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Why is my Houston electric bill so high?

Four causes to check first, where each one shows on your bill, and what you can change.

By Voltcheckr Research · Published Oct 5, 2026 · 6 min read

First find the kWh you used and the number of days the bill covers. If the kWh went up, more use or more days explain at least part of the jump. If the kWh barely moved but the total jumped, look at the price: an expired contract, a variable rate or a fee tied to usage.

In EIA's latest state estimate (2020), air conditioning takes 28% of a year's electricity in Texas homes, more than space heating or water heating, and 95% of Texas homes use it. Summer is when that load concentrates.^8,9

Houston's summers are long. At Houston Intercontinental Airport, NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals put the average daily high at 94.5°F in July and 94.9°F in August, with about 1,788 cooling degree days in June, July and August alone.¹¹

Your bill covers the days between two scheduled meter reads, not a calendar month. CenterPoint's tariff says a normal billing period typically runs 27 to 35 days, so a longer period can show more kWh even when your daily use did not change.^3,4

CenterPoint reads Houston home meters remotely, so most bills use an actual read. When one cannot be obtained, the bill can be based on estimated usage. It must say so, your provider must tell you why, and CenterPoint must true up estimated delivery invoices within 150 days.^1,3

If a fixed-rate contract ends and you do nothing, your provider moves you to a month-to-month plan whose price can change from one billing cycle to the next. You can cancel that plan at any time without a fee.²

Texas rules require at least three written notices near the end of the contract. For a contract longer than four months, the last one arrives at least 30 days before it expires.^2,6

Some plans charge a minimum usage fee when you use less than a set amount, and some give a credit when your usage reaches a set amount. So a month with lower or higher usage can move your bill by more than the energy rate alone suggests.⁷

Every plan's Electricity Facts Label lists the fees the provider may charge and shows the average price at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh a month. Compare those numbers with your own usage, and read the terms of any credit before you count on it.²

CenterPoint's delivery charges are set in its tariff under PUCT oversight, and several of them update on their own schedules during the year. Even a fixed-rate plan can pass through actual changes in delivery charges.^2,3,5

1. 1

   Put two bills side by side

   Compare the kWh used and the service period dates. That tells you whether usage, days or price moved.

2. 2

   Look for the word estimated

   It sits near the meter reads. If you see it, ask your provider why the read was estimated.

3. 3

   Find your expiration date

   On a fixed-rate plan it is in bold, underlined type on every bill. If it has passed, check whether your bill now shows a month-to-month price.

4. 4

   Open your plan's EFL

   Check the fees it lists and the average price at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh against your own usage.

5. 5

   See your 15-minute usage

   Register at SmartMeterTexas.com with your ESI ID, meter number and provider's name, usually printed on your bill. It shows your use in 15-minute intervals.

Billing questions go to your retail electric provider, which sends the bill. Call CenterPoint for outages and meter questions. If your provider does not resolve a complaint, the PUCT's Office of Consumer Assistance takes it at 1-888-782-8477.^13,14