If you're struggling to pay your Texas electricity bill, act now — before the due date. Here's the order to do things:
- Call your electricity company today and ask for a payment plan. Texas REPs are required to offer one if you call before disconnection. Frame it: "I'm having difficulty paying — what are my options?"
- Call 211 (just dial 2-1-1 from any phone in Texas) to be connected to local assistance programs — churches, nonprofits, emergency funds.
- Apply to CEAP (Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program) — federal/state funded, can pay $500 to several thousand dollars of your bill depending on your situation and available funding.
- Know your rights — Texas law prevents disconnection during extreme weather, between certain hours, and for medical emergencies.
You have options. Texas has multiple programs that exist specifically for this — they're underused, not because they're hard to access, but because most people don't know about them.
Step 1: Call your electricity provider TODAY
The single highest-leverage thing you can do is call your REP before the disconnection notice arrives and ask for a payment plan. Texas REPs are required by PUCT rules to offer reasonable payment arrangements to customers in financial difficulty.
Typical payment plan offers:
- Split the current bill into 2-3 installments — usually no interest, no late fees
- Defer payment to the next billing cycle — sometimes available for short-term hardship
- Reduce the disconnection threshold — keep service even if the past-due amount exceeds normal disconnection thresholds
Frame the call this way:
"Hi, I have a question about my account. I'm having difficulty paying my full bill this month due to [reason — job loss, medical emergency, unexpected expense, etc.]. What are my options to avoid disconnection?"
Most REPs have agents trained for this conversation. You don't need to overshare — just communicate that you can't pay in full and ask for the options.
Important: Call before the due date, not after. Once a disconnection notice is issued, the options narrow.
Step 2: Call 211 Texas
Dial 2-1-1 from any phone in Texas — it connects you to the United Way of Texas's information and referral service. They maintain a comprehensive database of local assistance programs:
- Energy assistance funds (CEAP and other state/federal programs)
- Emergency-payment funds at churches, food banks, and nonprofits
- Salvation Army energy assistance
- Catholic Charities energy assistance
- Local chapter assistance from Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- Project HELP (Reliant) and similar utility-partner programs
- Veterans-specific assistance (if applicable)
What to ask 211: "I need help paying my electricity bill in [city]. What programs can I apply to right now?"
They'll give you specific phone numbers, websites, and qualification criteria for whatever's available in your county. The 211 database is updated regularly — programs and funding levels change month to month.
211 is free, confidential, and available in English and Spanish (and other languages with limited support).
Step 3: Apply to CEAP (Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program)
CEAP is the federal-state energy assistance program and the main one most Texans qualify for. Funded by the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).
What CEAP can do:
- Pay part or all of your current electricity bill (typically $500-$2,000+ depending on funding availability and household need)
- Pay past-due balances to prevent disconnection
- In some cases, pay for energy-efficiency improvements (weatherization)
Who qualifies:
- Household income at or below 150% of federal poverty level (exact threshold varies by year and funding; check current guidelines at tdhca.state.tx.us)
- Household at risk of disconnection or already disconnected
- Priority categories: elderly (65+), disabled, families with young children under 6
How to apply:
- Visit tdhca.state.tx.us and find the CEAP local provider for your county
- Call the local provider — they handle the application
- Have these documents ready:
- Proof of identity
- Proof of address (utility bill, lease)
- Proof of household income (last 30-90 days)
- Your most recent electricity bill
- For elderly/disabled categorical eligibility: proof of age or disability status
Application processing time: typically 7-30 days during normal periods, longer during peak summer/winter when demand spikes. Apply as early as you suspect you'll need help — don't wait for the disconnection notice.
About LITE-UP Texas
LITE-UP Texas is no longer active. The program provided monthly rate discounts for qualifying low-income households from 2002 until August 2016, when funding was permanently exhausted. There is no state replacement program.
If you see other websites referencing LITE-UP Texas as an active option, that information is outdated. CEAP and 211 are now the primary routes for energy assistance in Texas.
