Help Paying Electric Bill in Texas: 2026 Programs, Rules
The main help paying your electric bill in Texas is CEAP, the Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program — Texas’s version of the federal LIHEAP program for low-income households. It’s run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) through local agencies covering all 254 counties, and a family of four qualifies with income up to $49,500 a year in 2026. To find your agency, call 2-1-1 (or 877-541-7905) or search “Electric Service Payment Assistance” at 211texas.org. It’s free: nobody can charge you to apply.
What CEAP is and who qualifies
Per the TDHCA, CEAP “is designed to assist low income households in meeting their immediate energy needs,” and it brings together all LIHEAP-funded programs in Texas. The money goes to local agencies, not to individuals: the TDHCA doesn’t take applications from the public, so you apply with the agency in your county.
The income limit is 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. CEAP income limits for program year 2026, effective January 26, 2026, per the TDHCA:
| People in household | Maximum annual income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $23,940 |
| 2 | $32,460 |
| 3 | $40,980 |
| 4 | $49,500 |
| 5 | $58,020 |
| 6 | $66,540 |
| 7 | $75,060 |
| 8 | $83,580 |
| Each additional person | +$8,520 |
Is there LIHEAP money right now?
Yes, but not all of it. HHS released $3.6 billion in LIHEAP funding for fiscal year 2027, which began October 1, 2026 — 90% of what the current continuing resolution allows, per the American Public Power Association (October 13, 2026). The other 10% is still pending.
Funding doesn’t mean there’s enough for everyone. The TDHCA warns that local providers “may be at capacity with their funds, and may not be able to assist all who call them.” If that happens, it advises checking with your city or county. Apply early.
How to get help paying your electric bill in Texas, step by step
- Call 2-1-1 (or 877-541-7905), or go to 211texas.org and search “Electric Service Payment Assistance.” You’ll get a list of organizations in your city or county.
- Call the agency and ask for an appointment. Lines are busy; keep trying.
- Have your papers ready. Agencies usually ask for your latest electric bill, any disconnection notice, proof of income for everyone in the home and a photo ID — confirm the exact list with your agency.
- If approved, the agency pays your electric company directly.
You can also check eligibility and find your state’s office with the federal LIHEAP search tool linked from USAGov.
Help from your electric company
Under PUCT rule §25.480, every retail electric provider in Texas must run a bill payment assistance program for residential customers, and when you say you can’t pay, it must tell you about “all applicable payment options and payment assistance programs.” Ask for it by name. One example:
- TXU Energy Aid. Funded by donations from employees, customers and the company, and handed out through local social service agencies; to get it, TXU says to call 2-1-1 and ask for electricity bill help. TXU also offers payment extensions (they can’t go past your next bill’s due date), deferred payment plans (call 800-242-9113), and says customers on SNAP or Medicaid are eligible to have late fees waived.
Other providers have their own programs and rules; call yours before the due date.
Payment plans: what Texas rules guarantee
Per PUCT rule §25.480:
- Due date. Your bill must give you at least 16 days after it’s issued to pay.
- Summer and winter deferred payment plans. For bills due in July, August or September — and in January or February after an extreme-weather emergency — your provider must offer a deferred plan if you say you can’t pay, unless you were disconnected in the past 12 months, had more than two bounced payments in that time, or have had service for under three months without enough credit or payment history.
- Terms. The first payment can’t be more than 50% of what you owe, and the rest is split into equal payments over at least five billing cycles (unless you agree to fewer). The provider can’t ask for an extra deposit.
- Average or level billing. If you’re not behind, your provider must offer a plan that evens out your bill across the year, settled at least every 12 months. It’s useful against summer A/C spikes.
When your power can’t be cut off in Texas
Per PUCT rule §25.483:
- Notice. A standard disconnection notice must give you at least 10 days.
- Heat or freeze. No disconnection for nonpayment in a county on a day when the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory there (that day or either of the two previous days), or when the previous day’s high didn’t exceed 32°F and it’s forecast to stay at or below freezing for 24 hours. Bills that come due during that emergency qualify for a deferred plan on request.
- Serious illness. If cutting your power would make someone at home seriously ill, their doctor (or nurse practitioner or other health official) must call your provider and send a written statement; that protects you for up to 63 days from the bill. Customers registered as critical care or chronic condition get at least 21 days’ notice.
- Weekends and holidays. Your provider can’t request a disconnection on a weekend, a holiday or the day before one, unless it has staff available to take payments and reconnect you.
Watch out for scams
LIHEAP and CEAP are free and paid through local agencies, never by text message or for a fee. The TDHCA’s fraud line is 1-800-892-8348.
Will Venezuelan oil lower electricity bills in Texas?
With the new U.S.-Venezuela oil contracts, many expect energy to get cheaper in Texas. For electricity, the direct effect is small: the Texas grid (ERCOT) got 43% of its power from natural gas and 36% from wind and solar from January to September 2025, per the EIA; oil is barely used to make electricity. Venezuelan crude does reach Texas Gulf Coast refineries, and through them gasoline, which hasn’t fallen yet either: will Venezuelan oil lower U.S. gas prices?.
What is still not known
- How much you’ll get. It depends on your income, household and how much money your local agency has left; the TDHCA doesn’t publish a fixed amount.
- Whether the last 10% of federal funds will arrive. It depends on Congress.
- Each provider’s own program terms. They vary; ask yours.
To lower the bill itself: cheapest electricity plans in Texas, no-deposit electricity in Texas and how many watts a 12,000 BTU air conditioner uses. In Spanish: ayuda para pagar la luz.