If your electricity contract ends next week in Texas, act now: confirm your exact end date, review your renewal notice, and lock in a new plan before the current one rolls over. Waiting even a few extra days can push your account onto a default month-to-month variable rate that costs more per kWh than almost any fixed plan on the market.
Texas electricity customers get more control over their bills than residents in most other states, but that control only works if you use it before the deadline. Your retail electric provider (REP) still owes you notice before your electricity contract expires, and your local transmission and distribution utility (TDU) will keep the lights on no matter what happens with your plan.
The part that changes is your rate, and a week is enough time to protect it if you move fast.
What to Do Before the Current Plan Rolls Over
You have a short window to confirm your contract end date, check your renewal terms, and switch providers without paying a penalty. Handle these steps in order, starting today. The final days before contract expiration carry the most financial risk.
Confirm the Exact Contract End Date Today
Pull your most recent electricity bill or log into your provider’s online account to find the exact contract expiration date. Providers list this date clearly on renewal notices sent in the 90 days before your term ends, but if you never opened those letters, check now rather than guess.
A one-day miscalculation can mean the difference between switching penalty-free and paying an early termination fee.
Read the Renewal Notice and Default Product Terms
Your renewal notice should show the contract end date in bold, underlined text, along with your renewal offer and what happens if you do nothing. PUCT rules require this disclosure, and the notice must state that no early termination fee applies during the final 14 days of your term.
Compare the renewal offer against your current rate. Many Texas electricity customers find that renewal pricing runs higher than the rate a brand-new customer would get for the same plan.
Use the Final 14 Days to Avoid an Early Termination Fee
Switch electricity providers inside the last 14 days of your contract to avoid the ETF entirely. PUCT rules protect this window specifically so customers can shop without a penalty hanging over the decision.
If your contract ends next week, you’re very likely already inside that 14-day period. Confirm the date, then move ahead with enrolling in a new plan.
Schedule a New Plan Without Interrupting Service
Enroll with your chosen provider and set the new plan’s start date to match your current contract’s expiration date. The switch happens electronically between REPs, so your TDU (Oncor, CenterPoint Energy, AEP Texas, or Texas-New Mexico Power) keeps delivering power the entire time.
There’s no service gap and no need to be home for the transition.
What if the Account Has Already Moved to Month-to-Month?
If your contract already expired, your provider is required to keep serving you on a default month-to-month variable rate, and ERCOT’s grid keeps operating normally regardless of which plan you’re on. This holdover rate has no early termination fee, so you can switch to a new fixed-rate plan immediately with zero penalty.
Don’t wait to fix it. Every day on the default rate adds cost to your electricity bill.
How to Choose the Next Electricity Plan
Compare your renewal offer against current market plans for your ZIP code, then check the Electricity Facts Label (EFL) for any plan before enrolling. Test the rate against your real kWh usage, watch for bill credits and base charges that shift the math, and pick a contract length that matches your plans for the next year.
Compare the Renewal Offer With Plans Available for Your ZIP Code
Pull current plans for your address instead of assuming your renewal offer is competitive. Rates from providers like TXU Energy, Reliant, Direct Energy, Gexa, and Rhythm vary by ZIP code and change often. A plan that looked good for your neighbor last year may not be the best option on your block today.
You can compare electricity plans and rates for your address to see what’s currently offered where you live before deciding whether to renew or switch.
Read the Electricity Facts Label Before Enrolling
The EFL breaks down the energy charge, base charge, TDU delivery charge, and any bill credits baked into the advertised rate. This document is the most reliable source for understanding what a plan actually costs, since the headline rate on an ad rarely tells the full story.
Check the EFL for early termination fees too, so you know what a future switch would cost.
Test Rates at Your Actual kWh Use and Seasonal Peaks
Look at your last 12 months of electricity bills to see your typical kWh usage, then check how each plan prices out at that level and at your peak summer month. A plan that looks cheap at 1,000 kWh can turn expensive at 500 kWh or 2,000 kWh depending on how it’s structured.
Texas summers push air-conditioning use higher, so test rates against your highest bill of the year, not just an average month.
Watch for Bill Credits, Base Charges and Other Pricing Cliffs
Bill-credit plans often advertise a low rate that only applies once usage crosses a specific threshold, and missing that mark by a small margin can spike your effective rate. Base charges work the opposite way: they hit low-usage households harder because a fixed monthly fee spreads across fewer kWh.
Check both before comparing energy rates side by side.
| Plan Feature | Bill-Credit Plan | Fixed Base-Charge Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Best advertised rate at | Specific usage threshold (often 1,000 kWh) | Any usage level |
| Risk for low usage | Loses credit, rate jumps | Base fee weighs more per kWh |
| Risk for high usage | Usually stays favorable | Energy charge scales normally |
| Predictability | Lower | Higher |
Choose a Contract Length That Fits a Move or Rate-Risk Timeline
Match your contract length to how long you plan to stay at the property and to your comfort with rate swings. A 12-month fixed-rate plan is the most common term in Texas and offers a stable monthly energy bill, while a shorter term gives you flexibility if you expect to move or want to reassess wholesale electricity prices sooner.
Avoid signing a 24 – or 36-month contract if you’re not sure you’ll stay put.
Check the First Bill After the Change Takes Effect
Review your first bill under the new plan against the EFL to confirm the rate, base charge, and TDU fees match what you signed up for. Billing errors happen, and catching one on the first cycle is far easier than untangling it three months in.
Set a calendar reminder for 60 days before this new contract’s end date, so you’re never scrambling again.
Conclusion
A Texas electricity contract ending next week is manageable if you act this week. Confirm your exact end date, read your renewal notice, and use the final 14-day window to switch without an early termination fee.
If you’re already on a default month-to-month rate, switch out of it immediately. There’s no penalty holding you back, so why keep paying that expensive holdover rate?
Compare your renewal offer against current plans for your ZIP code, check the EFL for the real pricing structure, and test rates against your actual usage before signing anything. When you’re ready to lock in your next plan, you can check current electricity plans for your address and avoid landing on that expensive holdover rate.