Electricity deposits in Texas: when you can skip one
Why an electricity company may ask for a deposit, the ways Texas rules let you skip it, and how you get it back.
When: Before you pick an electricity plan
Why a company asks
An electricity company may ask for a deposit when it cannot confirm your credit or payment history. Each company sets its own check, so one may ask and another may not.
Ways to skip a deposit
Texas customer protection rules give you several. Ask the company which ones it accepts and what proof it needs.
- Good credit, as the company measures it.
- A letter from your last electricity company showing you paid on time over the past year.
- Being 65 or older with no overdue electricity balance.
- A certification letter for victims of family violence.
Prepaid plans
A prepaid plan has no deposit. You pay ahead and keep a balance on the account, and service can stop when the balance runs out. Read the terms before you choose one.
Getting a deposit back
A deposit is your money. Ask the company when it returns it. Under Texas rules it comes back, with interest, after a stretch of on-time payments or when you close the account.
Where the rules live
The Public Utility Commission of Texas publishes the customer protection rules and takes complaints.
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