Elsa, Texas electricity: AEP Texas Central wires, 3 split ZIP codes to check
Elsa sits on AEP Texas Central's wires, with several split ZIP codes. Below: ZIP by ZIP, who can shop, and what plans cost this month.
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 4,756 active residential meters with an Elsa address, all on AEP Texas Central's wires (October 5, 2026). 3 of Elsa's ZIP codes are split, so most addresses can shop, but yours needs a check.
Who delivers electricity in Elsa?
Outages: AEP Texas Central at aeptexas.com/outages.
AEP Texas Central delivery charges and area
Can every address in Elsa choose an electricity provider?
Split ZIP codes holding Elsa homes: 78538, 78541, 78542. They carry 200 of the 4,725 competitive homes with an Elsa address (4%); on those streets a neighbor's utility can differ from yours.
Without retail choice unless opted in: 1 other utility in Hidalgo County (EIA 2024).
Moving to Elsa
Local numbers for setting up a home in Elsa, each checked on the official source. More contacts, and a printable list, are on Elsa helpful move-in information.
- Water and utility billing: City of Elsa: Finance Department (manages utility billing), 956-262-2127.
- Natural gas: Texas Gas Service: customer service, 800-700-2443.
- Public schools: Edcouch-Elsa ISD.
- Driver license: Texas DPS Driver License Office: Weslaco, 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 Elsa 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.
What is different about electricity in Elsa?
- Most Elsa electricity customers live in 78543: 4,465 homes, or 94 percent of the 4,725 with an Elsa address; the full ZIP comes to 1.61 meters a household. (ERCOT, Census)
- Elsa counted about 5,820 residents in the Census Bureau's 2025 estimate, against 5,677 in the 2020 base, a change of +2.5%. The largest one-year change was +52 people, from July 2022 to July 2023. July 1 estimates in between: 5,677 (2021), 5,689 (2022), 5,741 (2023), 5,773 (2024). (Census)
- Elsa covers 2.1 square miles of land (Census 2025 Gazetteer). That works out to about 2,789 residents and 948 occupied households per square mile of land, with roughly 2.9 residents for every Elsa household. (Census, Census, Census)
- Mailing addresses stretch past city limits here. 4,756 competitive residential meters use Elsa as their postal city, while the city itself has 1,978 Census households, a ratio of 2.4. (ERCOT, Census)
- Of the 810,296 homes AEP Texas Central serves on the competitive market, 0.6% have an Elsa mailing address. (ERCOT)
- Move-ins show up as vacant-to-active switches in ERCOT's daily files: 26 of them in the ZIP codes most Elsa homes use, Oct. 7-18, 2026. (ERCOT)
- Vacancy signal: 18.8 percent of residential meters in Elsa's core ZIP codes were de-energized on October 5, 2026 (1,552 off, 6,685 on), per ERCOT. (ERCOT)
- Elsa is 10 of 22 on a Hidalgo County list of cities and towns ranked by postal-city competitive homes; the next one up is San Juan, at 5,038. (ERCOT)
- By the Census Bureau's 2025 estimates, Elsa is the number 14 city or town by population among the 22 that reach into Hidalgo County, one place ahead of La Joya (5,257 residents). (Census)
- Mailing cities on the 4,557 competitive home meters in 78543, Elsa's main ZIP code: Elsa 4,465, Edinburg 52. A mailing city is not a city limit, so the service address, not the postal name, settles which utility serves a home. (ERCOT)
- Coverage gap: 78541, home to 62 Elsa-addressed meters, has 0.55 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 San Patricio and Magic Valley co-ops. Co-op homes stay off the competitive market unless their co-op opts in. (ERCOT, Census, EIA-861)
- The ACS 2020-2024 median household income tops out in 78543 ($44,527) and bottoms out in 78538 ($40,399) among Elsa's core ZIP codes, where 31.1 and 27.4 percent of households, respectively, report electric bills above $250. (Census)
Elsa electricity by the numbers
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 5,820 |
| Population (2020 estimates base) | 5,677 |
| Occupied households (ACS 2020-2024) | 1,978 |
| Active residential meters with an Elsa address | 4,756 |
| Active business meters with an Elsa address | 661 |
| Residential meters per Census household | 2.4 |
| Delivery utilities (homes) | AEP Texas Central 4,756 |
| Counties | Hidalgo |
| ZIP codes touching Elsa | 6 |
| Split ZIP codes (flagged below) | 3 |
How we built these numbers. Download: Elsa ZIP table (CSV).
What do electricity plans cost in Elsa right now?
