Help with Utilities

Contact Your Provider: If you cannot pay your electricity contact your utility provider. While most providers have resumed shutoffs, many will work with you to set up a payment plan or find assistance. The sooner you contact your provider, the better.

Many cities and utility providers have also created programs to help with utility bills.

Go to Texas Utility Help for the statewide assistance program. You can also go to Help for Texans to search for local programs that can give emergency utility assistance. Select "Utility Bill Payment Help" and enter your city or county at the bottom of the page.

Most gas providers have programs to help you pay your bill:

• Atmos
• Centerpoint
• Coserv
• Texas Gas Service
• Texas-Kansas-Oklahoma Gas - Has paused shutoffs until further notice, but you should still contact them to help you stay current on bills.

The above list may be incomplete. Whether listed here or not, contact your gas provider to ask about programs to keep your gas connected.

Many internet providers have programs to help people suffering hardship due to COVID-19. Contact your provider to benefit from these programs.

For more help affording internet, see our Internet Access article.

For help finding free public internet access, see the Texas Free WiFi Map.

Many providers will help you work out a payment plan if you ask. Moreover, most private electric and water providers in Texas must let you defer your bills if there is a natural disaster declaration or a cold weather emergency.

A cold weather emergency occurs when the temperature is below 28 degrees or lower for two days. The emergency ends on the second business day that the temperature rises above 28 degrees. You have thirty days after the emergency to request a payment plan.

If you have complaints about your utility provider, call the Public Utility Commission of Texas at 888-782-8477, or email customer@puc.texas.gov. State that you are a disaster survivor in the subject line.

You can also apply for help paying your utility bill at:

• Texas Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP)
• Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

Or call 211 for more options.

Learn about internet assistance programs and affordable options.

Also see the Texas Free Wifi Map to see if there is free public WiFi in your area.

No. Talking to your company may help avoid late fees or lessen the amount you owe. However, even if your company has paused shutoffs or helped you with deferment, you must eventually pay your bills.

If you have complaints about your utility provider, call the Public Utility Commission of Texas at 888-782-8477, or email customer@puc.texas.gov. 

No, your landlord cannot shut off your utilities. This is true even if you are behind on rent.

For more information, see Utilities and Landlord/Tenant Issues.

Maybe. In addition to Texas Utility Help, the following programs exist to help people pay utilities

• Also:

  • Help for Texans (TDHCA)

  • Texas Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP)

  • Community Action Corp. of South Texas: Aransas, Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg, Nueces, Starr, Willacy, Bee, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, Kleberg, San Patricio, Webb, Zapata

  • Community Action Council of South Central Texas: Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, LaSalle, Live Oak, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde, Wilson, and Zavala

  • Community Action Committee of Victoria: Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca, Victoria

  • Greater East Texas Community Action Program: Nacogdoches, Angelina, Polk, Houston, San Jacinto, Trinity, Walker, Rusk, Cherokee, Smith, Wood, Gregg, Hardin, Liberty, Galveston, Jefferson, Orange, Chambers, Tyler, Newton, Jasper, San Augustine, Sabine, Shelby, Panola, Harrison, Anderson, Henderson, Kaufman, Van Zandt and Upshur
  • Call the 211 Texas information service to see if there are additional programs near you that can help with your utility bills.

This list is incomplete. You may want to call 211 Texas or check with your local government or utility provider to see if they have additional programs.

Electric providers can base your bill on estimated use. This provider should note this on your bill. Look at the PUC’s information page about charges on your electric bill. Ask your utility company to give you accurate billing information rather than estimated use.

If you are in a declared disaster area, fees for online payment or by phone are waived. If you usually pay by mail, check the USPS website for service disruption alerts and to see if your post office is open. Or, sign up for the USPS hold mail service. Contact the USPS at 1-800-275-8777.

Check the Texas Public Utility Commission’s outage map for your electricity provider. 

Note that the PUC does not have outage maps for phone service (including mobile), water, or natural gas. Contact your provider for information on these services.

Texas has a complicated patchwork of public and private utility sellers and resellers. If in doubt, contact your providers.

Be sure to write down the time you contacted the provider, the name of the person you talked to, and what was said.