The Woodlands Electricity Rates & Plans
By the TexasPowerCost Editorial Team — independent Texas electricity analysis · Last reviewed October 18, 2026 · how we analyze plans
Last updated: October 18, 2026 · 7 min read
The Woodlands is one of the most successful master-planned communities in the United States — a township of roughly 120,000 residents spread across 11 villages, with a housing stock that trends significantly larger and more energy-intensive than the average Houston suburb. That makes it a city where the gap between the advertised electricity rate and the real bill is particularly large, and where choosing the right plan structure can save hundreds of dollars per year.
The short answer
All Woodlands ZIP codes (77380, 77381, 77382, 77384–77387, 77389) are CenterPoint Energy territory — fully deregulated. Fixed-rate plans as of May 2026 typically advertise 9.5–13.5¢/kWh at 1,000 kWh. Woodlands homes in Alden Bridge, Carlton Woods, and Creekside Park regularly use 2,000–2,800 kWh in August. At that usage level, the 2,000 kWh EFL tier is the number that matters — not the 1,000 kWh advertised figure.
CenterPoint Energy in The Woodlands
CenterPoint Energy is the TDU for all of The Woodlands in Montgomery County. CenterPoint's TDSP charges appear on every Woodlands electricity bill regardless of which REP you use. At 1,000 kWh, combined CenterPoint delivery charges typically add $13–$18 to the bill. At 2,000 kWh — common for a 4-bedroom Woodlands home in August — the delivery component rises to $24–$34.
Your retail electric provider (REP) handles pricing, billing, and plan structure. With 60–90 plans typically available across 20+ providers in Woodlands ZIPs, the market is competitive — but the variation in how plans price above 1,000 kWh is significant and is the key determinant of cost for large-home households.
The Woodlands Villages — Usage by Area
| Village / Area | Primary ZIP | Typical Housing | Est. August Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grogan's Mill / Town Center | 77380 | 1970s–80s, 1,500–2,500 sq ft | 1,300–1,800 kWh |
| Panther Creek / Cochran's Crossing | 77381 | 1980s–90s, 2,000–3,500 sq ft | 1,500–2,200 kWh |
| Indian Springs / Alden Bridge | 77382 | 1990s–2000s, 2,000–4,000 sq ft | 1,700–2,500 kWh |
| Carlton Woods / Sterling Ridge | 77382 / 77389 | 2000s–2010s, 3,000–6,000 sq ft | 2,000–3,000 kWh |
| Creekside Park | 77389 | 2010s–2020s, 2,500–4,500 sq ft | 1,900–2,600 kWh |
A Texas example
The Thompson family in Carlton Woods (77382) has a 4,200 sq ft home with a pool and three HVAC zones. August usage: 2,720 kWh. Plan advertised at 10.0¢/kWh. Expected bill: ~$100 for 1,000 kWh of energy. Actual August bill: $336.80. At 2,720 kWh, the plan's rate above the 2,000 kWh EFL tier applied to 720 kWh at 9.2¢, while the first 2,000 kWh were billed at the interpolated rate of 9.7¢. CenterPoint TDSP added $35, taxes added $19, and the $9.95 base charge rounded it out. The 10.0¢ advertised rate was a number calibrated for a home using less than half their August consumption.
Why The Woodlands Deserves Special Attention on Plan Comparison
Most Texas electricity comparison sites rank plans by their 1,000 kWh advertised rate. For a 1,200 sq ft apartment in Midtown Houston, that ranking is roughly accurate. For a 3,500 sq ft Woodlands home in Alden Bridge, it is actively misleading — because plan rankings change substantially between the 1,000 and 2,000 kWh pricing tiers.
A plan with a high 1,000 kWh rate but a steep discount at 2,000 kWh can be significantly cheaper for a Woodlands household than a plan that looks better at 1,000 kWh but maintains a high rate all the way to 2,000 kWh. The linear interpolation methodology used by this site catches exactly this inversion — every plan's true cost at your usage level, not just at the three EFL benchmarks.
The math
Woodlands home, 2,200 kWh in August. Plan A: 11.0¢ at 1,000 kWh, 9.0¢ at 2,000 kWh — energy at 2,000 kWh: $9.0¢ × 2,000 = $180.00, then 200 kWh above 2,000 at 9.0¢ = $18.00. Total energy: $198.00. Plan B: 10.2¢ flat rate at 1,000 and 2,000 kWh — energy: 10.2¢ × 2,200 = $224.40. Plan A saves $26.40 in one August month — roughly $132 over five summer months — despite having an advertised rate 0.8¢ higher than Plan B.