Same-day medians for AEP Texas Central’s area (AEP Texas Central: 164 listings), delivery included; not a quote.
| Delivery utility | 500 kWh | 1,000 kWh | 2,000 kWh | Delivery charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Texas Central | 12.7¢ | 12.1¢ | 12¢ | 5.6898¢/kWh + $3.24/mo (effective September 29, 2026; tariff) |
Elsa 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 Elsa address | Share of ZIP land in Elsa | Mailing cities | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78596 | 1.12 | 14,221 | 12,731 | 34 | 0% | Weslaco 99% | Near-full coverage. 17 new residential meters Oct 7-18, 2026. Mostly outside Elsa city limits. |
| 78541 | 0.55 | 9,211 | 16,679 | 62 | 0% | Edinburg 99% | Split. Partial coverage. 12 new residential meters Oct 7-18, 2026. Mostly outside Elsa city limits. |
| 78542 | 0.27 | 6,403 | 23,943 | 34 | 0% | Edinburg 99% | Split. Partial coverage. 14 new residential meters Oct 7-18, 2026. Mostly outside Elsa city limits. |
| 78543 | 1.61 | 4,557 | 2,834 | 4,465 | 33% | Elsa 98%, Edinburg 1% | Near-full coverage. |
| 78538 | 0.60 | 2,128 | 3,556 | 104 | 0% | Edcouch 60%, Monte Alto 33%, Elsa 5% | Split. Most homes, not all. Mostly outside Elsa city limits. |
| 78549 | 1.87 | 498 | 266 | 26 | 0% | Hargill 90%, Elsa 5%, Edinburg 5% | Near-full coverage. Mostly outside Elsa city limits. |
Split ZIP codes for Elsa: 78538, 78541, 78542.
Homes, renters and electric bills in Elsa’s ZIP codes
ZIP 78543 leads Elsa on electric bills over $250 a month, reported by 31.1 percent of its households; 78538 has the largest renter share, 27.1 percent (Census ACS 2020-2024).
| ZIP | Bills $250+ | Household income (median) | Built since 2020 | Elsa-addressed homes | Renting | Meters added Oct 7-18 | In 5+ unit buildings | Vacant-to-active switches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78543 | 31.1% | $44,527 | 3.0% | 4,465 | 25.5% | 8 | 1.7% | 14 |
| 78538 | 27.4% | $40,399 | 2.4% | 104 | 27.1% | 1 | 2.8% | 12 |
ACS 2020-2024 by ZCTA; meters: ERCOT daily files, Oct 7-18, 2026.
Elsa and its neighbors
| Nearby town (2,000+ residents) | Wires utility | Can homes choose? | Postal-city meters per household | Distance | Competitive homes, postal city |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edcouch | AEP Texas Central | Yes, mostly | 1.21 | 2 mi away | 1,297 homes |
| La Villa | AEP Texas Central | Yes, mostly | 0.77 | 4 mi away | 470 homes |
| Weslaco | AEP Texas Central | Yes, mostly | 1.07 | 9 mi away | 15,166 homes |
| Donna | AEP Texas Central | Yes, mostly | 1.70 | 10 mi away | 8,373 homes |
| Edinburg | AEP Texas Central | Yes, mostly | 0.81 | 10 mi away | 28,882 homes |
| Santa Rosa | AEP Texas Central | Yes, mostly | 1.32 | 11 mi away | 1,144 homes |
Business electricity in Elsa
Elsa business meters: 661 (7.2 homes per business meter); large non-residential meters in Elsa’s main ZIP codes: 2 (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 Elsa?
ZIP first, then your address; read each plan’s Electricity Facts Label before choosing.
Common questions about electricity in Elsa
Can Elsa residents pick their own electric company?
Most Elsa homes can. ERCOT's October 5, 2026 extract has 4,756 Elsa-addressed homes on AEP Texas Central's competitive system, compared with 1,978 households in the Census survey. Addresses in 78538, 78541, 78542 (all split) need an exact-address check before you shop.
What is the biggest Elsa ZIP code for electricity customers?
78543. It holds 4,465 Elsa-addressed competitive homes; counting every address in the ZIP, ERCOT has 4,557 meters for roughly 2,834 households, a 1.61 ratio. The weakest coverage among Elsa's ZIP codes: 78541, 0.55.
How many Elsa households have a $250 electric bill?
78543 has the highest share of $250-plus monthly electric bills among Elsa's core ZIP codes (31.1 percent of households, ACS 2020-2024); 78538 has 27.4 percent. Bigger and all-electric homes push the share up.
How do I start electric service at a new Elsa address?
Start with the address check: AEP Texas Central-delivered Elsa homes choose among the plans offered there and set a start date. Turnover is real in 78543, where 3.8% moved in the past year (ACS); ERCOT logged 14 vacant-to-active meters in 78543 Oct. 7-18, 2026.
Why are there more electric meters than households in Elsa?
4,756 Elsa-addressed meters against 1,978 city households is 2.4 per household: the Elsa 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.
Where do I report a Elsa power outage?
AEP Texas Central, at aeptexas.com/outages: it carries power to all 4,756 Elsa-addressed competitive homes, whatever retail provider bills them.
Where to next?
Up: AEP Texas Central area · Hidalgo County
Nearest town pages: Weslaco · Donna · Edinburg · Mercedes · Alamo · San Juan · La Feria · Pharr
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)
- AEP Texas (Central Division)
- AEP Texas Central delivery tariff (effective September 29, 2026)
- Census Bureau 2025 Gazetteer Files, Texas places (land and water area)
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