Alvarado, Texas electricity: Oncor wires, 1 split ZIP code to check
3,050 Alvarado-addressed homes buy power on Oncor's system, about 1.68 for each Census household. Here is where choice stops, what delivery costs and where plan prices sit today.
Last updated . Written by Power Hopper. Reviewed by Brent Ward, founder, on 2026-10-19. Data as of October 5, 2026 (meters) and October 19, 2026 (plan prices).
In short: ERCOT counts 3,050 active residential meters with an Alvarado address, all on Oncor's wires (October 5, 2026). Many Alvarado addresses can choose a retail provider, but not all: the ZIP codes covering Alvarado's city limits average about 0.44 competitive meters per Census household, which fits co-op or other non-choice service on some streets. Check your exact address.
Who delivers electricity in Alvarado?
Outages: Oncor at oncor.com/outages.
Oncor delivery charges and area
Can every address in Alvarado choose an electricity provider?
Split ZIP codes holding Alvarado homes: 76009. They carry 3,050 of the 3,050 competitive homes with an Alvarado address (100%); on those streets a neighbor's utility can differ from yours.
Without retail choice unless opted in: 2 other utilities in Johnson County (EIA 2024).
Moving to Alvarado
Local numbers for setting up a home in Alvarado, each checked on the official source. More contacts, and a printable list, are on Alvarado helpful move-in information.
- City hall (ask about water service): City of Alvarado: City Hall (main line), 817-790-3351.
- Natural gas: Atmos Energy: customer service, 888-286-6700.
- Public schools: Alvarado ISD.
- Driver license: Texas DPS Driver License Office: Cleburne, 512-424-2600.
You enter your address on the next screen, and we confirm there whether you can choose an electricity provider at that address.
Have a High Light Bill or Electric Bill?
If your electricity bill in Alvarado came in higher than you expected, upload or enter it and see whether another plan could lower your electricity costs, or whether staying where you are makes more sense.
Weather and electricity in Alvarado
Typical weather near Alvarado, from the nearest NOAA station with a complete 1991-2020 record: Burleson, about 10 miles from the city center (station elevation 762 ft). These are normals for that station, not readings at your address. August is the warmest month on average, with a normal daily high of 95°F; January has the coolest average low, 34°F. Average daily highs reach 90°F or more in June to August. No month averages a daily low at or below freezing.
For electricity, the normals point to two seasons that can lift a household's usage: cooling-degree days (a measure of how far each day's mean temperature sits above 65°F) peak in August at 573 for the month, and heating-degree days (below 65°F) peak in January at 616. How much that matters to a bill depends on the home, its insulation, its heating fuel and the household, so use your own usage history, not a regional average, when you compare plans.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precipitation (in) | Cooling degree-days | Heating degree-days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 34 | 2.3 | 1 | 616 |
| Feb | 61 | 37 | 2.6 | 4 | 456 |
| Mar | 68 | 44 | 3.7 | 21 | 300 |
| Apr | 76 | 52 | 3.0 | 74 | 113 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 4.2 | 233 | 19 |
| Jun | 91 | 69 | 3.5 | 441 | 0 |
| Jul | 95 | 72 | 2.2 | 569 | 0 |
| Aug | 95 | 72 | 2.3 | 573 | 0 |
| Sep | 89 | 65 | 3.1 | 355 | 7 |
| Oct | 78 | 54 | 4.4 | 123 | 91 |
| Nov | 67 | 44 | 2.7 | 19 | 313 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 2.6 | 2 | 568 |
Historical weather records for Johnson County
The Texas Railroad Commission's county table lists a record low of -6°F (1989) and a record high of 114°F (1939), and a regional estimate of 30 consecutive hours as a typical longest freezing or frozen-precipitation period for Johnson County. These are historical county extremes, not Alvarado's monthly averages and not a forecast; the normals above describe ordinary months.
Reference only: the U.S. Energy Information Administration's 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey puts the average Texas household at about 13,440 kWh a year (about 1,120 kWh a month if spread evenly). That is a statewide average for 2020, not Alvarado, and not an estimate for your home. EIA source.
Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, station USC00411246; Texas Railroad Commission, Historical Weather Data by County (2022).
What is different about electricity in Alvarado?