Watch out
The Woodlands Township Utility Department handles water and wastewater — not electricity. This causes confusion among new residents who assume the township also manages their electric account. Electricity in The Woodlands is a CenterPoint delivery / competitive REP arrangement, entirely separate from township services. If you received a "default" electricity service notice from an unfamiliar company when moving in, that is a transitional REP arrangement, not the township — and you can (and should) switch it.
Smart move
The Woodlands' tree canopy is a genuine energy advantage — shaded homes use measurably less cooling energy than equivalent homes in sun-exposed suburban developments. If you are buying in The Woodlands, a forested lot in Grogan's Mill or Panther Creek may use 200–400 kWh less per month in summer than a comparable home in Creekside Park's newer, less-shaded sections. That usage reduction compounds with every year of plan savings.
Key Takeaways
All Woodlands ZIP codes are CenterPoint territory — TDU charges are fixed. The township's large-home housing stock means summer usage often exceeds 2,000 kWh, making the 2,000 kWh EFL tier the most predictive pricing point for most households. Plan rankings at 1,000 kWh can be substantially different from rankings at 2,000 kWh — always compare at your actual summer peak.
Find the cheapest Woodlands plan for your village and home size
Enter your ZIP and bedroom count — plans ranked by true interpolated cost, not the 1,000 kWh benchmark.
Compare Woodlands Plans →Frequently Asked Questions
What are typical electricity rates in The Woodlands, Texas?
As of May 2026, fixed-rate plans in The Woodlands (CenterPoint Energy territory) typically advertise 9.5–13.5 cents per kWh at 1,000 kWh. The Woodlands' housing stock is skewed toward larger homes in upscale villages, where August usage regularly reaches 1,800–2,500 kWh. The true cost at that usage level differs substantially from the advertised 1,000 kWh rate. Search by your ZIP for an accurate calculation.
Who is the electricity TDU for The Woodlands?
CenterPoint Energy serves all of The Woodlands in Montgomery County as the regulated TDU. CenterPoint owns the poles, wires, and meters. You cannot change your TDU, but you can freely switch your retail electric provider (REP) at any time.
What ZIP codes cover The Woodlands for electricity?
The Woodlands spans multiple ZIP codes including 77380, 77381, 77382, 77384, 77385, 77386, 77387, 77389, and 77354 (Magnolia/The Woodlands border). All are within CenterPoint's service territory. The core village ZIPs — 77380, 77381, 77382, and 77389 — have the broadest plan inventory.
Are The Woodlands electricity rates higher because it's an affluent community?
No. CenterPoint TDU delivery charges are uniform across all ZIPs in the service area regardless of property values. REPs file plans by ZIP code with the PUCT and do not adjust pricing for neighborhood income levels. The Woodlands has access to the same competitive market as all other CenterPoint-served communities.
Why are The Woodlands summer electricity bills so high?
The primary driver is home size, not plan pricing. The Woodlands' village system — Grogan's Mill, Panther Creek, Cochran's Crossing, Indian Springs, Alden Bridge, Carlton Woods, Creekside Park — has a high concentration of homes above 3,000 sq ft. Larger conditioned spaces, multi-zone HVAC, pools, and home offices compound into summer usage well above the 1,000 kWh EFL benchmark.
How do I find the cheapest electricity plan for a large Woodlands home?
Download your 12-month usage history from Smart Meter Texas (smartmetertexas.com), identify your summer peak month (usually July or August), and compare plans using the True Cost Calculator at that usage level. For homes above 2,000 kWh in summer, the plan's EFL rate at 2,000 kWh is more predictive than the 1,000 kWh advertised figure.
Your Next Move
Enter your Woodlands ZIP in the search tool for live, ranked plans at your usage level. The True Cost Calculator is especially valuable for large Woodlands homes — input your actual monthly kWh for each month to see the full annual bill under any plan. For the broader CenterPoint territory context, the Houston electricity rates guide covers delivery charges and market structure. Neighboring Conroe and Spring are also CenterPoint markets with similar plan inventory.