Amarillo electricity: one provider, Xcel Energy
Amarillo and the Panhandle are served by Xcel Energy's Southwestern Public Service Company from outside the ERCOT grid, on the Southwest Power Pool. Texas law kept that territory under traditional regulation, so one company sells the power and runs the wires. Lubbock, two hours south, moved into the choice market in 2024.
When Texas opened its electricity market in 2002, the law covered the ERCOT grid, the one that serves most of the state. Xcel Energy's territory sits on a different grid, and the law kept it under traditional regulation: one company sells the power, owns the wires and sends the bill, at rates approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
What this means for your bill
One bill, from Xcel Energy, at rates it sets. There are no plans to compare, no contract to time and no early termination fee to weigh. Sites that list “Amarillo electricity plans” are showing the plans sold in the choice areas nearby; an address on Xcel Energy’s lines can’t enroll in them, and we don’t pretend otherwise.
What you can do is ask Xcel Energy about its own rate options and its efficiency and rebate programs, and work on the usage: in a Texas summer most of the bill is air conditioning.
Check: is your address really on Xcel Energy’s lines?
Utility borders don’t follow city limits. A few addresses in and around Amarillo can be on a neighboring utility's lines. The surest check is the bill: the company that sends it is the company that serves you. If it names Oncor, CenterPoint Energy, AEP Texas, TNMP or Lubbock Power & Light as the delivery company, you can choose, and every plan sold at that address can be priced on your own 12 months.
Amarillo electricity FAQs
Can I choose my electricity provider in Amarillo?
No. Xcel Energy is the only electricity provider for addresses on its lines, and there is no retail plan to switch to. Comparison sites that list plans for Amarillo are showing plans sold in the delivery areas around it; a Amarillo address on Xcel Energy's lines can't enroll in them.
Why doesn't Amarillo have electricity choice?
When Texas opened its electricity market in 2002, the law covered the ERCOT grid, the one that serves most of the state. Xcel Energy's territory sits on a different grid, and the law kept it under traditional regulation: one company sells the power, owns the wires and sends the bill, at rates approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
Who do I call about an outage or a bill in Amarillo?
Xcel Energy, for both. It owns the wires, sends the crews and issues the bill, so there is no second company involved. The number is on the bill and on its website.
Will Amarillo get retail electricity choice?
Only if the Legislature and the Public Utility Commission open Xcel Energy's territory, which the law allows under conditions that haven't been met. No such change is in motion for Amarillo as of this writing.
How do I lower my electricity bill in Amarillo?
Without plans to compare, the bill comes down to usage and the utility's own options. Ask Xcel Energy about its rate structures (some city utilities offer time-of-day or budget-billing options), its efficiency and rebate programs, and any payment arrangements. Air conditioning is most of a Texas summer bill, so the thermostat, attic insulation and a serviced unit are where the usage goes.
The nearest places with choice
Every plan sold there, priced on a year for three sizes of home.
Guides
- Why is my electricity bill so high? Seven Texas reasons, in orderThe reasons a Texas electricity bill jumps, from the most common (your contract expired and you're on the holdover rate) to the ones nobody mentions, and the line on your bill that gives each one away.
- What a typical Dallas home pays for electricityAverage usage in Dallas–Fort Worth, the summer swing, and what a year costs for small, typical and large homes on this month's cheapest plans.
- How to find your monthly kWh usageWhere your last 12 months of electricity usage are hiding: your bill, your provider's app, and Smart Meter Texas. Plus what to do if you have no history yet.
- How to switch electricity providers in TexasWhat you need (your ESI ID is on the bill), what happens after you enroll, why the lights never go out, and the three-day window to change your mind.