- Population: 5,341 (2020 base) to 7,539 (July 2025), +41.2%, per Census Vintage 2025 estimates. The largest one-year change was +637 people, from July 2021 to July 2022. July 1 estimates in between: 5,737 (2021), 6,374 (2022), 6,700 (2023), 7,324 (2024). (Census)
- Alvarado covers 6.8 square miles of land and 0.7 square miles of water (Census 2025 Gazetteer). That works out to about 1,113 residents and 268 occupied households per square mile of land, with roughly 4.1 residents for every Alvarado household. (Census, Census, Census)
- The Alvarado mailing area is bigger than the city: ERCOT lists 3,050 competitive homes under the Alvarado postal city, 1.68 for each of the city's 1,817 Census households. Because Alvarado has grown 41 percent since the 2020 base, the ACS 2020-2024 household figure likely runs behind today's count. (ERCOT, Census)
- Oncor delivers to 3,564,530 competitive homes in all; the 3,050 with an Alvarado address are 0.09 percent of them, roughly one in 1,169. (ERCOT)
- Meter additions, Oct. 7-18, 2026 (ERCOT daily files): 16 across Alvarado's core ZIP codes, led by 76009 at 16; vacant-to-active switches over those days: 18. (ERCOT)
- On October 5, 2026, ERCOT showed 326 home meters switched off (de-energized) in the ZIP codes most Alvarado homes use, against 3,050 switched on; that 9.7 percent is mostly vacant houses and apartments between occupants. (ERCOT)
- One ZIP code, 76009, holds almost every Alvarado-addressed competitive home (3,050). Taken whole, 76009 has 0.44 competitive meters per Census household: 3,050 meters, 6,948 households. (ERCOT, Census)
- Alvarado is 7 of 13 on a Johnson County list of cities and towns ranked by postal-city competitive homes; the next one up is Venus, at 3,162. (ERCOT)
- By the Census Bureau's 2025 estimates, Alvarado is the number 8 city or town by population among the 16 that reach into Johnson County, one place ahead of Keene (7,109 residents). (Census)
- Coverage gap: 76009, home to 3,050 Alvarado-addressed meters, has 0.44 ERCOT meters for each household the Census counts there. That fits co-op service: EIA's 2024 lists for the counties tied to the ZIP include 2 co-ops, such as the United Electric Cooperative Service and HILCO co-ops. Co-op homes stay off the competitive market unless their co-op opts in. (ERCOT, Census, EIA-861)
- Electric bills over $250 a month: 42.5 percent of households in 76009, Alvarado's main ZIP code, per the ACS 2020-2024; the same survey puts median household income there at $79,755 and the renter share at 22.4 percent. (Census)
- Neighbors differ: Mansfield, about 12 miles away, has 30,415 competitive homes on its postal city, while Joshua manages 0.75 per household. (ERCOT, Census)
Alvarado electricity by the numbers
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 7,539 |
| Population (2020 estimates base) | 5,341 |
| Occupied households (ACS 2020-2024) | 1,817 |
| Active residential meters with an Alvarado address | 3,050 |
| Active business meters with an Alvarado address | 657 |
| Residential meters per Census household | 1.68 |
| Delivery utilities (homes) | Oncor 3,050 |
| Counties | Johnson |
| ZIP codes touching Alvarado | 1 |
| Split ZIP codes (flagged below) | 1 |
How we built these numbers. Download: Alvarado ZIP table (CSV).
What do electricity plans cost in Alvarado right now?
Same-day medians for Oncor’s area (Oncor: 170 listings), delivery included; not a quote.
| Delivery utility | 500 kWh | 1,000 kWh | 2,000 kWh | Delivery charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oncor | 14.1¢ | 13.4¢ | 13.2¢ | 6.8673¢/kWh + $4.06/mo (effective October 4, 2026; tariff) |
Alvarado ZIP codes: how much of each is on the competitive market?
Not every address in these ZIP codes has retail choice; check your exact address.
| ZIP | Meters per household | ERCOT competitive homes | Census households | With Alvarado address | Share of ZIP land in Alvarado | Mailing cities | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76009 | 0.44 | 3,050 | 6,948 | 3,050 | 4% | Alvarado 100% | Split. Partial coverage. 16 new residential meters Oct 7-18, 2026. Mostly outside Alvarado city limits. |
Split ZIP codes for Alvarado: 76009.
