Why This Guide Exists
Texas deregulated its retail electricity market in 2002, which created real price competition in most of the state. It did not, however, create a simple safety net for households that fall behind. Instead, assistance is distributed across federal programs, state agencies, municipal utility offices, and individual retail electric providers (REPs), each with different income thresholds, application windows, and benefit caps.
The result: a household in Houston facing disconnection may qualify for three or four separate programs simultaneously but has to know where to look. This guide maps those programs, states their eligibility numbers plainly, and explains the sequence that gets money applied to your account fastest.
The Core Programs: What Exists and Who Runs It
1. LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
LIHEAP is the largest federal energy assistance program in the country. In Texas, the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) administers the funds through a network of local Community Action Agencies (CAAs). The federal government sends block grants to states; Texas distributes those grants to roughly 40 local agencies, which then process individual applications.
Benefit amounts. For the 2023-2024 program year, TDHCA reported average LIHEAP benefits in Texas ranging from roughly $250 to $450 per household, depending on county and household size. That figure does not cover a full year’s electricity for most families, but it does cover an overdue balance in most months.
Income thresholds. Eligibility is set at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that was $45,000 in gross annual income for the 2024 program year. Households already receiving SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, or TANF qualify automatically without a separate income verification step.
How to apply. The TDHCA website (tdhca.state.tx.us) maintains a zip-code lookup for your local CAA. Applications open on a rolling basis, but funds are finite and some counties exhaust allocations before the program year ends. Apply early in the fall cycle (usually September through November) if possible. If you are already facing disconnection, tell the CAA intake worker immediately. Most agencies have a crisis intervention process that can accelerate review.
PUCT disclosure requirement. Texas REPs are required by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to provide payment arrangements to customers who have received LIHEAP benefits in the prior 12 months. That is a regulatory floor, not a courtesy. If your REP refuses a payment plan after you have received LIHEAP funds, that is a PUCT complaint-eligible event.
2. CEAP (Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program)
CEAP is a Texas-funded program also administered through TDHCA and the same CAA network. It runs parallel to LIHEAP and, in many counties, a single application covers both. The income threshold is the same: 150% of the federal poverty level.
The distinction matters for one reason: when federal LIHEAP funds are exhausted for the year, CEAP state funds may still be available. Households that miss the LIHEAP window or whose county runs out of federal money should specifically ask whether CEAP funds remain. The two programs draw from different appropriations buckets.
3. Utility Company Bill Assistance Programs
Several large utilities and REPs that operate in Texas maintain their own low-income assistance funds, independent of LIHEAP. These vary significantly in funding depth and eligibility rules.
CenterPoint Energy (Houston-area natural gas and electric delivery). CenterPoint operates the Energy Cents program, which provides one-time credits and deferred payment plans. Eligibility is set at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, which is a wider window than LIHEAP. For a family of four, that threshold reached approximately $60,000 in 2024.
Oncor (North Texas delivery utility). Oncor’s Share the Warmth fund, administered through local nonprofits, provides one-time credits. The fund is donor-supported, so availability fluctuates. Oncor also offers a deferred payment plan for past-due balances of up to 12 months.
AEP Texas (West and South Texas delivery). AEP Texas coordinates the PowerShare program and also connects customers to LIHEAP CAAs directly through their customer service line.
Retail Electric Providers. Some REPs maintain their own hardship funds. Reliant (NRG) operates the Reliant Gives program. Green Mountain Energy funds the Renewable Rewards Hardship Fund. These are smaller in dollar terms and are not legally required by PUCT, but they can be stacked on top of LIHEAP. Ask your REP directly whether they have a hardship fund. If the customer service agent does not know, ask to be transferred to the billing or retention department.
4. 211 Texas and Local Nonprofit Assistance
Dialing 2-1-1 (or visiting 211texas.org) connects callers to a statewide database of local assistance programs. This is not a program itself. It is a triage and referral service operated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Its value is that it surfaces programs that are not widely advertised, including church-based utility funds, municipal emergency assistance pools, and county welfare programs.
For example, Harris County (Houston) has maintained periodic emergency utility assistance through the Harris County Community Services Department, funded separately from LIHEAP. That program does not appear in most online searches but does appear in 211 referrals.
Disconnection Rules in Texas: What Your REP Can and Cannot Do
Understanding the regulatory floor on disconnections is relevant context before any application process. PUCT Substantive Rule 25.483 governs disconnection for non-payment in the deregulated market.
Advance notice. Your REP must provide at least 10 days written notice before disconnecting service. The notice must state the amount owed and the date of disconnection.
Timing restrictions. REPs may not disconnect service on a day when they cannot restore service on the same day. In practice, this means no disconnections on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays, and no disconnections on days before a holiday.
