AEP Texas Commercial Electricity Rates: North Median Eases to 6.43 Cents, Week of Oct 5, 2026
In the AEP Texas territories, the AEP North commercial electricity median fell 0.06 cents to 6.43 cents per kWh on October 5, 2026, the largest move of any TDU this week, while AEP Central held the highest median at 6.56 cents. The TxCP Commercial Rate Index eased to 7.09 cents per kWh across 12,326 tracked plans, with every TDU median 0.02 to 0.06 cents lower. The bigger change hit delivery charges: new CenterPoint and Oncor rider rates took effect September 30 and October 4.
Corrected October 5, 2026. An earlier version of this report said 9,850 plans, 80 percent of the catalog, carried a refreshed rate signal. That count compared plans by provider, TDU territory and contract term rather than plan by plan. Matched plan for plan, 1,479 plans changed price this week (1,028 down, 451 up). The TCRI, the TDU bands and the term figures were computed on the full catalog and are unchanged.
Bottom line: The TxCP Commercial Rate Index (TCRI) from the texascommercialplans.com database eased to 7.09 cents per kWh across 12,326 tracked Texas commercial electricity plans in the ERCOT deregulated market as of October 5, 2026, 0.08 cents below the 7.17 cents we reported on September 28. Every TDU median slipped by 0.02 to 0.06 cents. The bigger change for buyers sits outside the energy rate: CenterPoint and Oncor began billing new delivery rider rates on September 30 and October 4. Updated weekly.
Market Pulse
Across the 12,326 commercial electricity plans we track in the texascommercialplans.com database as of October 5, 2026, the TxCP Commercial Rate Index eased to 7.09 cents per kWh from 7.17 cents on September 28, a dip of about 1.1 percent. The medians agree on direction: Oncor sits at 6.35 cents, AEP North at 6.43, AEP Central at 6.56, CenterPoint at 6.46 and TNMP at 6.45, each a few hundredths of a cent below last week.
The catalog grew about 8 percent, from 11,375 plans, and a larger catalog can move an average through mix alone, so we read the TCRI as flat to slightly lower. The delivery charges that changed this week matter more to a business holding a quote.
What Moved This Week and Why It Matters
The most consequential development for Texas commercial buyers this week sits on the wires side of the bill. Between September 30 and October 4, 2026, CenterPoint in Houston and Oncor across Dallas-Fort Worth both began billing new interim delivery rider rates. For a small Oncor account, the net change is more than three times this week's TCRI dip, and a fixed energy rate does not freeze it.
What Happened
CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric began billing interim Rider DCRF rates for usage on and after September 30, 2026, under PUCT Docket 59981, with Primary Service up 34.6 percent, Secondary Service above 10 kVA up 26.7 percent and Residential up 24.1 percent (interim rate order). Oncor Electric Delivery followed with temporary DCRF and TCRF rates for bills rendered on and after October 4 under Docket 59249, its first filing under the unified tracker mechanism in PURA 36.216 (temporary tariff, Item 105). For Oncor Secondary Service of 10 kW or less, the DCRF returns at $0.006208 per kWh after resetting to zero on June 1, the level Oncor proposed when it filed on April 22 (EnergyChoiceMatters), while the TCRF falls from $0.016974 to $0.013382 per kWh. Neither utility's new rates are final.
Impact on Texas Commercial Buyers
Budget. For an Oncor Secondary Service account of 10 kW or less, the two riders net to an increase of $0.002616 per kWh, about $5.23 a month on 2,000 kWh, or roughly 4.1 percent of this week's 6.35-cent Oncor median energy rate. CenterPoint bills its commercial increase per kVA of demand, so it works out to about 0.12 cents per kWh at a 25 percent load factor and 0.04 cents at 70 percent, per our CenterPoint rider conversion table.
Contract. A fixed energy price does not fix delivery. Under PUCT rule 16 TAC 25.475, a fixed-rate product's price may vary to reflect actual changes in TDU charges, and the rule covers small commercial customers with peak demand under 50 kW. Larger accounts depend on the pass-through clause in their own contract.
Timing. Both changes can still move. CenterPoint's interim rates are subject to reconciliation against the final tariff, and PURA 36.216(i) requires Oncor to refund or credit any gap between temporary and final rates, with interest.
