In most Texas retail-choice areas, report a power outage to the transmission and distribution utility that maintains the poles, wires, trs. This company may be described as a TDU or TDSP. The retail electric provider shown on the energy plan usually handles billing, plan terms, and account service rather than field repairs. Municipal utilities and electric cooperatives may handle both roles.[Outage responsibility]
Treat Electrical Danger as an Emergency
- Call 911 for fire, electric shock, a life-threatening medical event, or an immediate public safety threat.
- Never touch a fallen line, a damaged pole, or an object touching electrical equipment. Keep children and pets away.
- Do not drive or walk through standing water when a power line may be in or near the water.
- In CenterPoint Energy territory, the utility instructs people to stay at least 35 feet from a downed line and call 713-207-2222.[Line safety]
- If electrical equipment is wet, sparking, smoking, or producing a burning odor, do not approach the panel or meter to investigate.
Call the Company Responsible for the Problem
Several electricity organizations may appear on a Texas bill or news report, but they do not perform the same work. The correct contact depends on whether the problem involves the local delivery system, the customer account, the building, or the wider grid.
| Situation | Contact | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Neighborhood outage, damaged pole, transformer problem, or fallen line | TDU, municipal utility, or electric cooperative | The local utility owns or operates the delivery equipment and dispatches repair crews. |
| Billing question, rate plan, payment arrangement, or account disconnection | Retail electric provider or municipal billing office | The company managing the account determines billing and plan status. |
| Grid-wide alert or conservation request | ERCOT information channels, where applicable | ERCOT manages the bulk grid for most of Texas but does not repair a residential service line. |
| Only one room, circuit, apartment, or building is affected | Property manager, landlord, or licensed electrician | The fault may be on customer-owned or building-owned equipment rather than the utility system. |
Find the Utility for the Service Address
Do not select an outage company from the electricity brand on an advertisement or from the name of the retail plan. A retail provider may sell plans across several delivery territories.
- Check the latest electric bill. Look for “delivery company,” “TDU,” “TDSP,” “electric utility,” or an outage and emergency contact.
- Use the service address. City limits, county boundaries, ZIP codes, and utility boundaries do not always match. Parts of the same city or ZIP code may be served by different utilities.
- Keep the account identifiers available. An outage system may request the service address, account telephone number, meter number, house number, or Electric Service Identifier, commonly called an ESI ID.
- Use the Public Utility Commission of Texas locator when the bill is unavailable. The PUCT Storm Resources area directs users to utility outage maps and contact information.[Utility locator]
A utility map should be treated as an address-verification aid, not as proof that every property inside a city uses the same company. This is especially relevant in metropolitan edges, annexed areas, unincorporated communities, and places where municipal, cooperative, and investor-owned systems meet.
Texas TDU and Local Utility Outage Contacts
The table covers the main delivery utilities in Texas retail-choice areas and Lubbock’s local delivery system. It does not represent every municipal utility, cooperative, or utility operating outside the competitive retail market.
