially if you’re new to the area. Here’s how:

1. Check your utility bill – The bill will clearly show the utility’s name and customer service phone number. If you have only one company listed for “electric supply charges,” you live in a regulated area.
2. Ask your landlord or real‑estate agent – When renting or buying a home, ask which utility serves the property and whether you have any choice in providers.
3. Search your state’s website or contact the public utility commission – Many states or city websites have an energy section or interactive map that lists utilities by address.
4. Search Online – You can use your favorite search engine to find who provides your electricity. For example, you can enter “electricity company + city and state ” or “utility company + city and state.”

Regardless of market structure, reading your electricity contract and monitoring your usage can save money. Fixed‑rate plans may automatically renew at higher prices if you miss the renewal date. Distribution fees (Transmission and Distribution Service Provider charges) are sometimes bundled with energy charges, making it hard to compare true costs. Knowing the name of your utility—Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas or TNMP in Texas—can help you verify the correct TDSP fees on your bill.

For regulated markets, contact your utility’s customer service to ask about rate options (such as budget billing or time‑of‑use programs) and energy efficiency incentives. In deregulated markets, shop around before your contract expires. Use an electricity comparison site like Power Wizard to enter your ZIP code to compare offers, and verify whether advertised prices include base charges, usage tiers or early‑termination fees.

Discovering who provides your electricity is the first step toward taking control of your power costs. In deregulated states like Texas, you must choose a retail electricity provider and can use an ESID lookup tool or ZIP‑code search to identify options. In regulated states, one utility serves your address; you can find it by checking your bill, asking your landlord or searching online. Once you know your provider, review your contract details, monitor your usage and compare plans regularly to ensure you’re getting the best value for your home or business.