The Two-Ledger Test: Four Questions for Your October Bill
- Which ledger moved? Separate the energy charge your REP sets from the TDU delivery lines the utility sets. This week the first eased and the second rose for most small commercial accounts.
- What unit is each rider billed on? kWh or kW on Oncor bills, billing kVA on CenterPoint bills. One filing can raise one account's charge and lower another's.
- Who carries the change? A pass-through at cost reaches your invoice right away. A bundled price moves only if the contract's regulatory-change clause allows it.
- Is the rate final? Not yet, for either utility.
What You Should Do This Week
- Compare your September and October invoices, reading the TDU lines separately from the energy charge.
- Multiply each rider change by its own billing unit, keeping kWh, kW and kVA figures apart.
- File every invoice from October onward, since the final orders can true up both sets of rates.
- On any renewal quote this month, ask whether the price already reflects the new rider rates, and get the TDU pass-through language in writing.
Questions to ask your REP or broker:
- Are Oncor or CenterPoint delivery charges passed through at cost on this account, or bundled into the price?
- If the final orders set lower rider rates, will the refund or credit reach the invoice for this account, and when?
- Does this quote already include the September 30 or October 4 rider rates?
Also moving
- Briefing closed September 28 in the Silver Basin behind-the-meter data center case. Commission Staff, ERCOT, TNMP and the applicants filed reply briefs in PUCT Docket 59115 that day, with an amicus brief from Texas Competitive Power Advocates (PUCT filings). The decision is due by October 19 and bears on how transmission costs are shared, as covered in our September 18 briefing.
- ERCOT's 2027 reserve rules are in front of the PUCT. The ERCOT Board recommended its 2027 ancillary service methodology on September 15 (ERCOT Board Item 18), and ERCOT expects a PUCT vote in November or December. At the 2025 level of $0.39 per MWh reported by the Independent Market Monitor, reserves cost about 0.039 cents per kWh, so contract wording matters more than the amount (our September 30 briefing).
- EIA puts the Texas commercial price at 8.47 cents per kWh for July 2026. That is down from 8.85 cents a year earlier, against 14.53 cents nationally, per EIA's Electric Power Monthly. EIA's average covers every Texas commercial customer and includes delivery, so it is not comparable to the TCRI.
Pricing Trend Analysis
Texas commercial electricity pricing edged lower this week across our tracked plans as of October 5, 2026: every TDU median and every contract-term median sits a few hundredths of a cent below its September 28 level, and TDU medians span a narrow band from 6.35 to 6.56 cents per kWh.
By territory, Oncor holds both the lowest median, at 6.35 cents, and the lowest average, at 6.98 cents. AEP Central carries the highest median at 6.56 cents, and CenterPoint the highest average at 7.16 cents. AEP North moved most, down 0.06 cents, and TNMP least, down 0.02 cents.
| Date | Segment | Plans | Low | Median | Median on 2026-09-28 | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-05 | Oncor | 2,823 | $0.0351 | $0.0635 | $0.0639 | $0.2526 |
| 2026-10-05 | AEP North | 2,196 | $0.0430 | $0.0643 | $0.0649 | $0.2533 |
| 2026-10-05 | AEP Central | 2,568 | $0.0430 | $0.0656 | $0.0661 | $0.2574 |
| 2026-10-05 | CenterPoint | 2,383 | $0.0375 | $0.0646 | $0.0651 | $0.2390 |
| 2026-10-05 | TNMP | 2,356 | $0.0430 | $0.0645 | $0.0647 | $0.2612 |
| 2026-10-05 | Short-term (1 to 12 months) | 4,691 | $0.0351 | $0.0599 | $0.0601 | $0.2612 |
| 2026-10-05 | Mid-term (13 to 24 months) | 3,134 | $0.0430 | $0.0617 | $0.0620 | $0.1609 |
| 2026-10-05 | Long-term (25 months and up) | 1,644 | $0.0430 | $0.0656 | $0.0660 | $0.1390 |
The term rows cover the 9,469 plans with a stated contract length. Short-term plans still carry both the lowest median (5.99 cents) and the highest average (7.68 cents), because a tail of short-term offers priced as high as 26 cents pulls the average up. Mid-term plans have a median of 6.17 cents and an average of 6.40, and long-term plans a median of 6.56 and an average of 6.81. Stepping from short-term to mid-term costs 0.18 cents on medians, and locking beyond 24 months costs about 0.39 cents more than the mid-term median. See the full pricing breakdown in our data download.
