TDU vs REP: who delivers and who sells your electricity
In some states two companies send you power. A wires company delivers it and a supplier sells it. You can switch the supplier. You cannot switch the wires.
Who is who
The TDU (transmission and distribution utility) owns the poles, wires and meters in its area. It fixes outages, reads the meter and sets a delivery charge approved by the state. Your address decides which TDU you have. Texas uses this name; elsewhere the same company is called the distribution utility or the wires company.
The REP (retail electric provider) sells the energy and sends the bill, in Texas. EIA calls it an energy service provider or power marketer. In EIA-861 a REP reports under Part D in Texas; suppliers in other states typically report under Part B (energy-only service), and the wires company reports under Part C (delivery-only service).
The default utility is the old, regulated company. In states with choice it often still serves customers who never picked a supplier.
Where supplier service is used
In the EIA-861 2024 file, 15 states and DC have 1% or more of home accounts served by a supplier. Ohio is highest at 58.0%, then Massachusetts at 55.9% and Texas at 55.7%.
The count is accounts that utilities and suppliers reported. It is not a legal list of choice states. A state can allow choice on paper and show few accounts here, and California's number can include community choice programs, which the file does not separate out.
United States, Share of home accounts served by a competing supplier, 2024: EIA-861 2024, Sales_Ult_Cust.
CSV| State | Home accounts | Served by a supplier | Suppliers reporting | Price 2025, cents per kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 5,142,108 | 58.0% | 70 | 16.96 |
| Massachusetts | 2,924,535 | 55.9% | 37 | 30.48 |
| Texas | 12,547,863 | 55.7% | 58 | 15.47 |
| California | 14,217,180 | 39.5% | 28 | 32.54 |
| New Hampshire | 652,608 | 34.6% | 14 | 24.56 |
| Rhode Island | 457,383 | 26.0% | 14 | 29.46 |
| Illinois | 5,392,477 | 25.0% | 60 | 17.69 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,534,580 | 23.2% | 83 | 19.30 |
| Connecticut | 1,552,746 | 19.7% | 10 | 29.38 |
| Maryland | 2,451,753 | 11.8% | 56 | 19.48 |
| District of Columbia | 318,780 | 10.3% | 31 | 21.94 |
| Maine | 742,549 | 8.9% | 13 | 27.78 |
| New York | 7,420,214 | 8.7% | 57 | 26.39 |
| Delaware | 473,508 | 5.7% | 28 | 17.13 |
| New Jersey | 3,735,638 | 5.4% | 63 | 22.63 |
Source: EIA-861 2024, Sales_Ult_Cust, Parts A, B and D (home accounts = A + B + D). Retrieved 2026-10-02. CSV, 51 rows.
Texas: 6 wires companies, 58 suppliers
Texas shows 6 delivery-only companies with home accounts, 7,227,799 accounts in total. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest with 3,477,215. Their delivery revenue per kWh runs from 4.93 to 6.33 cents. Against the 2024 Texas average price of 14.94 cents that is roughly a third of the price, and it is the same whichever supplier you pick.
| Wires company (TDU) | Owner | Home accounts | Delivery revenue, cents per kWh | Share of the 2024 Texas average price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC | Investor Owned | 3,477,215 | 5.19 | 35% |
| CenterPoint Energy | Investor Owned | 2,485,470 | 4.93 | 33% |
| AEP Texas Central Company | Investor Owned | 784,148 | 5.75 | 38% |
| Texas-New Mexico Power Co | Investor Owned | 233,056 | 6.33 | 42% |
| AEP Texas North Company | Investor Owned | 157,455 | 5.44 | 36% |
| City of Lubbock | Municipal | 90,455 | 6.07 | 41% |
Source: EIA-861 2024, Delivery_Companies (delivery revenue and all other charges divided by kWh delivered); average price from EIA retail sales, Texas 2024 = 14.94 cents. Retrieved 2026-10-02. CSV, 7 rows.
The supplier side is wide: 58 companies report home accounts under Part D, 6,992,178 accounts in all. The five largest are below. The totals do not match the TDU table exactly because the two groups report separately and Texas has areas outside the choice market.
| Retail electric provider | Home accounts |
|---|---|
| Reliant Energy Retail Services | 1,548,250 |
| TXU Energy Retail Co, LLC | 1,446,391 |
| US Retailers, LLC | 412,301 |
| Just Energy | 407,723 |
| Ambit Energy Holdings, LLC | 360,476 |
Source: EIA-861 2024, Sales_Ult_Cust Part D (energy service providers and power marketers). Retrieved 2026-10-02. CSV, 5 rows.
How to pick a plan
Compare plans on the same use. A plan can show a low price at 2,000 kWh and a high one at 500 kWh because of a monthly fee. Write down your own kWh from last summer and last winter, then calculate: kWh times energy price, plus the monthly fee, plus the wires charge.
Check three more things before you sign: the contract length and the fee for leaving early, whether the rate is fixed or changes with the market, and the credits or minimum-use rules attached to the price.
Official comparison sites exist: Texas runs one for its market (powertochoose.org), and state commissions publish lists for other states. Use them, not a search ad.
What this page cannot tell you
EIA reports suppliers by state, not by street. We cannot say which suppliers sell at your address, what their plans cost, how long the contracts run or what fees apply. We also have no data on how many customers switched in a year. For plan prices, use your commission's comparison site: no data here.
Key facts and where they come from
| Fact | Value | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| States and DC with 1%+ of home accounts on supplier service | 15 | EIA-861 2024 Sales_Ult_Cust | 2024 data |
| Highest supplier share: Ohio | 58.0% | EIA-861 2024 Sales_Ult_Cust | 2024 data |
| Texas share of home accounts on supplier service | 55.7% | EIA-861 2024 Sales_Ult_Cust | 2024 data |
| Texas suppliers reporting home accounts | 58 | EIA-861 2024 Sales_Ult_Cust | 2024 data |
| Texas delivery-only companies with home accounts | 6 | EIA-861 2024 Delivery_Companies | 2024 data |
| Largest Texas TDU home accounts (Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC) | 3,477,215 | EIA-861 2024 Delivery_Companies | 2024 data |
| Texas TDU delivery revenue range | 4.93 to 6.33 cents per kWh | EIA-861 2024 Delivery_Companies | 2024 data |
| Texas average home price 2024 | 14.94 cents per kWh | EIA retail sales API | 2024 annual |
| Pennsylvania suppliers with home accounts | 83 | EIA-861 2024 Sales_Ult_Cust | 2024 data |
| EIA definition: Part D reporters | Typically Texas energy service providers | 2024 EIA-861 Instructions, Schedule 4 Part D | 2024 form |
Related guides
Questions
What does TDU stand for?
Transmission and distribution utility, the company that owns the wires and meter at your address.
What is a REP?
A retail electric provider: a company licensed to sell electricity and bill you in a state that allows choice.
Can I choose my TDU?
No. Your address fixes it. You choose only the supplier.
Who do I call in an outage?
Your wires company (TDU), not your supplier. The supplier does not own the lines.
How much of my bill is the wires charge?
In Texas, EIA-861 shows 4.93 to 6.33 cents per kWh of delivery revenue by TDU in 2024, against an average price of 14.94 cents.
Do most Texas homes use a supplier?
55.7% of Texas home accounts are served by suppliers in the 2024 file. The rest are with utilities, co-ops and cities that sell power themselves.
Does this site list plan prices?
No. EIA does not publish plan prices. Use your state commission's comparison site.
Is a supplier switch free?
That depends on the contract. Check the early termination fee before you sign: no data on typical fees here.