If your Houston electric bill crept up this fall, one possible reason is a higher delivery charge from CenterPoint Energy, the utility that owns the local poles and wires. The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) approved the increase in an order filed Nov. 5, in CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric's distribution cost recovery factor (DCRF) case. But the higher charge showed up first. CenterPoint was allowed to bill the higher interim rates for meters read on or after Sept. 30, about five weeks before the order. The final rates are identical to those interim rates, so the November order did not add a new charge.
How much more will CenterPoint customers pay?
CenterPoint asked to recover $352.3 million a year through the DCRF. That is an increase of $72.3 million over the DCRF rates set in its previous case, after adjusting for load growth, according to the order. For a typical home, the residential piece of that is small.
The rider itself rose about 24%. That does not mean a Houston electric bill rose 24%. For scale, the lowest 12-month fixed-rate plan in Houston on the Power to Choose list we downloaded Nov. 9 was priced at about $117 for 1,000 kWh, with no bill credits. Against that, $1.19 is roughly 1%. If your bill jumped by much more than a dollar or two for the same usage, look first at your energy rate, not just this charge.
Why did CenterPoint raise this charge?
CenterPoint said it invested about $2.79 billion in its distribution system from January 2024 through May 2026. Texas lets utilities recover certain costs like these between full rate cases through the DCRF. Under the law, a DCRF filing is a periodic rate adjustment, not a rate change, and the full hearing happens in the utility's next base-rate case.
Two things in the order are worth knowing:
- Review comes later. The PUCT said it was not deciding in this order whether the investments were prudent, reasonable and necessary. That review will happen in a later reconciliation.
- Resiliency spending is being deferred. CenterPoint must postpone recovering certain storm-resiliency costs until at least July 1, 2029. The PUCT also ordered a full review of how those deferrals are handled in the company's next base-rate case.
Is it still worth shopping for electricity in Houston?
Yes. A Houston electric bill has two parts. The retail provider you choose sells you the electricity, and that price is competitive. CenterPoint delivers it over its own poles and wires, and that price is regulated. The DCRF is part of the delivery price. CenterPoint bills it to retail electricity providers, which typically pass delivery charges through to customers, so no plan or provider removes it.
But the delivery charge is the same for everyone in CenterPoint's territory. The part you control is the rest of the bill, and that is where the big differences are. On the Power to Choose list we downloaded Nov. 9, the 85 Houston fixed-rate plans of 12 months or longer, with no bill credits or usage conditions, ranged from about 11.7¢ to 16.1¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh. That is roughly $117 to $161 a month, a gap of about $44. The middle plan was about 13.5¢. The new delivery increase is $1.19.
The number to compare is your all-in price per kWh: energy charge, delivery charges and monthly fees, divided by the kWh you use. The Electricity Facts Label lists it at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh. Compare it at the usage closest to yours, because a plan that looks cheapest at one level of use can cost more at another. Then weigh any savings against the contract length and cancellation fee. Delivery rates change several times a year, so a plan that was a good deal last year is worth checking again before it renews.
For more detail, see our guide to CenterPoint's delivery charges, our explainer on Texas's four big rate cases, how Power to Choose works and when switching makes sense, or compare plans for your address.
About the numbers
The order, filed Nov. 5, 2026, is the source for the $352.3 million, the $72.3 million increase, the $2.79 billion of investment, the 0.6137¢ rate and the Sept. 30 interim date. The earlier 0.4944¢ rate is the baseline CenterPoint's interim tariff used, as reported by Energy Choice Matters. A separate CenterPoint market notice from Aug. 4 lists a residential DCRF of 0.4934¢ for Sept. 1, which would make the increase about $1.20 at 1,000 kWh instead of $1.19. The plan prices ($117 to $161, 11.7¢ to 16.1¢) come from the Power to Choose file's 1,000 kWh column for 85 English-language Houston listings that are fixed-rate, 12 months or longer, not prepaid or time-of-use, and show no bill credits or fees. That file is not audited against each plan's Electricity Facts Label, and prices change daily. Your own rate depends on your plan and service address.
Sources
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Docket 59981 final order (filed Nov. 5, 2026)
- Energy Choice Matters: CenterPoint receives approval to charge increased DCRF on an interim basis (Aug. 17, 2026)
- CenterPoint Energy market notice: DCRF rates effective Sept. 1, 2026 (Docket 59923)
- Power to Choose, offer list downloaded Nov. 9, 2026
Power Hopper is not affiliated with or endorsed by the companies or agencies named above. This brief was prepared with AI assistance. Reviewed by Brent Ward on November 9, 2026. Power Hopper is a PUCT-registered Texas electricity broker and earns a commission when a customer enrolls through us. That never decides what we cover or how.
BJW Ventures LLC d/b/a Power Hopper, PUCT Registered Electricity Broker BR260201