# Big Spring, Texas electricity: Oncor wires and 12,114 competitive homes

_Updated October 19, 2026. Data: ERCOT Oct 5, 2026; Power to Choose Oct 19, 2026, 7:59 AM CT._

**In short:** ERCOT counts 12,114 active residential meters with a Big Spring address, all on Oncor's wires (October 5, 2026). Nearly every Big Spring address in our data is on Oncor's wires and can pick a retail provider.

## Moving to Big Spring

Local numbers for setting up a home in Big Spring, each checked on the official source. More contacts: https://powerhopper.energy/texas-electricity/big-spring/move-in-information

- **Water and utility billing:** utility billing (start, transfer or stop water service), 432-264-2544.
- **Natural gas:** Atmos Energy: customer service, 888-286-6700.
- **Public schools:** Big Spring ISD, Forsan ISD.
- **Driver license:** Texas DPS Driver License Office: Big Spring, 512-424-2600.

## Who delivers electricity in Big Spring?
ERCOT counts 12,114 active residential meters with a Big Spring address, all on Oncor's wires (October 5, 2026).

## Can every address in Big Spring choose?
None of the ZIP codes holding Big Spring's 12,114 competitive homes is flagged split, so most Big Spring streets can shop.

## What is different about Big Spring?
- Population: 26,321 (2020 base) to 22,290 (July 2025), -15.3%, per Census Vintage 2025 estimates. The largest one-year change was -3,460 people, from July 2021 to July 2022. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv)
- The Big Spring mailing area is bigger than the city: ERCOT lists 12,114 competitive homes under the Big Spring postal city, 1.34 for each of the city's 9,061 Census households. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- Oncor share: 0.3% of its 3,564,530 competitive residential meters carry a Big Spring address. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- New construction shows up in the meter data: 10 residential meters were added in Big Spring's main ZIP codes from Oct. 7 to Oct. 18, 2026, including 10 in 79720, and 30 more switched from vacant to active. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- De-energized homes, usually empty or between tenants, number 1,879 in Big Spring's main ZIP codes, 13.5% of all 13,918 residential meters there. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- ZIP 79720 holds 12,034 of the 12,114 competitive homes with a Big Spring address (99%); across the whole ZIP there are 1.04 competitive meters per Census household. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- By competitive homes on its postal city, Big Spring is number 1 of the 3 cities and towns touching Howard County, ahead of Coahoma (666). (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- 30.8% of households in 79720 rent (ACS 2020-2024), the most among Big Spring's main ZIP codes, so a lot of Big Spring electricity accounts open and close with each lease. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- In 79720, the ZIP holding most Big Spring homes, the ACS 2020-2024 survey finds a median household income of $68,785, 30.8% renters and 32.3% of households with $250+ monthly electric bills. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)

## By the numbers
- Population (July 1, 2025 estimate): 22,290
- Population (2020 estimates base): 26,321
- Occupied households (ACS 2020-2024): 9,061
- Active residential meters with a Big Spring address: 12,114
- Active business meters with a Big Spring address: 6,252
- Residential meters per Census household: 1.34
- Delivery utilities (homes): Oncor 12,114
- Counties: Howard
- ZIP codes touching Big Spring: 3
- Split ZIP codes (flagged below): 0

## Plan prices (median ¢/kWh at 500 / 1,000 / 2,000 kWh)
- Oncor: 14.1 / 13.4 / 13.2; delivery 6.8673¢/kWh + $4.06/mo

## ZIP codes
**Not every address in these ZIP codes has retail choice; check your exact address.**

| ZIP | Postal cities | Land in city | Competitive homes | Households | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79720 | Big Spring 100% | 2% | 12,039 | 11,578 | 1.04 | Near-full coverage. 10 new residential meters Oct 7-18, 2026. Mostly outside Big Spring city limits. |
| 79739 | Garden City 88%, Big Spring 12% | 0% | 613 | 352 | 1.74 | Near-full coverage. Mostly outside Big Spring city limits. |
| 79721 | Big Spring 100% | 100% | 5 | n/a | n/a | Too few homes to rate.  |

## Business electricity in Big Spring
6,252 active business meters. Power Hopper compares offers from retail electric providers and direct suppliers; for high-consumption businesses we can run a competitive bid. No savings or bidder count is promised. Businesses in Texas retail-choice areas can request a rate review online.

## Questions
**Does Big Spring have electricity choice?** Most Big Spring homes can. ERCOT's October 5, 2026 extract has 12,114 Big Spring-addressed homes on Oncor's competitive system, compared with 9,061 households in the Census survey. None of Big Spring's ZIP codes is flagged split, though an address check is still the only sure answer.
**Where do most Big Spring electricity customers live?** 79720, with 12,039 competitive homes in ERCOT's data (12,034 addressed to Big Spring) against roughly 11,578 Census households, a 1.04 ratio.
**How many businesses in Big Spring are on the competitive electricity market?** Yes, where Oncor delivers: 6,252 Big Spring-addressed business meters are on the competitive market in ERCOT's data, and large accounts can also buy from commercial suppliers directly.
**I'm moving to Big Spring. How do I set up electricity?** Confirm the address is on Oncor's wires, then pick a plan and a start date. In 79720, 12.9% of residents moved in the past year (ACS); 30 79720 meters went vacant-to-active Oct. 7-18, 2026.
**Why are there more electric meters than households in Big Spring?** 12,114 Big Spring-addressed meters against 9,061 city households is 1.34 per household: the Big Spring 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 do I call in Big Spring when the power goes out?** Call Oncor (oncor.com/outages), the wires utility for Big Spring's 12,114 competitive homes; a retail provider can't fix lines.

## Sources
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203): full extract as of Oct 5, 2026; daily files Oct 7-18, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25003 households, B01003 population): https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- Census Vintage 2025 city and town population estimates: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv
- Census 2020 ZCTA-to-place and ZCTA-to-county relationship files: https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/rel2020/zcta520/
- EIA-861 (2024) utility service territories by county: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/
- PUCT Power to Choose residential offer export, Oct 19, 2026, 7:59 AM CT: https://www.powertochoose.org/en-us/Plan/ExportToCsv
- PUCT: Choosing an Electric Plan: https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer-help/electricity/electric-plan/
- PUCT broker directory (BR260201): https://www.puc.texas.gov/industry/electric/directories/brk/alpha_brk/
- Oncor Electric Delivery: https://www.oncor.com/
- Oncor delivery tariff (effective October 4, 2026): https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Documents/59249_105_1676040.PDF
- Census Bureau Vintage 2025 city and town population estimates: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- ERCOT daily TDSP ESIID Extract files, Oct 7-18, 2026, via Power Hopper's Oct 18 ZIP study: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/

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