Extreme weather. When the National Weather Service issues a forecast of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below for your service area, REPs are prohibited from disconnecting. This applies specifically to the deregulated service territory. Note: this does not apply during a heat advisory. There is no equivalent summer protection statewide, though some municipal utilities have adopted voluntary heat moratoriums.
Medical baseline protection. If a physician certifies that a household member’s life depends on continuous electric service, your REP must delay disconnection by 63 days and may not disconnect without providing another 10-day notice. The certification must be submitted to the REP in writing. This protection resets once per 12-month period.
Payment arrangement right. Under PUCT rules, customers who have not defaulted on a previous payment arrangement within the last 12 months are entitled to request a deferred payment plan. The REP cannot legally refuse the first such request. Arrangements typically spread the overdue balance over 3 to 6 billing cycles.
If your REP violates any of these rules, file a complaint at puc.texas.gov. PUCT publishes complaint counts by provider quarterly. LightCompanies uses those counts as one input in provider evaluations, because complaint rates are one of the few objective signals available on REP behavior.
The Recommended Sequence When You Are Behind on Your Bill
If your balance is overdue and you are concerned about disconnection, this sequence prioritizes speed and stacking.
Step 1: Call your REP and request a deferred payment plan. Do this before anything else. It stops the disconnection clock while you pursue other assistance. Document the date, time, representative name, and the terms offered. If you are denied, note the stated reason.
Step 2: Apply for LIHEAP and CEAP at your local CAA simultaneously. Locate your CAA through tdhca.state.tx.us. In many counties, one application covers both programs. Mention immediately that you are facing disconnection. Ask specifically about expedited crisis processing.
Step 3: Call 211. Ask the representative to search for utility assistance programs in your specific county. Request referrals to any municipal, county, or nonprofit programs that are currently accepting applications.
Step 4: Ask your REP about their hardship fund. If they maintain one (Reliant, Green Mountain, and a handful of others do), a separate application may layer an additional credit onto your account. Benefit amounts are typically $100 to $300, but stacked on LIHEAP that can cover a meaningful portion of an overdue balance.
Step 5: If your REP denies a legally required payment arrangement or disconnects outside permitted windows, file a PUCT complaint. The complaint form is at puc.texas.gov/consumer/complaint. PUCT generally contacts the REP within a few business days, and that contact frequently produces a resolution faster than continued direct negotiation.
Houston-Specific Notes
Houston sits in the CenterPoint Energy delivery territory, which covers electric distribution for most of Harris County and surrounding areas. Retail supply is deregulated, so Houston residents choose their REP separately from CenterPoint.
Houston-specific resources worth noting:
BakerRipley (formerly Neighborhood Centers) is one of the largest LIHEAP-administering CAAs in Harris County. BakerRipley operates multiple application sites across Houston and can process LIHEAP, CEAP, and some local emergency funds through a single intake appointment. Their intake line tends to have high call volume; applying online through their portal or arriving at a walk-in site early in the morning generally produces faster results.
City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department. The city periodically operates emergency utility assistance using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. Availability is not continuous and depends on federal appropriations cycles. Check houstontx.gov or ask 211 whether a current CDBG utility round is open.
Harris County Community Services Department. Operates independently from the city. Eligibility and available funding differ from city programs. Both are worth checking.
Income Thresholds at a Glance (2024 Program Year)
The following figures use 2024 federal poverty guidelines. TDHCA updates these annually.
| Household Size | 150% FPL (LIHEAP/CEAP) | 200% FPL (CenterPoint Energy Cents) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $21,870 | $29,160 |
| 2 | $29,580 | $39,440 |
| 3 | $37,290 | $49,720 |
| 4 | $45,000 | $60,000 |
| Each additional | +$7,710 | +$10,280 |
Note: These are gross annual income figures. Some programs use net income or exclude certain benefit income from the calculation. Verify the exact definition with the administering agency at the time of application.
A Note on Data Currency
LIHEAP funding levels, CenterPoint program terms, and PUCT rules are subject to change. TDHCA updates its program guidance annually, typically in August before the fall application cycle opens. The figures in this post reflect the most recently published data as of mid-2024. LightCompanies updates this page when TDHCA or PUCT publishes material changes. If you are reading this significantly after that date, verify current thresholds directly at tdhca.state.tx.us and puc.texas.gov before submitting an application.
Summary
Texas has real infrastructure for utility bill assistance. The gap is awareness and sequencing. Most households that fall behind stop at the first program they find, often LIHEAP alone, and do not layer the other available resources. Requesting a deferred payment plan from your REP first protects service while applications are pending. LIHEAP and CEAP applications run concurrently through your local CAA. A 211 call surfaces local programs that do not appear in standard searches. And PUCT rules provide a regulatory backstop that most customers do not know to invoke.
For readers evaluating whether their current REP handles hardship customers fairly, LightCompanies profiles each major Texas REP individually, including their PUCT complaint rates and reported payment arrangement practices. Those profiles are linked from the provider index.