Want the full spreadsheet? Every tracked commercial plan, every REP, every TDU territory, refreshed twice a day and delivered as a CSV for $10. Browse current rates or download today's snapshot.
REP Spotlight: Tara Energy
Tara Energy is a Houston-based retail electric provider operating under PUCT certificate 10051, held by Tara Energy LLC since August 5, 2002, according to the PUCT REP directory. Just Energy lists it as one of its brands, alongside Amigo Energy and Hudson Energy. It lists 88 active commercial plans in our catalog this week.
Its lineup in our data covers all five ERCOT deregulated TDU territories. Each of its plans in our catalog lists a one-month term, consistent with the month-to-month commercial variable pricing the provider publishes. Directionally, its plans sit above the market average across the plans we track, so the case for this provider rests on flexibility rather than headline price. Its commercial page says new Texas commercial enrollments go through an affiliate, Tara Commercial, under PUCT certificate 10092.
Tying back to the lead story, the provider describes its posted commercial variable rate as energy only, excluding TDU charges and taxes, so the new riders land on top of it as separate lines. Get this provider's full plan data in our data download.
Buyer Intelligence
Texas small business shoppers comparing quotes this week face an energy market that barely moved and a delivery side that did. A bundled quote that looks higher than a September one may simply include the new rider rates, so ask before you compare. On medians, the Houston to Dallas gap is 1.7 percent (CenterPoint 6.46 cents against Oncor 6.35 cents), down from 1.9 percent a week ago.
Did Texas commercial electricity rates go down this week?
Slightly, on the energy side. The TCRI eased 0.08 cents to 7.09 cents per kWh between September 28 and October 5, 2026. For a small Oncor account, though, the October 4 rider change adds a net 0.26 cents per kWh in delivery charges, more than three times that dip.
Should a Texas business wait for the final Oncor or CenterPoint orders before signing?
No. The rider rates are the same whichever REP serves your meter, so waiting does not change them, and the final orders in Dockets 59249 and 59981 will set final figures and true up the difference. What differs between offers is whether delivery is passed through at cost or bundled, so compare energy rates against this week's medians and get the pass-through terms in writing.
Data Snapshot
Our October 5, 2026 snapshot spans 29 retail electric providers and 12,326 active commercial plans across all five ERCOT deregulated TDU territories, with the TxCP Commercial Rate Index at 7.09 cents per kWh and every TDU median within 0.06 cents of its September 28 level.
- Tracked REPs: 29 retail electric providers with active commercial plans.
- Active commercial plans: 12,326, up from 11,375 on September 28.
- Plans added this week: 326.
- Plans that changed price this week, matched plan for plan: 1,479 (1,028 down, 451 up).
- Average contract term: 24.0 months across tracked plans.
- Market average rate (TCRI): 7.09 cents per kWh, versus 7.17 cents on September 28.
- Lowest TDU median: Oncor at 6.35 cents per kWh. Highest: AEP Central at 6.56 cents per kWh.
- Cheapest term band: short-term on medians (5.99 cents per kWh), 13 to 24 months on averages (6.40 cents per kWh).
Full rate data, plan comparisons, and historical trends are available in our data download. For last week's baseline, see our September 28 weekly report.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Texas commercial electricity rate in early October 2026?
The TxCP Commercial Rate Index sits at 7.09 cents per kWh across 12,326 tracked commercial plans as of October 5, 2026, compared with 7.17 cents on September 28. Medians by TDU territory range from 6.35 cents in Oncor to 6.56 cents in AEP Central.
How much did the October 4 Oncor delivery rider change add for small businesses?
For an Oncor Secondary Service account of 10 kW or less, the returning DCRF of $0.006208 per kWh and the lower TCRF of $0.013382 per kWh net to an increase of $0.002616 per kWh, about $5.23 a month on 2,000 kWh. The rates are temporary under PUCT Docket 59249, and any difference from the final rates is refunded or credited with interest.
Does a fixed-rate contract protect a small business from TDU rider changes?
Not fully. Under PUCT rule 16 TAC 25.475, the price of a fixed-rate product may vary to reflect actual changes in TDU charges, ERCOT administrative fees, or new legal costs, and the rule covers small commercial customers with peak demand under 50 kW. Larger accounts should read the pass-through clause in their own contract.