Step 4: Local nonprofit and church assistance
Beyond CEAP, hundreds of local organizations have emergency-energy-assistance funds. Some examples (varies by city):
- Salvation Army — most major Texas cities; one-time emergency assistance, typically $200-$500 per household per year
- Catholic Charities — various dioceses with energy-assistance funds; non-Catholics welcome
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Catholic-affiliated emergency funds
- Local Baptist, Methodist, and non-denominational churches — many have small emergency-assistance funds for community members
- Project HELP (Reliant Energy partner program) — funded by customer donations, distributed by Salvation Army
- TXU Energy Aid — TXU's customer-funded assistance program
- CenterPoint Energy assistance partners — various local nonprofits
- Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe (Rio Grande Valley) — bilingual emergency assistance in the Valley
Each typically has a one-time-per-year or one-time-per-lifetime application limit; combined, they can stack up to meaningful support.
How to find these in your specific city: 211 (above) is the central directory. You can also search "[your city] energy assistance" or "[your city] help paying electricity bill" — local options often surface quickly.
Step 5: Know your rights — Texas disconnection protections
Texas law (PUCT Substantive Rules Section 25.483) protects customers from disconnection in certain conditions:
You CANNOT be disconnected:
- On weekends or state/federal holidays
- Between 8 PM and 9 AM (outside the disconnect time window)
- During extreme weather alerts — when the National Weather Service issues heat advisories or freeze warnings for your county
- If you have medical certification — your doctor certifies that someone in your household requires electric-powered medical equipment to live (oxygen concentrator, dialysis, etc.). Protection lasts up to 63 days and requires annual renewal.
- If you have a deferred payment plan in effect and are current on the deferred payments
- If you've applied for and are awaiting CEAP / LIHEAP determination (the application itself provides a temporary disconnect protection in most cases)
You CAN be disconnected:
- For non-payment after proper notice (at least 10 days written notice per PUCT rules)
- During normal weather and business hours
Important: A disconnect notice doesn't mean you'll be disconnected immediately. You can pay, set up a plan, apply for assistance, or invoke a protection right up until the moment of physical disconnect. Don't ignore the notice — but don't panic either.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What's the fastest way to get help paying my electricity bill in Texas?
A: Call 211 first — they'll give you local options that can dispense aid the fastest (often same-day or within a few days). Then call your REP to set up a payment plan. Apply to CEAP in parallel for longer-term help.
Q: Can I get help paying my electricity bill if I'm undocumented?
A: Most assistance programs in Texas don't require citizenship verification — they require residency proof (lease, utility bill, ID). 211 can confirm which programs in your area have or don't have documentation requirements. Churches and local nonprofits typically have the fewest barriers.
Q: My electricity was already disconnected. What now?
A: Three steps:
- Pay the past-due balance plus reconnection fee ($25-$50 typically) to restore service
- If you can't pay in full, call 211 immediately to find emergency assistance programs that can pay it
- Apply for CEAP — they can sometimes pay reconnection in emergency cases
Texas REPs must reconnect within a specified time (typically same-day or next-day during business hours) once payment is made.
Q: Will applying for assistance affect my credit?
A: No. Energy assistance applications don't appear on credit reports. Late or missed electricity payments can affect your credit if reported by the REP, but the assistance application itself does not.
Q: Are these programs only for low-income households?
A: Most are means-tested. CEAP has income eligibility thresholds (generally 150% of federal poverty level). Local nonprofits and church funds may have looser criteria for genuine emergencies (sudden job loss, medical event, etc.) even at slightly higher incomes.
Q: Can my landlord disconnect my electricity?
A: If electricity is in your name with the REP, no — your landlord has no authority to disconnect. The REP cannot disconnect at the landlord's request for non-rent reasons. If electricity is in the landlord's name (utilities-included rentals), they technically can restrict access, but Texas law has tenant protections in this case — contact a tenants' rights organization (Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Lone Star Legal Aid).
Q: Can I get a payment plan if I have a history of late payments?
A: Usually yes. PUCT rules require REPs to offer payment plans to customers in financial difficulty regardless of past payment history. Specific terms (interest, length of plan) may differ for customers with multiple past delinquencies.
Q: I'm a senior on Social Security. Are there programs specifically for me?
A: Yes — seniors 65+ receive priority for CEAP assistance. Many local nonprofits have senior-specific energy-assistance funds. Area agencies on aging in your region often maintain utility-assistance funds specifically for seniors. Call 211 and ask about senior energy programs in your county.
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Last reviewed: May 2026. Program funding levels and eligibility criteria change throughout the year. Confirm current details directly with the program or via 211 before relying on specific amounts.