Homes, renters and electric bills in Alvarado’s ZIP codes
ZIP 76009 leads Alvarado on electric bills over $250 a month, reported by 42.5 percent of its households; 76009 the most homes built since 2020, 5.6 percent (Census ACS 2020-2024).
| ZIP | Bills $250+ | Household income (median) | Built since 2020 | Alvarado-addressed homes | Renting | Meters added Oct 7-18 | In 5+ unit buildings | Vacant-to-active switches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76009 | 42.5% | $79,755 | 5.6% | 3,050 | 22.4% | 16 | 1.7% | 18 |
ACS 2020-2024 by ZCTA; meters: ERCOT daily files, Oct 7-18, 2026.
Alvarado and its neighbors
| Nearby town (2,000+ residents) | Wires utility | Can homes choose? | Postal-city meters per household | Distance | Competitive homes, postal city |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venus | Oncor | Yes, mostly | 1.87 | 6 mi away | 3,162 homes |
| Keene | Oncor | Yes, mostly | 0.87 | 7 mi away | 2,083 homes |
| Burleson | Oncor | Yes, mostly | 1.02 | 10 mi away | 18,777 homes |
| Grandview | Oncor | Yes, mostly | 2.41 | 10 mi away | 1,861 homes |
| Joshua | Oncor | Yes, mostly | 0.75 | 11 mi away | 2,403 homes |
| Mansfield | Oncor | Yes, mostly | 1.20 | 12 mi away | 30,415 homes |
Business electricity in Alvarado
Alvarado business meters: 657 (4.6 homes per business meter); large non-residential meters in Alvarado’s main ZIP codes: 1 (ERCOT, October 5, 2026).
Larger accounts can go out to bid with retail providers and direct suppliers; we can’t promise savings or bids.
How do I compare electricity plans in Alvarado?
ZIP first, then your address; read each plan’s Electricity Facts Label before choosing.
Common questions about electricity in Alvarado
Can Alvarado residents pick their own electric company?
For many addresses, if Oncor delivers there: 3,050 Alvarado-addressed homes are on the competitive market, yet ZIP codes inside Alvarado show fewer competitive meters than households, which points to co-op service on some streets. Addresses in 76009 (split) need an exact-address check before you shop.
Which Alvarado ZIP code has the most homes on the competitive market?
76009. It holds 3,050 Alvarado-addressed competitive homes; counting every address in the ZIP, ERCOT has 3,050 meters for roughly 6,948 households, a 0.44 ratio.
How much is electricity in Alvarado right now?
On October 19, 2026, the median fixed-rate Power to Choose listing on Oncor's wires was 13.4¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh a month (170 listings); Oncor's delivery charge of 6.8673¢ per kWh plus $4.06 a month is included. A median is not a quote.
How do I start electric service at a new Alvarado address?
Confirm the address is on Oncor's wires, then pick a plan and a start date. In 76009, 10.1% of residents moved in the past year (ACS); 18 meters in 76009 went vacant-to-active Oct. 7-18, 2026.
Why are there more electric meters than households in Alvarado?
3,050 Alvarado-addressed meters against 1,817 city households is 1.68 per household: the Alvarado postal area extends past city limits, and new homes get meters before the Census counts them. It doesn't mean every nearby address can choose.
Who restores power in Alvarado after an outage?
Oncor, at oncor.com/outages: it carries power to all 3,050 Alvarado-addressed competitive homes, whatever retail provider bills them. Co-op members report outages to their co-op.
Where to next?
Up: Oncor area · Johnson County
Nearest town pages: Venus · Keene · Burleson · Joshua · Mansfield · Cleburne · Midlothian · Crowley
Compare plans · Moving · High bill · Texas rates · Areas without retail choice · Methodology
Sources
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203): full extract as of Oct 5, 2026; daily files Oct 7-18, 2026
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25003 households, B01003 population)
- Census Vintage 2025 city and town population estimates
- Census 2020 ZCTA-to-place and ZCTA-to-county relationship files
- EIA-861 (2024) utility service territories by county
- PUCT Power to Choose residential offer export, Oct 19, 2026, 7:59 AM CT
- PUCT: Choosing an Electric Plan
- PUCT broker directory (BR260201)
- Oncor Electric Delivery
- Oncor delivery tariff (effective October 4, 2026)
- Census Bureau 2025 Gazetteer Files, Texas places (land and water area)
BJW Ventures LLC d/b/a Power Hopper | PUCT BR260201. PUCT registration is not an endorsement.