Two companies show up on your Texas bill: the one that delivers power and the one that sells your plan. Here is what each charge means, plus a quick way to see your real plans by ZIP.
Takes a minute. No account, no obligation. Need help? Call or text us.Your local utility owns the poles, wires, and meters and sets regulated delivery charges.
Your retail provider sets the energy charge and handles your billing.
Delivery and energy charges add up to your total. Only the REP can change your plan.
In deregulated Texas, the company that keeps your power flowing is not the company you buy your plan from. Knowing the split makes your bill far easier to read.
The TDU is the regulated local utility, such as AEP Texas in the Corpus Christi area, Oncor in North and West Texas, or CenterPoint in the Houston area. It maintains the poles, wires, and meters and restores outages.
The REP is the company you sign up with, such as Ambit Energy. It does not own the wires. It sets the energy charge and manages your account.
Most Texas bills bundle both companies into one statement, then break the charges into separate line items.
Because delivery charges are the same for everyone in your area, the smart move is to compare the parts a plan actually controls.
Each plan's Electricity Facts Label references the current delivery charges alongside the energy charge. Always check the most recent EFL at enrollment, since the document combines both sides into the price examples you see.
Delivery charges are fixed, so compare the part you control. Enter your ZIP to see your plans and enroll online.
Since delivery charges are fixed, the value comes from the retail plan you pick. Where Ambit pulls ahead is what you get back on the power you already use.
Refer 15 active customers and Ambit credits your own energy free, with no time limit to get there. It is the kind of return a standard fixed plan does not offer.
The Ultimate Perks plan adds $50 a month in Reward Dollars, and travel plans earn 1 point for every kWh. A 60-day "Try it, Like it, Change it" window lets you switch Ambit term plans with no early-termination fee in your first 60 days. Green plan and no-deposit options are available.
TDU delivery charges are fees from your local Transmission and Distribution Utility for maintaining power lines, poles, and meters. They are the same for everyone in your area, no matter which retail provider you choose.
A REP, or Retail Electric Provider, sells you electricity plans and handles billing. A TDU, or Transmission and Distribution Utility, delivers the electricity and maintains the grid. Both appear on your bill, but only the REP can change your plan or rate.
The energy charge is what you pay your REP for usage. The delivery charge is from the TDU to cover infrastructure. Together they make up your total bill.
No. Delivery charges are set by the utility and are identical across providers. Switching changes only the energy charge and plan terms, which is the part worth comparing.