| Utility | Common Service-Area Pattern | Outage Reporting | Map or Status Tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oncor Electric Delivery | More than 400 communities across parts of North, Central, East, and West Texas. Its territory includes much of the Dallas–Fort Worth area but is not defined by Metroplex or city boundaries alone.[Service area] | 888-313-4747. Customers enrolled in MyOncor Alerts may text OUT to 66267.[Outage contact] | Oncor Storm Center and online outage reporting |
| CenterPoint Energy | Greater Houston and surrounding portions of the Upper Gulf Coast. CenterPoint maintains the electric delivery infrastructure in its certificated territory rather than every address described broadly as the Houston metropolitan area.[Service area] | 713-207-2222, or the Action Center online report form.[Outage contact] | CenterPoint Outage Tracker and Power Alert Service |
| AEP Texas | Separate service areas spread across South Texas and West Texas, including parts of the Coastal Bend, Rio Grande Valley, and inland western regions.[Service area] | 866-223-8508, or the AEP Texas online reporting system.[Outage contact] | AEP Texas Outage Map and outage-status search |
| Texas-New Mexico Power | Disconnected territories in North-Central Texas, the Gulf Coast, and West Texas. A nearby Oncor or CenterPoint address does not establish that a TNMP address uses the same utility.[Service area] | 888-866-7456. Select option 1 for an outage or estimate and option 2 for an equipment hazard.[Outage contact] | TNMP Power Outage Map and online report button |
| Lubbock Power & Light | Electric delivery within the LP&L service territory in Lubbock. Choosing a retail electricity plan does not transfer responsibility for local lines and outage restoration to the retail provider. | 806-775-2509, available 24 hours for outage reports.[Outage contact] | LP&L Live Outage Map |
Customers served by Austin Energy, CPS Energy, Entergy Texas, El Paso Electric, a city-owned system, or an electric cooperative should use that utility’s direct outage channel. The PUCT Storm Resources directory includes additional utility maps and downed-line contacts.[Statewide coverage]
Report the Outage in the Right Order
- Look for an immediate hazard. Check for a fallen line, damaged pole, fire, sparks, electrical odor, flooded equipment, or a medical emergency. Move away and call 911 when life or public safety is threatened.
- Determine the apparent scope. Without approaching electrical equipment, check whether streetlights, common areas, or nearby properties are also dark. A single affected unit may point to building-owned equipment.
- Check the breaker only when conditions are dry and safe. Do not stand in water, touch a hot panel, or repeatedly reset a breaker that trips again.
- Collect the reporting information. Have the full service address, account telephone number, meter or ESI ID if available, the approximate outage start time, and a clear description of any damaged equipment.
- Submit the report through the utility’s direct channel. Use the official outage form, mobile service, text system, or telephone number. Save any confirmation or case number.
- Monitor the utility map and alerts. A restoration time is an estimate based on the information available at that stage of inspection and repair.
- Report a new or remaining problem when conditions change. A newly fallen line, sparking transformer, or isolated address that remains dark after area restoration needs a new report.
A TNMP Breaker Check May Prevent an Unnecessary Charge
TNMP instructs customers to check their breakers safely before reporting an outage. The utility warns that a fee may apply when a service call is made but the problem is not on TNMP equipment, and there may not be enough time to cancel the call after dispatch.[Service-call warning]
Read an Outage Map Without Treating It as an Exact Address Record
Customers Out and Active Outages Are Different Counts
One damaged device or circuit can interrupt service to many customers. An outage map may therefore show a small number of outage events but a much larger number of affected customers. Map clusters also may be grouped or generalized rather than drawn around every individual property.
A Missing Address Does Not Prove the Utility Is Unaware
A newly reported interruption may not appear immediately. The address may also be included within a larger event, affected by an isolated service problem, or waiting for meter communication and field assessment. Report the address directly instead of relying only on the visible map symbol.
Estimated Restoration Times Can Move
An early estimate may be based on the initial outage signal. Crews can later find broken poles, inaccessible roads, flooded equipment, vegetation damage, or several faults on the same circuit. Check the map’s update time and treat the estimate as planning information rather than a guaranteed deadline.
Nearby Homes May Use Different Equipment
Houses on the same street can be connected to different transformers, circuit sections, phases, or service drops. Restoration of one section does not prove that every downstream or individual fault has been repaired.
