Help paying your electric bill in Texas
Texas got $202.3 million in the HHS table, about $19 for each of its 10,747,240 households. Income limit 150% of the poverty guideline; public line 877-399-8939. Heating help reached 25,811 households in FY2024.
Who to call in Texas
- Texas LIHEAP public line877-399-8939
- State program sitetdhca.state.tx.us/community-affairs/index.htm
- Public Utility Commission of Texas
- Commission main line: 512-936-7000 (LIHEAP Clearinghouse; not confirmed on the commission site (the commission site did not load for our check))
- PUC number printed in the required disconnection notice: 512-936-7120 (16 TAC § 25.483(m)(5))
- Toll-free in Texas, same notice text: 888-782-8477 (16 TAC § 25.483(m)(5))
- Relay Texas (relay for deaf or hard of hearing callers): 800-735-2989 (16 TAC § 25.483(m)(5))
Shutoff rules and moratoria in Texas
Texas: cold weather by temperature; hot weather by temperature; health or age needs yes.
| Protection | Texas |
|---|---|
| Cold temperature | No disconnects when temperature is under 32°F |
| Hot temperature | No disconnects when a heat advisory is in effect or has been in effect within the last 2 days. |
| Health or age needs | No disconnections when it will cause a resident to become seriously ill or more seriously ill, lasts up to 63 days and can be renewed. |
Clearinghouse, April 2026; cites Texas Public Utilities Commission.
Rule text read, 2 October 2026: 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 25.483. Texas bars a retail electric provider from authorizing nonpayment disconnection in a county during an extreme weather emergency (a 32F-or-below cold spell forecast to last 24 hours, or an NWS heat advisory) and must offer a deferred payment plan on request. Disconnection requests are also barred on weekends, holidays and the day before unless staff can take payments and reconnect. Critical-care and chronic-condition customers have extra protection. Quote: “must not authorize a disconnection for nonpayment of electric service for any customer in a county in which an extreme weather emergency occurs”. Source: text of the rule (Cornell LII).
| Point | Texas: 16 Tex. Admin. Code § 25.483 |
|---|---|
| Winter / cold | No disconnection for nonpayment for any customer in a county with an 'extreme weather emergency': a day when the previous day's high did not exceed 32F and is predicted to stay at or below 32F for the next 24 hours anywhere in the county per nearest NWS reports ((j)(1)(A)). |
| Heat | Same ban when the NWS issues a heat advisory for the county, or issued one on any of the preceding two calendar days ((j)(1)(B)). |
| Who is protected | Critical Care Residential Customers: no disconnection if it would make someone seriously ill or more ill, when the attending physician contacts the REP and sends a written statement and the customer enters a deferred payment plan; protection lasts 63 days from bill issuance or a shorter agreed period ((g)). Chronic Condition customers: 21 days' separate written notice ((h)). Energy-assistance pledge received by the due date blocks disconnection for that billing period if the rest is paid or arranged ((i)). |
| Notice | Notice may not be issued before the first day after the bill is due; must be a separate mailing, hand delivery or (if agreed) separate email labelled 'disconnection notice', with a disconnection date at least 10 days after issue that is not a holiday, weekend or day staff cannot take payments ((l)). Notice must carry the reason, amount overdue, fees, how to avoid disconnection, and a toll-free number ((m)). |
| Payment plan | During an extreme weather emergency the REP must offer residential customers, on request, a deferred payment plan meeting § 25.480 for bills due during the emergency ((j)). Notices must tell customers about deferred payment and assistance ((l)(4), (m)(7)). |
| Who the rule covers | Retail electric providers (REPs) with disconnection authority; physical disconnections are done by the transmission and distribution utility, municipally owned utility or electric cooperative on the REP's request (subsection (a)). Applies to competitive retail service, so not to every utility in Texas; not stated in text read how non-choice areas are covered. |
| Complaints | Required notice text names the Public Utility Commission of Texas, P.O. Box 13326, Austin, TX 78711-3326, tel. (512) 936-7120 or toll-free in Texas (888) 782-8477; Relay Texas 1-800-735-2989 ((m)(5)). |
Did not read the TDU/co-op/municipal tariffs, § 25.480 payment plan rule, § 25.497 designation rules, or subsections after (n).
Paraphrase, not legal advice. Rules change; see the shutoff rules guide.
