# Winters, Texas electricity: AEP Texas North wires and 1,218 competitive homes

_Updated October 19, 2026. Data: ERCOT Oct 5, 2026; Census ACS 2020-2024; Power to Choose Oct 19, 2026, 7:59 AM CT._

**Winters at a glance:** 1,218 Winters-addressed homes, all wired by AEP Texas North (ERCOT, Oct. 5, 2026). Winters's 1,218 placed homes sit in unsplit ZIP codes; a lookup still confirms each address.

## Moving to Winters

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

- **City hall (ask about water service):** City of Winters: City Hall (main line), 325-754-4424.
- **Natural gas:** Atmos Energy: customer service, 888-286-6700.
- **Public schools:** Winters ISD.
- **Driver license:** Texas DPS Driver License Office: Ballinger, 512-424-2600.

## Facts
- Land: 2.4 sq mi (water 0.6); 960 residents and 363 households per sq mi; 2.65 people per Winters 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/)
- Heating fuel, Winters homes (ACS 2020-2024): electricity 41.2% (±10), utility gas 54.3%, propane 2.2%; Runnels County overall: 41.1% electric. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- Of Winters homes paying a power bill, 24.9% report $250 or more a month and 19.5% under $100 (Runnels County: 29.5% at $250+). (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- Housing stock: 84.3% detached houses; median year built 1958, 0.8% built 2010 or later. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- Winters-addressed home meters on Oct. 5, 2026: 1,218 active, 296 inactive, 269 de-energized, so 31.7% were not in use (ERCOT). (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- ACS 2020-2024: 22.1% of Winters housing units vacant (±7). Vacant homes keep meters that are not counted as households. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- 1,218 home meters use the Winters postal name, against 855 households inside city limits (1.42 per household): the mailing area runs well past the boundary. (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/)
- 79567 carries every one of Winters's placed homes; ratio across the whole ZIP 1.16, from 1,296 home meters in all and 1,120 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/)

## Homes: heating fuel, bills, housing (ACS 2020-2024, the city (Census boundary))
- Heat with electricity: 41.2%
- Heat with utility gas: 54.3%
- Bill $250 or more: 24.9%
- Built 2010 or later: 0.8%
- Renter households: 37.1%
- Median year built: 1958

## Meters and households
- Residents, July 2025: 2,263
- Residents, 2020 base: 2,349
- Households (ACS): 855
- Active home meters: 1,218
- Inactive home meters: 296
- De-energized home meters: 269
- Active small-business meters: 372
- Active large-business meters: 0
- Home meters per household: 1.42
- ZIP codes listed: 1
- Split ZIP codes: 0
- County: Runnels

## Plan prices (Oct 19, 2026 medians)
AEP Texas North (160 listings): 13.7¢ / 13¢ / 12.8¢ per kWh at 500 / 1,000 / 2,000 kWh, delivery 5.5751¢ + $3.24/mo included.

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

| ZIP | Homes with this address | All ZIP homes | Households | Ratio | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79567 | 1,218 | 1,296 | 1,120 | 1.16 | none |

## Businesses
372 business meters. Business rate reviews: /business.

## Questions
**Can Winters homes choose an electric provider?** Yes, on AEP Texas North's wires: 1,218 Winters homes were on the competitive market Oct. 5, 2026 (1.42 per household). Confirm your address.
**Why are some Winters electric bills so high in winter?** 41.2% of Winters homes heat with electricity (ACS 2020-2024, margin ±10) and 54.3% with utility gas; 24.9% of bill-paying homes report $250 or more a month. Electric-heat homes should compare plans at winter usage.
**Which ZIP code covers most of Winters?** 79567 (1,218 Winters homes on the competitive market). Across the full ZIP: 1.16 meters per household, 1,296 home meters in all.
**Who handles Winters power outages?** Outages go to AEP Texas North (aeptexas.com/outages), the wires utility for 1,218 Winters competitive homes.
**How do I set up power at a new Winters home?** Check the address is on AEP Texas North's wires, choose a plan and a start date. Winters had 565 idle home meters (inactive or de-energized) on Oct. 5, 2026, so many move-ins reconnect an existing meter.

## 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
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: meters by status and premise type, by postal city: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B25040, B25132, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25018, B19013, B25003, B25002, B25004 (90% margins of error): https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- 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 (North Division): https://www.aeptexas.com/
- AEP Texas North 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/
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B25040, B25132, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25018, B19013, B25003, B25002, B25004 (90% margins of error): https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B25040, B25132, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25018, B19013, B25003, B25002, B25004 (90% margins of error): https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B25040, B25132, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25018, B19013, B25003, B25002, B25004 (90% margins of error): 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 estimates, tables B25040, B25132, B25024, B25034, B25035, B25018, B19013, B25003, B25002, B25004 (90% margins of error): 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/
- 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

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