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CenterPoint Energy at a Glance
- For a Power Outage call 800-332-7143
- TDU serving Greater Houston
- Handles outages & grid maintenance
- Delivery charges are regulated by PUCT
- Does not sell electricity plans
How to Report a CenterPoint Energy Outage (Phone Numbers & Map)
If you live in CenterPoint Energy’s service area and your power goes out or you come across downed power lines, contact CenterPoint, not your Retail Energy Provider (REP). Your REP cannot dispatch crews or make grid repairs. Below is CenterPoint Energy’s contact information.
- To Report a Power Outage: Call 800-332-7143 Houston) for Houston and surrounding areas.
- Online Outage Map: Use the real-time Outage Map for restoration updates and estimated repair times.
- Downed Power Lines: Stay away and immediately call CenterPoint’s line at 713-207-2222 or 911.
- General Inquiries: Before You Dig: Call 811 to have underground power lines located and marked for safety.
What Is CenterPoint Energy, and What Does It Do in Texas?
CenterPoint Energy is the regulated Transmission and Distribution Utility, or TDU, that delivers electricity across much of the Greater Houston area. It operates under the oversight of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and works within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) electric grid. CenterPoint owns and maintains the physical grid, including high-voltage transmission lines, neighborhood distribution wires, substations, and smart meters that measure your usage.
CenterPoint’s predecessor served the Houston region since the late 1800s and was formerly known as Houston Lighting & Power before the market deregulated. Today, its role is strictly limited to delivery. It does not sell electricity, set your retail rate, or manage your contract. Those responsibilities belong to your Retail Electricity Provider (REP).
CenterPoint Energy Responsibilities: Delivery, Maintenance & Outage Response
CenterPoint Energy’s role is focused entirely on delivering electricity across its service territory. Its responsibilities are:
- Safe Power Delivery: Transfers electricity from generation sources through a complex network of high-voltage transmission lines and local distribution wires to end users.
- Grid Maintenance and Repair: Maintains and upgrades poles, wires, transformers, substations, and other equipment to support long-term system reliability.
- Emergency Response: Restores power after severe weather events and repairs damaged infrastructure across its territory.
- Infrastructure Innovation: Invests in advanced technologies, such as drone-based line inspections and smart-grid automation, to detect and isolate outages more efficiently.
- Sustainability Support: Connects growing amounts of renewable energy generation to the grid, helping facilitate Texas’ evolving energy mix.
CenterPoint Energy Service Area Map: Houston & Surrounding Cities
| Alvin | Atascocita | Bacliff | Banquete | Baytown |
| Beasley | Bellaire | Bellville | Boling | Brookshire |
| Channelview | Clute | Conroe | Crosby | Cypress |
| Damon | Danbury | Dayton | Deer Park | East Bernard |
| Friendswood | Freeport | Fresno | Fulshear | Galena Park |
| Galveston | Guy | Hempstead | Highlands | Hitchcock |
| Hockley | Houston | Huffman | Humble | Hungerford |
| Katy | Kemah | Kendleton | La Porte | Lake Jackson |
| Liverpool | Magnolia | Manvel | Missouri City | Montgomery |
| Needville | Orchard | Pasadena | Pearland | Pinehurst |
| Pledger | Porter | Richmond | Rosenberg | Rosharon |
| Santa Fe | San Leon | Seabrook | Sealy | Simonton |
| South Houston | Spring | Stafford | Sugar Land | Texas City |
| The Woodlands | Thompsons | Tomball | Waller | Wallis |
| Webster | Wharton |
Best Electricity Providers in the CenterPoint Energy Service Area
While you can’t choose your TDU, there are many REPs to choose from in the CenterPoint service area. We’ve outlined a few below, but you can enter your ZIP code into Power Wizard’s comparison tool to view what’s available to you.
| Plan Name | ¢/kWh | Est. Bill | Term | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APG&E - SimpleSaver 11 | 6.4¢ | $64.00 | 11 mos. | 4.8 |
| Companion Energy - Companion Savings + Benefits 12 | 6.5¢ | $65.00 | 12 mos. | 4.3 |
| Frontier Utilities - Frontier Saver Plus 12 | 6.5¢ | $65.00 | 12 mos. | 4.8 |
| Gexa Energy - Gexa Eco Saver Plus 12 | 6.5¢ | $65.00 | 12 mos. | 5 |
| 4Change Energy - Maxx Saver Value 12 | 6.5¢ | $65.00 | 12 mos. | 4.9 |
| Energy Texas - The Lone Saver Plus 12 | 6.6¢ | $66.00 | 12 mos. | 4.7 |
| Express Energy - Flash Value 12 | 6.8¢ | $68.00 | 12 mos. | 4.7 |
| Chariot Energy - GridPlus 12 | 6.9¢ | $69.00 | 12 mos. | 4.4 |
| Rhythm Energy - Rhythm Max Saver 24 | 7.4¢ | $74.00 | 24 mos. | 4.8 |
| Atlantex Power - Luminous 10 | 12.4¢ | $124.30 | 10 mos. | 3.8 |
Average Electricity Rate in the CenterPoint Area:
In the center point service area the average electricity rate hovers around 13.4¢.
TDSP Centerpoint
CenterPoint Energy Delivery Rates & TDU Charges
If you live in the Houston area or surrounding cities, your total electricity bill has two main components. One portion comes from your electricity provider for the energy supply itself. The other portion consists of regulated delivery charges from CenterPoint, the local TDU. These delivery fees are pass-through charges, meaning every provider in the CenterPoint service area must include them on your bill and cannot mark them up or discount them. You will see these listed clearly on your Electricity Facts Label (EFL).
TDU delivery fees include a monthly base charge that covers maintaining your connection to the grid and a per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) delivery charge based on the amount of electricity delivered to your home.
Current CenterPoint Energy TDU Delivery Rates August 2026
| Charge Type | Rate/Fee | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Base Charge | $4.90 | This is a combination of two charges: meter and customer charge.
Meter charge: Covers costs related to gathering usage data and testing, replacing, installing, or removing meters. Customer charge: Covers costs related to customer service activities. |
| Delivery Charge (per kWh) | $0.0515 | Delivering electricity over transmission and local distribution lines, including maintaining poles, wires, substations, and meters. |
When comparing plans, read the EFLs carefully to understand how the provider’s energy rate and CenterPoint’s delivery charges combine to determine your total effective price per kWh. Because one of these fees varies with your usage, it is helpful to use a kWh or electricity bill calculator to estimate your total monthly cost.
CenterPoint Energy FAQs: Billing, Switching & Service Questions
No. As a utility, CenterPoint does not sell energy plans; you must select a Retail Electric Provider (REP) for your energy supply.
CenterPoint does not charge a switching fee, but your current provider may charge an Early Termination Fee (ETF) unless you are moving or within the final 14 days of your contract.
The best time to shop for a new electricity rate in Texas is in the spring or fall when energy demand and prices are lower.
CenterPoint is investing in smart-grid technology, known as a self-healing grid, that senses local conditions and automatically reroutes power around faults to restore service faster.