If Oncor reports that service has been restored but the property remains without electricity, its instructions are to check the breaker safely and then text OUT again or call 888-313-4747. Additional damage may exist at the address.[Re-reporting step]
Separate a Local Outage from an ERCOT Alert or Account Problem
| What Is Happening | What It Usually Indicates | Next Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Storm damage, a failed transformer, a fallen tree, or a neighborhood circuit fault | A local distribution outage | TDU, municipal utility, or electric cooperative |
| ERCOT has issued an Energy Emergency Alert Level 2, but the property has lost power | ERCOT states that an outage during EEA 2 is local in nature rather than a controlled grid outage.[Grid condition] | Local utility |
| ERCOT has reached Energy Emergency Alert Level 3 and controlled outages are announced | Local utilities may be directed to reduce demand through temporary controlled interruptions.[Controlled outages] | Local utility for address status; ERCOT for grid-condition information |
| The account shows a payment-related disconnect or only the named account is affected | An account or billing action may be involved | Retail electric provider or municipal billing office |
| Only one apartment, room, or circuit is affected | A breaker, panel, building system, or customer-owned service component may be involved | Property manager or licensed electrician, with the utility contacted if the service connection appears damaged |
ERCOT does not dispatch a crew to a residence, replace a transformer, or provide a property-specific restoration time. Even during a grid emergency, the delivery utility remains the operational contact for the service address.
Safety Actions During the First Hour
Keep Away from Lines, Water, and Damaged Equipment
Assume every fallen line is energized, even when the surrounding area is dark. Electricity can travel through wet ground, fences, vehicles, trees, and other objects. Do not enter standing water to reach a main breaker, and do not restore power to equipment that has been wet until it has been inspected.[Electrical safety]
Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure
- Never run a portable generator in a home, basement, garage, carport, or other enclosed or partly enclosed space.
- Keep a generator at least 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents. An open garage door does not make indoor generator use safe.
- Use a battery-powered or battery-backup carbon monoxide detector.
- Never use a gas oven, charcoal grill, camp stove, or vehicle engine to heat an indoor space.
- Do not connect a generator to household wiring without an approved transfer system installed for that purpose. Improper backfeeding can cause fire and can energize lines being repaired.
These generator and carbon monoxide precautions apply during hurricane, thunderstorm, heat, wildfire, and winter-weather outages.[Generator safety]
Protect Refrigerated Food
Record the time the power failed and keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Opening a door releases cold air and shortens the useful holding period.
| Appliance | Approximate Holding Time | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Up to 4 hours | After four hours without power, perishable refrigerated foods may need to be discarded. |
| Full freezer | About 48 hours | Keep the door closed and check for ice crystals or a safe food temperature before refreezing or cooking. |
| Half-full freezer | About 24 hours | A less-full freezer warms faster; group items together without repeatedly opening the door. |
The time limits assume the doors remain closed and do not override an appliance thermometer or the condition of the food. Never taste food to decide whether it is safe.[Food safety]
Respond Early to Extreme Heat or Cold
Do not wait for the utility estimate to become certain before making a safe-location plan. Infants, older adults, people with limited mobility, and people with health conditions may need an air-conditioned or heated location sooner than other household members. Follow city, county, emergency-management, and utility notices for cooling centers, warming centers, transportation, and shelter availability.
Medical Equipment and Critical Care Status
A Texas critical care or chronic condition designation can provide customer protections and utility awareness, but it does not guarantee uninterrupted, regular, or continuous electric service.[Continuity limit]
Anyone relying on oxygen equipment, powered mobility equipment, refrigerated medication, dialysis equipment, a ventilator, or another electricity-dependent medical device needs a separate outage plan. The plan should identify:
- The device’s battery duration and charging requirements
- A tested backup battery or medically appropriate backup-power arrangement
- An alternate location with dependable power
- The equipment supplier, health professional, pharmacy, and emergency contacts
- Transportation that remains available during severe weather
- The utility’s outage-alert service and the correct service address
Activate the backup plan when the outage begins rather than waiting for a restoration estimate to expire. Call 911 when loss of power creates an immediate threat to life or when a device cannot operate safely.
When Electricity Returns
- Allow service to stabilize. Brief interruptions can occur while circuits are switched or additional repairs are completed.
- Reconnect major loads gradually. Avoid starting air conditioning, electric heat, large appliances, and other heavy loads at the same moment.
