What Is the Average Electricity Bill in Texas?

Last updated: October 18, 2026  ·  6 min read

It's a fair thing to want a benchmark for — is what you're paying normal, or are you quietly overpaying? There is a national number to anchor on, but the honest answer comes with a big asterisk: Texas bills swing hard with the seasons, and the "average" is really just the midpoint of a very wide range. Here's the figure most people are looking for, and why your own home may sit far above or below it.

Why Texas Bills Swing So Much by Season

The single biggest thing to understand about a Texas power bill is that there really is no steady "monthly" number. In the mild stretches of spring and fall, with the air conditioner and heater both mostly off, a home might use around 1,000 kilowatt-hours and land comfortably below the average. Then summer arrives, the AC runs for hours a day, and that same home can push past 2,000 kWh with a bill in the $250 to $300 range. The yearly average of roughly $186 is just the middle of that ride, not a figure you will actually see on most months. Estimates vary from source to source, so treat every number here as a rough benchmark rather than a promise.

What a Bill Looks Like by Home Size

Home size is the next big lever. The EIA-based estimates below give a feel for how usage and the monthly bill climb as you move from a small apartment up to a large house. Treat these as estimates, not quotes — your own place depends on insulation, how many people live there, and how hard you run the AC.

Home size	Typical monthly use	Estimated monthly bill
One-bedroom apartment	~873 kWh	~$148
Two-bedroom apartment	~1,046 kWh	~$178
Small house	~1,177 kWh	~$200
Large house	~1,503 kWh	~$255

Counted by people rather than bedrooms, the pattern is similar: a one or two person apartment often lands somewhere around 500 to 1,000 kWh a month, while a family house more commonly runs 1,200 to 2,000 or more. For a fuller breakdown, see our guide to average electricity usage in a Texas home.

The 17-Cent Figure Is the All-In Rate, Not the Energy Charge

Here is the nuance that trips most people up, and it is worth getting right. That roughly 17 cents per kWh is the all-in average price — it already bundles the energy charge, the TDU delivery charges that carry power over the wires to your home, and the various monthly fees. The energy charge on its own is lower; in the appliance examples across these guides we use about 14 cents per kWh for the energy portion, and the all-in number lands higher once delivery and fees are stacked on top. Your bill is simply your usage multiplied by that all-in rate, which is why understanding the delivery charges matters as much as the headline energy rate.

Why Your Bill Might Be Higher Than Average

If your bill runs above the average, the cause is usually one of two things. The first is simply usage: a bigger house, electric heat in a winter cold snap, a pool pump, or a hot Texas summer will all lift your kilowatt-hours, and there is nothing abnormal about a bill north of $250 in the peak of summer. The second is the rate you are paying. A plan that has expired into a month-to-month rate, or a variable rate that has drifted upward, can sit well above the current market, so the very same usage quietly costs you more than it needs to. The first cause you manage with your thermostat; the second you fix by switching.

The Rate That Actually Moves Your Bill

Averages are a useful sanity check, but they never pay a bill. What decides your cost is your own usage multiplied by your own effective rate, and the cheapest plan is the one that is lowest at your real usage rather than at some average home. A plan built to look cheap at exactly 1,000 kWh can be the wrong choice for a 2,000 kWh house. The only way to know is to compare at the number your home actually uses.

Common Questions

What is the average electricity bill in Texas?

Based on EIA figures, a typical Texas home uses about 1,100 kWh a month and pays roughly 180 to 190 dollars, near 186 dollars on recent data, at an all-in price of about 17 cents per kWh. Estimates vary, and the average hides big seasonal swings. Summer bills can top 250 to 300 dollars once air conditioning pushes usage past 2,000 kWh, while a mild spring month can run well under the average.

How much electricity does a 2-person household use per month?

A one or two person apartment often uses somewhere around 500 to 1,000 kWh a month, depending on the size of the place, whether the heat is electric, and how hard the AC works in summer. On recent EIA-based estimates a two-bedroom apartment averages roughly 1,046 kWh, which lands near 178 dollars a month at Texas all-in prices. A small, efficient one-bedroom can sit closer to 870 kWh.

Why is my Texas electricity bill higher than average?

Usually it is usage, not the average being wrong. Summer air conditioning is the biggest driver, easily pushing a home past 2,000 kWh and the bill past 250 to 300 dollars. A larger house, electric heating in winter, a pool pump, or simply more people at home all add kilowatt-hours. The other common cause is the rate itself: an expired or variable plan can sit well above the market, so the same usage costs more than it should.

What is a normal electricity bill for an apartment versus a house?

Roughly speaking, a 1 or 2 person apartment tends to run about 500 to 1,000 kWh a month, which is often somewhere around 150 to 180 dollars at Texas all-in prices. A family house more commonly uses 1,200 to 2,000 or more kWh, landing closer to 200 to 260 dollars, and higher in peak summer. These are estimates and your own number depends on square footage, insulation, and how much you run the AC.

Key Terms

Kilowatt-hour · Effective Rate · TDU Charge · Full Glossary →