EV Charging Help

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric is a regulated transmission and distribution utility (TDU) serving roughly 2.5 million electric customers in the Greater Houston area. Because Texas operates a deregulated retail electricity market, CenterPoint owns the wires, meters, and substations but does not sell energy or set retail rates; EV-relevant time-of-use plans (including 'free nights' and similar off-peak structures) are offered by retail electric providers (REPs), not by CenterPoint. PUCT rules also bar ERCOT TDUs from owning or operating public EV chargers, so CenterPoint's direct EV role is limited to grid planning, service upgrades for new charging load, and make-ready style infrastructure on the utility side of the meter rather than consumer rebates or managed-charging programs.

Last updated May 2026

At a glance

Investor-owned
Serves
Texas
Customers
2,500,000
EV rate plan
EVSE rebate
Managed-charging program

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric does not set residential time-of-use rates because Texas operates a deregulated retail electricity market: CenterPoint owns the wires, meters, and substations, while customers buy energy from retail electric providers (REPs). EV-relevant TOU plans, including the "free nights" structures common in the Houston market, are offered by REPs, not by CenterPoint. Drivers comparing REP offers should pay close attention to whether the overnight off-peak window actually overlaps the hours they would charge in, and whether the on-peak rate is high enough to offset the discounted off-peak hours.

CenterPoint does not currently publish a residential or commercial EVSE rebate or a managed-charging program of its own. Customers looking for charger purchase support in CenterPoint territory should look to the federal Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit under section 30C (available for chargers placed in service through June 30, 2026), to manufacturer rebates, and to any program offered separately by the chosen REP. Commercial sites can stack federal 30C with REP-side TOU planning when the site host operates its own service.

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric serves roughly 2.5 million electric customers across the Greater Houston area. PUCT rules bar ERCOT TDUs like CenterPoint from owning or operating public EV chargers, so CenterPoint's direct EV role is limited to grid planning, service upgrades for new charging load, and make-ready infrastructure on the utility side of the meter rather than consumer rebates or managed-charging programs. Customers building new dedicated EV charging service should engage CenterPoint early on the interconnection process; charging-load service upgrades are the part of the build the utility can meaningfully accelerate.

Service territory

Texas

  • Fort Bend
  • Harris
  • Montgomery

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