# El Campo, Texas electricity: AEP Texas Central wires, 1 split ZIP code to check

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

**In short:** ERCOT counts 4,432 active residential meters with an El Campo address, all on AEP Texas Central's wires (October 5, 2026). 1 of El Campo's ZIP codes is split, so most addresses can shop, but yours needs a check.

## Moving to El Campo

Local numbers for setting up a home in El Campo, each checked on the official source. More contacts: https://powerhopper.energy/texas-electricity/el-campo/move-in-information

- **Water and utility billing:** utility billing (start, transfer or stop water service), 979-541-5000.
- **Natural gas:** CenterPoint Energy: gas leak emergency (24/7), 888-876-5786.
- **Public schools:** El Campo ISD.
- **Driver license:** Texas DPS Driver License Office: El Campo-Pierce, 512-424-2600.

## Who delivers electricity in El Campo?
ERCOT counts 4,432 active residential meters with an El Campo address, all on AEP Texas Central's wires (October 5, 2026).

## Can every address in El Campo choose?
Split ZIP codes holding El Campo homes: 77437. They carry 4,432 of the 4,432 competitive homes with an El Campo address (100%); on those streets a neighbor's utility can differ from yours.

## What is different about El Campo?
- El Campo counted about 12,142 residents in the Census Bureau's 2025 estimate, against 12,348 in the 2020 base, a change of -1.7%. The largest one-year change was +96 people, from July 2023 to July 2024. July 1 estimates in between: 12,239 (2021), 12,167 (2022), 12,072 (2023), 12,168 (2024). (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv)
- El Campo covers 9.2 square miles of land (Census 2025 Gazetteer). That works out to about 1,317 residents and 472 occupied households per square mile of land, with roughly 2.8 residents for every El Campo household. (Source: https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- El Campo-addressed homes make up 0.5% of the 810,296 residential meters on AEP Texas Central's competitive system. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- Move-ins show up as vacant-to-active switches in ERCOT's daily files: 15 of them in the ZIP codes most El Campo homes use, Oct. 7-18, 2026. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- On October 5, 2026, ERCOT showed 505 home meters switched off (de-energized) in the ZIP codes most El Campo homes use, against 4,439 switched on; that 10.2 percent is mostly vacant houses and apartments between occupants. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- One ZIP code, 77437, holds almost every El Campo-addressed competitive home (4,432). Taken whole, 77437 has 0.67 competitive meters per Census household: 4,439 meters, 6,624 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/)
- Among the 3 cities and towns that reach into Wharton County, El Campo places 2 for competitive homes on its postal city; the next one up is Wharton, at 6,513. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- By the Census Bureau's 2025 estimates, El Campo is the number 1 city or town by population among the 3 that reach into Wharton County, one place ahead of Wharton (8,776 residents). (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv)
- Coverage gap: 77437, home to 4,432 El Campo-addressed meters, has 0.67 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 Wharton County and Jackson co-ops. Co-op homes stay off the competitive market unless their co-op opts in. (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/, https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/)
- Renting is most common in 77437, where the ACS 2020-2024 counts 30.3 percent of households as renters; in that part of El Campo, electricity accounts change hands with each lease. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- Electric bills over $250 a month: 32.8 percent of households in 77437, El Campo's main ZIP code, per the ACS 2020-2024; the same survey puts median household income there at $72,200. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- Choice is broad around El Campo: even Edna, the bottom of its six nearest towns on this measure, has 1.10 competitive homes per household; Bay City (24 mi) is the biggest at 8,549. (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 the numbers
- Population (July 1, 2025 estimate): 12,142
- Population (2020 estimates base): 12,348
- Occupied households (ACS 2020-2024): 4,350
- Active residential meters with an El Campo address: 4,432
- Active business meters with an El Campo address: 1,201
- Residential meters per Census household: 1.02
- Delivery utilities (homes): AEP Texas Central 4,432
- Counties: Wharton
- ZIP codes touching El Campo: 1
- Split ZIP codes (flagged below): 1

## Plan prices (median ¢/kWh at 500 / 1,000 / 2,000 kWh)
- AEP Texas Central: 12.7 / 12.1 / 12; delivery 5.6898¢/kWh + $3.24/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77437 | El Campo 100% | 3% | 4,439 | 6,624 | 0.67 | Split. Most homes, not all. Mostly outside El Campo city limits. |

## Business electricity in El Campo
1,201 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
**Is El Campo deregulated for electricity?** Yes, where AEP Texas Central's wires reach the house, which in El Campo is most of the city: 4,432 homes with an El Campo mailing address were on the competitive market on October 5, 2026, 1.02 for each Census household. Addresses in 77437 (split) need an exact-address check before you shop.
**Where do most El Campo electricity customers live?** That is 77437, home to 4,432 of the competitive meters with an El Campo address. ZIP-wide: 4,439 ERCOT meters, about 6,624 Census households, 0.67 per household.
**What do El Campo electricity plans cost per kWh?** On October 19, 2026, the median fixed-rate Power to Choose listing on AEP Texas Central's wires was 12.1¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh a month (164 listings); AEP Texas Central's delivery charge of 5.6898¢ per kWh plus $3.24 a month is included. A median is not a quote.
**I'm moving to El Campo. How do I set up electricity?** 10.0% of 77437 residents moved within a year (ACS), and 15 meters in 77437 turned from vacant to active Oct. 7-18, 2026. Check that your El Campo address is on AEP Texas Central's wires, then choose a plan and start date.
**How many households in El Campo can shop for electricity?** ERCOT's October 5, 2026 extract lists 4,432 competitive residential meters with an El Campo mailing address and 1,201 business meters; ACS 2020-2024: 4,350 occupied El Campo households.
**Where do I report a El Campo power outage?** Call AEP Texas Central (aeptexas.com/outages), the wires utility for El Campo's 4,432 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/
- AEP Texas (Central Division): https://www.aeptexas.com/
- AEP Texas Central delivery tariff (effective September 29, 2026): https://www.aeptexas.com/lib/docs/ratesandtariffs/Texas/AEP_TEXAS_TARIFF_Eff_Sept_29_2026v1.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
- Census Bureau 2025 Gazetteer Files, Texas places (land and water area): https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html
- 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
- 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 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/
- EIA-861 (2024) utility service territories by county: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/
- 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/
- 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/

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