LIHEAP in Texas: money, limits, people helped
| Measure | Texas | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Funds FY2026 | $202,298,015 = $171,686,866 + $9,496,375 IIJA + $21,114,774 | FY26 table |
| Income limit | 150% of poverty guideline (how limits work: see guide) | snapshot 20 Apr 2026 |
| Benefits FY2026 | Heating and Cooling: $1 minimum, $12,600 maximum Crisis: $1,800 maximum Weatherization: $12,000 | snapshot 20 Apr 2026 |
| Helped FY2024 | Heating: 25,811 Cooling: 41,628 Year-round Crisis: 5,372 Weatherization: 227 | snapshot 20 Apr 2026 |
| Program dates | Year-round | snapshot 20 Apr 2026 |
CSV
CSVTexas in numbers
- Texas ranks 46th of 51 on FY26 LIHEAP dollars per household ($19), 13th on households below the poverty line (13.3%) and 35th on low-income energy burden (8.4%).
- Per household below the poverty line (1,429,402 of them) the FY26 funds come to $142, rank 47th of 51: 7% of a typical year's electricity ($2,075). (even split, not a payment amount)
- 119,440 households got help in FY2022 against 2,751,671 at or below 60% of state median income in the 2022 LEAD file: about 4% (mixed years).
- Average heating benefit FY2022: $314, 15% of that year.
- Counted FY2024: heating, cooling, weatherization.
- Neighbours: FY26 dollars per household run from $24 (New Mexico) to $32 (Louisiana); low-income burden from 10.4% (New Mexico) to 11.5% (Oklahoma). Texas: $19 and 8.4%.
Where Texas's low-income bills bite hardest
- Highest burden: Baylor County 14.0% (565 households); Jeff Davis County 13.6% (451 households); Archer County 13.4% (886 households); Swisher County 13.3% (1,176 households).
- Most low-income households: Harris County 466,237 (7.6%); Dallas County 252,148 (8.2%); Bexar County 204,769 (7.2%).
228 counties.
Am I likely eligible in Texas?
Median household income in Texas is $76,292, 231% of the four-person guideline; check line 150% (2026 guideline).
How heavy is the energy bill in Texas?
8.4% of income in low-income households, 2.2% overall. Ranking, Texas prices.
| Group | Count | Texas detail | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 60% of median income | 2,751,671 households | 8.4% of income; $1,777 a year on $21,192 | rank 35 of 51 |
| All households | 10,490,553 households | 2.2%; $2,162 on $98,429 | rank 36 of 51 |
| Below poverty line | 1,429,402 households | 13.3% of 10,747,240 | U.S. 12.5%; rank 13 of 51 |
| Home price 2025 | 15.47 ¢/kWh | bill $173 a month at 1,118 kWh | U.S. 17.30 ¢, $152 |
CSV
CSVUtility and state bill programs in Texas
None listed for Texas in the snapshot of 20 Apr 2026; ask the utility.
Texas on the map
Next to Texas
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma. Most FY26 funds per household: Louisiana, $32. Texas: $19. All 51.
5 steps if you get a shutoff notice in Texas
- Note the notice date.
- Call the utility (Public Utility Commission of Texas sets rules).
- Call 877-399-8939 or 211.
- Ask about temperature-based or health protection.
- Unresolved: Public Utility Commission of Texas, 512-936-7000.
Sources
Linked above; list on the hub.
Last verified: 2 October 2026. Not legal advice.
Questions
Can Texas utilities cut power in winter or summer?
temperature for cold; temperature for heat. No disconnects when temperature is under 32°F
How big is the energy burden in Texas?
8.4% of income for low-income households, 2.2% for all; $1,777 a year for the first group.
How many Texas households got energy help?
119,440 in FY2022, 25,811 heating in FY2024, average heating benefit $314.
Is LIHEAP money enough for a Texas bill?
$142 per poor household, 7% of $2,075.
How much LIHEAP money does Texas get?
$202.3 million in FY2026, $19 per household, rank 46 of 51.
What income limit does Texas use for LIHEAP?
$40,980 for three people at 150% of the guideline; median household income $76,292; FY2022 heating standard 157% for four.
How do I apply for LIHEAP in Texas?
Call 877-399-8939 or 877-541-7905. Site: http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/community-affairs/index.htm