Switching electricity in Texas without an outage
Switching electricity providers in Texas doesn't turn your power off. Same wires, same meter, same utility; only the company billing you changes. Check your current contract's end date and termination fee first, pick a new plan, and the new provider handles the switch. You'll get a final bill from the old one.
Power to Choose is the state's official, free plan-comparison site run by the PUCT. We don't get paid when you click.
What actually changes
The new provider signs you up and notifies the market. ERCOT describes the switch as a back-office process: a notice to you, a request to the delivery utility, and a meter read that becomes the last read for the old provider and the first read for the new one.
That description is in ERCOT's November 2025 retail market overview: https://www.ercot.com/files/docs/2025/11/17/ERCOT-Grid-Insights-Retail-Market.pdf
What to check first
Read the end date and the early termination fee on your current plan. If you leave early, that fee is whatever your contract says. We don't publish a standard amount.
Then compare plans at your usage and save the EFL and terms of service for the plan you pick.
Timing the rules actually state
PUCT rule 25.475 requires the terms of service to tell you, for a switch, that you can rescind without a fee within three federal business days after you receive the terms of service. The same rule says the terms must state in bold that establishing service with another provider may take up to seven business days: https://www.puc.texas.gov/agency/rulesnlaws/subrules/electric/25.475/25.475.pdf
Related pages
Questions
Will my lights go out when I switch?
No. The delivery utility stays the same. Switching changes who bills you for the energy, not who owns the wires.
Do I need to cancel my old provider?
For a standard switch, the new provider starts the process and the old provider is notified. You still get a final bill from the old one. Read your current terms if you are leaving before the contract ends.
Can I cancel a new plan?
For a switch request, PUCT rule 25.475 describes a right to rescind without a fee within three federal business days after you receive the terms of service: https://www.puc.texas.gov/agency/rulesnlaws/subrules/electric/25.475/25.475.pdf
How long does a switch take?
The terms of service must state that establishing service with another provider may take up to seven business days. That required wording is in PUCT rule 25.475: https://www.puc.texas.gov/agency/rulesnlaws/subrules/electric/25.475/25.475.pdf
Will I pay a fee to leave early?
Only if your current contract has an early termination fee and you leave before it ends. The amount is on your EFL and terms of service.
Power to Choose is the state's official, free plan-comparison site run by the PUCT. We don't get paid when you click.
Sources
- PUCT substantive rule 25.475, rescission and switch timingChecked October 12, 2026
- ERCOT retail market overview, November 2025Checked October 12, 2026
- Power to ChooseChecked October 12, 2026