Prepaid Electricity in Austin, Texas

Austin Prepaid Electricity Plans

In a traditional electricity plan, your power meter measures electricity consumption over a specified billing period, which is typically one month. At the end of the billing period, you are charged based on the measured consumption. However, this also means you can lose track of your electricity usage: after a hot summer month where your air conditioner was working at full capacity, you may get a $400-$700 electric bill.

With a prepaid electricity plan, you deposit funds in your account and all your consumption is subtracted from your balance. There are no surprises, since all the electricity you consume has already been paid for. Prepaid light companies such as Payless Power have an online platform and mobile app where you can keep track of your daily consumption and remaining balance. You get automatic notifications when the balance is low, so you can make another deposit. Prepaid electricity is also known as “pay-as-you-go electricity”.

You can choose a fixed-rate prepaid plan in Austin with a 12-month term, and your energy price will be locked for an entire year. This is especially helpful during the summer months: consumers with variable month-to-month plans pay hefty prices, but have already locked a cheap rate in advance.

Is Prepaid Electricity Available in My Area of Austin?

There is a very simple way to know if you have the power to choose prepaid lights. If your electric bill comes from Austin Energy, you are inside their service territory, which is regulated. On the other hand, if your power bill comes from another company, you are probably in a deregulated area of Austin.

Keep in mind that there are several municipal utilities and electric cooperatives operating close to Austin. If your power bill comes from any of these companies, you are outside of the Austin Energy territory, but still in a regulated electricity area:

• Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative
• City of Georgetown Utilities
• CPS Energy (San Antonio)
• Crossroads Utility Services
• New Braunfels Utilities
• Pedernales Electric Cooperative

If you live in the Greater Austin area and your power bill comes from a company that is not listed above, you are probably in deregulated territory and you can choose an electricity provider.

We have gathered a list of Austin zip codes with electric choice in the five counties covered by the metropolitan area. However, you can search for any ZIP code here: