Confirm whether the exact address has retail electricity choice and which company delivers the power.
Use prior monthly kWh as context, then adjust for the new Texas home and its seasonal cooling load.
The Census Bureau estimates about 28,200 people moved from New York to Texas in one year.
The biggest electricity difference
New York customers may buy supply from the local utility or an Energy Services Company. In competitive Texas areas, customers choose a retail electric provider while a TDU owns the local delivery network and handles outages.
What may feel familiar
Choosing an energy supplier while a local utility still delivers the power may already be familiar to New Yorkers who have reviewed ESCO offers.
What changes in Texas
Texas uses REPs and TDUs, not ESCO terminology. The plan contract and EFL deserve a fresh review, and municipal or cooperative areas may not participate in retail choice at all.
What New York movers are used to
New York opened its electric and natural-gas markets to competition in the 1990s. Eligible consumers can receive energy supply from the local utility or choose an Energy Services Company, commonly called an ESCO, while utility delivery charges remain separate from the supply portion.
That makes the basic Texas split easier to recognize. The important reset is terminology and documentation: Texas calls the seller a retail electric provider, the delivery company is generally called a TDU, and residential plans use an Electricity Facts Label with standardized price examples at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh.
Texas electricity in plain English
At a competitive Texas address, two companies have different jobs. The transmission and distribution utility (TDU) owns the local poles, wires, and meter and restores outages. The retail electric provider (REP) sells the plan, manages the contract, and sends or manages the bill. The address determines the TDU; the customer chooses the REP.
That model does not cover every Texas address. Municipally owned utilities and electric cooperatives can provide electricity directly without the same retail shopping process. Start with the exact service address instead of assuming that a city name or ZIP code guarantees choice.
Electricity setup before moving day
Confirm the delivery territory
Check an existing bill, ask the property manager, or start with the destination ZIP. Boundary addresses may need exact-address confirmation.
Review Texas delivery utilities →Compare complete plan costs
Use likely monthly usage and inspect the EFL for delivery charges, bill credits, fees, contract length, and renewal terms.
See the traps before choosing →Submit the enrollment
Select the requested start date and allow processing time. Short-notice availability and possible charges vary by provider and meter status.
Compare plans for my address →Verify service and save contacts
Keep the enrollment confirmation and EFL. Save the TDU outage number separately from the retail provider's billing contact.
Set a free renewal reminder →Start with the Texas destination
The destination matters more than the state you are leaving. These are useful starting points, but the exact service address remains the final authority.
Dallas & North Texas
Many competitive addresses use Oncor for delivery.
Compare Dallas plans →Understand Oncor →
Fort Worth
Many Fort Worth addresses also use Oncor, with retail plans filtered to that territory.
Compare Fort Worth plans →Houston area
CenterPoint serves much of greater Houston, with boundary exceptions.
Compare Houston plans →Understand CenterPoint →
Turn a winter-shaped history into a Texas estimate
A New York apartment using gas or district heat may show modest winter electricity use, while an all-electric Texas house can use much more during summer air-conditioning season. Conversely, a small efficient Texas apartment may remain below the 1,000 kWh benchmark printed most prominently in plan marketing.
Use New York bills to identify the household's appliance and behavior baseline, then rebuild the estimate around the Texas property. Compare a full seasonal year so a plan is not selected from one benchmark that the home only reaches for a few months.
Treat the Texas EFL as a new contract—not an ESCO renewal
Experience reviewing an ESCO offer is helpful, but Texas terminology and pricing rules are different. Check the EFL for the contract term, early-termination fee, base charge, bill credits, minimum-usage rules, renewable content, and prices at multiple usage levels. A familiar supplier name does not make a New York agreement portable to Texas.
Our comparison uses the plan's filed prices and models projected annual cost against the household's usage. Read how Texas delivery charges work and how we rank plans before relying on any recommendation—including ours.
Find plans for your Texas destination
Enter the destination ZIP code. If it crosses more than one utility territory, we'll explain what to confirm for the exact address before making a recommendation.
Free to use. No monthly management fee. Recommendations are based on plan structure and usage—not provider placement.
Finish the rest of the Texas move
Electricity is only the first address-dependent task. Use the Texas moving checklist to coordinate home services, address changes, vehicle registration within 30 days, and a Texas driver's license within 90 days. If an old electricity contract overlaps the move, review the Texas relocation and early-termination rule instead of assuming every cancellation fee is automatically waived.
Frequently asked questions
Is a New York ESCO the same as a Texas retail electric provider?
They both can sell energy supply in competitive markets, but they operate under different state rules, terminology, disclosures, and contracts. A New York ESCO agreement does not transfer to a Texas address.
Can I keep my New York electricity supplier after moving to Texas?
Generally no. The new Texas address determines the delivery territory and which Texas-certified retail plans are available. Enroll separately for the Texas home.
What is the Texas equivalent of the New York utility delivery charge?
The assigned Texas TDU charges for delivering electricity through local poles, wires, meters, and related infrastructure. The retail provider normally collects those regulated charges on the electricity bill.
Why might my Texas electricity usage be higher than in New York?
Summer air conditioning, a larger home, electric heating, pool equipment, and different insulation can change the load. New York bills are useful context, but the Texas property should drive the final estimate.
Does the Texas retail provider restore an outage?
No. In competitive Texas areas, the assigned TDU restores local outages. Keep the TDU's outage contact even though the retail provider manages the plan and account.
Official sources and further reading
- New York Department of Public Service: Energy Competition — explains local-utility supply and third-party Energy Services Company choice.
- U.S. Census Bureau state-to-state migration flows — source for the 2024 migration estimate shown above; ACS figures are estimates and include margins of error.
- Public Utility Commission of Texas Power to Choose user guide — the state's instructions for narrowing competitive electricity offers.
- I Moved to Texas data sources — how plan filings, delivery territories, and comparison inputs are handled on this site.
Other state-to-Texas guides
This guide explains general market differences; it does not determine service eligibility for a specific property. Confirm the delivery utility and final plan terms for the exact Texas address before enrollment.