Mercedes, Texas electricity: AEP Texas Central wires, 1 split ZIP code to check
7,559 Mercedes-addressed homes buy power on AEP Texas Central's system. 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 7,559 active residential meters with a Mercedes address, all on AEP Texas Central's wires (October 5, 2026). 1 of Mercedes's ZIP codes is split, so most addresses can shop, but yours needs a check.
Who delivers electricity in Mercedes?
Outages: AEP Texas Central at aeptexas.com/outages.
AEP Texas Central delivery charges and area
Can every address in Mercedes choose an electricity provider?
7,538 of 7,538 Mercedes-addressed competitive homes (100%) are in split ZIP codes (78570), where a neighbor may have a different utility.
1 more utility (co-op, city-owned or non-ERCOT; EIA 2024) also serves parts of Hidalgo County; no retail choice there unless the utility opted in.
Moving to Mercedes
Local numbers for setting up a home in Mercedes, each checked on the official source. More contacts, and a printable list, are on Mercedes helpful move-in information.
- Water and utility billing: City of Mercedes: utility billing, 956-565-3114.
- Natural gas: Texas Gas Service: customer service, 800-700-2443.
- Public schools: Mercedes ISD, Weslaco 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 Mercedes 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 Mercedes?
- Population: 16,263 (2020 base) to 17,915 (July 2025), +10.2%, per Census Vintage 2025 estimates. The largest one-year change was +681 people, from July 2023 to July 2024. (Census)
- Mailing addresses stretch past city limits here. 7,559 competitive residential meters use Mercedes as their postal city, while the city itself has 5,205 Census households, a ratio of 1.45. (ERCOT, Census)
- Of the 810,296 homes AEP Texas Central serves on the competitive market, 0.9% have a Mercedes mailing address. (ERCOT)
- From Oct. 7 to Oct. 18, 2026, 39 residential meters in Mercedes's main ZIP codes went from vacant to active in ERCOT's daily files, which usually means a move-in. (ERCOT)
- 1,339 of the 8,880 home meters in Mercedes's main ZIP codes (15.1%) were de-energized on October 5, 2026, typically a vacant unit awaiting its next account. (ERCOT)
- Nearly all Mercedes-addressed competitive homes (7,538) are in one ZIP code, 78570. ZIP-wide, ERCOT counts 7,541 competitive meters for 9,161 Census households, a 0.82 ratio. (ERCOT, Census)
- By competitive homes on its postal city, Mercedes is number 8 of the 22 cities and towns touching Hidalgo County, just behind Alamo (8,166). (ERCOT)
- In 78570, the ZIP holding most Mercedes homes, the ACS 2020-2024 survey finds a median household income of $41,965, 25.8% renters and 28.5% of households with $250+ monthly electric bills. (Census)
- Of Mercedes's six nearest towns, Weslaco has the most competitive homes (15,166, 5 mi away) and La Villa the fewest per household (0.77). (ERCOT, Census)
Mercedes electricity by the numbers
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Population (July 1, 2025 estimate) | 17,915 |
| Population (2020 estimates base) | 16,263 |
| Occupied households (ACS 2020-2024) | 5,205 |
| Active residential meters with a Mercedes address | 7,559 |
| Active business meters with a Mercedes address | 1,332 |
| Residential meters per Census household | 1.45 |
| Delivery utilities (homes) | AEP Texas Central 7,559 |
| Counties | Hidalgo |
| ZIP codes touching Mercedes | 1 |
| Split ZIP codes (flagged below) | 1 |
How we built these numbers. Download: Mercedes ZIP table (CSV).
What do electricity plans cost in Mercedes 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) |
Mercedes 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 | Mercedes homes | Land in Mercedes | Postal cities | Competitive homes (ERCOT) | Households (Census) | Ratio | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78570 | 7,538 | 16% | Mercedes 100% | 7,541 | 9,161 | 0.82 | Split. Most homes, not all. |
Split ZIP codes for Mercedes: 78570.
Homes, renters and electric bills in Mercedes’s ZIP codes
$250+ monthly electric bills peak in 78570 (28.5% of households).
| ZIP | Mercedes homes | Median income | Renters | 5+ units | $250+ bills | Built 2020+ | New meters | Vacant to active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78570 | 7,538 | $41,965 | 25.8% | 1.8% | 28.5% | 2.7% | 5 | 39 |
ACS 2020-2024 by ZCTA; meters: ERCOT daily files, Oct 7-18, 2026.
How do towns near Mercedes compare?
| Town (2,000+ people) | Miles | Competitive homes | Per household | Utility | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weslaco | 5 mi | 15,166 | 1.07 | AEP Texas Central | Most addresses can choose |
| Progreso | 5 mi | 1,767 | 1.52 | AEP Texas Central | Most addresses can choose |
| La Feria | 5 mi | 4,945 | 1.88 | AEP Texas Central | Most addresses can choose |
| Donna | 8 mi | 8,373 | 1.70 | AEP Texas Central | Most addresses can choose |
| Santa Rosa | 9 mi | 1,144 | 1.32 | AEP Texas Central | Most addresses can choose |
| La Villa | 10 mi | 470 | 0.77 | AEP Texas Central | Most addresses can choose |
Business electricity in Mercedes
Mercedes business meters: 1,332 (5.7 homes per business meter); large non-residential meters in Mercedes’s main ZIP codes: 3 (ERCOT, October 5, 2026).
We compare retail providers and direct suppliers and can bid out high-consumption accounts, but we can’t promise savings or how many suppliers will bid. Businesses in Texas retail-choice areas can request a rate review online.
How do I compare electricity plans in Mercedes?
ZIP first, then your address; read each plan’s Electricity Facts Label before choosing.
Common questions about electricity in Mercedes
Can I choose my electricity provider in Mercedes?
Yes, where AEP Texas Central's wires reach the house, which in Mercedes is most of the city: 7,559 homes with a Mercedes mailing address were on the competitive market on October 5, 2026, 1.45 for each Census household. Split ZIP codes for Mercedes: 78570; on those, check the exact address.
Which Mercedes ZIP code has the most homes on the competitive market?
78570, with 7,541 competitive homes in ERCOT's data (7,538 addressed to Mercedes) against roughly 9,161 Census households, a 0.82 ratio.
How many businesses in Mercedes are on the competitive electricity market?
Yes, where AEP Texas Central delivers: 1,332 Mercedes-addressed business meters are on the competitive market in ERCOT's data, and large accounts can also buy from commercial suppliers directly.
How do I start electric service at a new Mercedes address?
Confirm the address is on AEP Texas Central's wires, then pick a plan and a start date. In 78570, 7.0% of residents moved in the past year (ACS); 39 78570 meters went vacant-to-active Oct. 7-18, 2026.
Why are there more electric meters than households in Mercedes?
7,559 Mercedes-addressed meters against 5,205 city households is 1.45 per household: the Mercedes 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 Mercedes when the power goes out?
AEP Texas Central, at aeptexas.com/outages: it carries power to all 7,559 Mercedes-addressed competitive homes, whatever retail provider bills them.
Where to next?
Up: AEP Texas Central area · Hidalgo County
Nearest town pages: Weslaco · Donna · Alamo · Harlingen · San Juan · San Benito · Pharr · Edinburg
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)
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