- Stop if there is a hazard. Sparks, smoke, heat, buzzing, or a burning odor can indicate damaged equipment. Leave the area and contact emergency services, the utility, or a licensed electrician as the situation requires.
- Check refrigerator and freezer temperatures. Use the outage start time and food condition rather than assuming that restored power makes every item safe.
- Re-report an isolated outage. If nearby properties have power but the service address remains dark, tell the utility that area restoration has occurred and the property is still out.
- Document property damage. Record the outage period and photograph visible damage from a safe distance when the information may be needed by a landlord, property manager, electrician, or insurer.
Verify the Contact Before the Next Outage
Utility telephone numbers, alert-enrollment methods, service territories, and map interfaces can change. Confirm the delivery utility shown on the latest electric bill and check its direct outage page before relying on a saved contact. A city name, retail electricity brand, or ZIP code alone may not identify the utility responsible for the address.
Outage Contacts, Safety Rules and Verification Records
Official Sources and Verification Notes
Official pages listed below were checked on July 28, 2026.
- ↩ Public Utility Commission of Texas power outage information — Supports the utility-contact distinction stated in “Call the Company Responsible for the Problem.”
- Return to: utility locator, statewide coverage. PUCT Storm Resources and utility outage maps — Provides the statewide outage-map and utility-contact directory referenced in “Find the Utility for the Service Address” and “Texas TDU and Local Utility Outage Contacts.”
- ↩ Oncor outages, weather and reporting methods — Supplies the telephone, text-reporting, alert, and Storm Center information used in “Texas TDU and Local Utility Outage Contacts.”
- ↩ Oncor service territory information — Supports the broad regional coverage and community count stated in the utility table. Address-level service still requires direct verification.
- ↩ Oncor outage and restoration FAQs — Provides the action described under “Read an Outage Map Without Treating It as an Exact Address Record” when a restoration notice arrives but the property remains without power.
- Return to: outage contact, line safety. CenterPoint Energy Action Center — Supplies the outage telephone number, Outage Tracker information, and 35-foot downed-line instruction used in the opening warning and utility table.
- ↩ CenterPoint Energy electric service territory — Supports the Greater Houston delivery-area description used in “Texas TDU and Local Utility Outage Contacts.”
- ↩ AEP Texas power outage reporting — Supplies the outage number and online-reporting channel shown in the utility table.
- ↩ AEP Texas service territory — Supports the South Texas and West Texas coverage description. The regional description does not determine service for an individual address.
- Return to: outage contact, service-call warning. TNMP power outage and electrical hazard instructions — Provides the telephone-menu options, online reporting method, breaker check, possible fee warning, and restoration-estimate limitation used in the contact table and reporting sequence.
- ↩ TNMP regional service-area maps — Defines the North-Central Texas, Gulf Coast, and West Texas regions described in the utility table.
- ↩ City of Lubbock power outage contact and LP&L map — Supplies the 24-hour outage number and Live Outage Map information stated in “Texas TDU and Local Utility Outage Contacts.”
- ↩ ERCOT Energy Emergency Alert Level 2 information — Supports the distinction between an EEA 2 grid condition and a local address outage in “Separate a Local Outage from an ERCOT Alert or Account Problem.”
- ↩ ERCOT Energy Emergency Alert Level 3 information — Supports the controlled-outage description in the classification table.
- ↩ CDC electrical hazard precautions after a disaster — Supplies the fallen-line, standing-water, wet-equipment, and generator-backfeed precautions used in “Safety Actions During the First Hour.”
- Return to: generator safety, food safety. CDC health and safety actions during a power outage — Provides the 20-foot generator distance, carbon monoxide precautions, and refrigerator and freezer time points used in the safety section.
- ↩ CenterPoint support for registered critical care customers — Confirms under “Medical Equipment and Critical Care Status” that registration offers protections but does not guarantee uninterrupted, regular, or continuous power.