Texas › Summer costs
What a Texas summer really costs.
Every number sourced. Checked this month.
Newcomers usually budget for rent and property tax, and then the July power bill arrives. Texas summers run long and hot, so households pay for air conditioning for four months or more. Hurricane season runs right through them, and many cities limit watering in dry years. This page covers the seasonal costs: summer electric bills, utility rate tiers that cost more at high use, water rules, storm prep, the tax-free weekends that help, and where to get help paying.
Numbers last checked October 31, 2026Summer electric bills
Air conditioning drives the summer bill. EIA groups Texas with Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana as the West South Central region. By EIA’s estimate, homes there used about 1,478 kWh a month this summer, against 1,074 for the U.S. as a whole. So the region’s bills come out higher even though its price per kWh is lower.
| What | Amount | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional summer averages (June, July and August) | |||
| Home use per month, West South Central (2026 is an EIA estimate) | 1,478 kWh | Summer 2026 (2025: 1,434; 2024: 1,481) | EIA STEO Table SF02, Sep 2026 |
| Residential price, West South Central | 15.27¢/kWh | Summer 2026 (2025: 14.73¢; 2024: 13.94¢) | EIA STEO Table SF02 |
| Average monthly bill, West South Central | $226 | Summer 2026 (2025: $211; 2024: $206) | EIA STEO Table SF02 |
| Average monthly bill, U.S. (for comparison: 18.25¢/kWh) | $196 | Summer 2026 | EIA STEO Table SF02 |
| Texas cooling season (June to September, four months combined) | |||
| Projected Texas residential electric cost | $936 | Summer 2026 (2025: $872, +7.4%) | NEADA / CEPC |
| U.S. average, same measure | $792 | Summer 2026 (2025: $717, +10.5%) | NEADA / CEPC |
| Austin Energy, inside city (no seasonal rates; tiers climb with use) | |||
| Customer charge | $17.35/mo | FY2027 rates, page reviewed Oct 1, 2026 | Austin Energy |
| Energy charge, 0–300 / 301–900 kWh | 4.872¢ / 5.395¢ | Page reviewed Oct 1, 2026 | Austin Energy |
| Energy charge, 901–2,000 kWh | 7.901¢ | Page reviewed Oct 1, 2026 | Austin Energy |
| Energy charge, over 2,000 kWh | 11.428¢ | Page reviewed Oct 1, 2026 | Austin Energy |
| Added to every kWh: power supply 3.912¢, regulatory 1.799¢, community benefit 1.097¢ (three charges) | 6.808¢ | Page reviewed Oct 1, 2026 (sum is our math) | Austin Energy |
| CPS Energy, San Antonio (summer adder June to September) | |||
| Service availability charge | $9.50/mo | Since Feb 1, 2024 | CPS Energy rate sheet |
| Energy charge, all kWh, all year (fuel charge is extra) | 7.503¢ | Since Feb 1, 2024 | CPS Energy rate sheet |
| Summer peak capacity charge, each kWh above 600 (June–Sept bills only) | +2.150¢ | Since Feb 1, 2024 | CPS Energy rate sheet |
| Average residential bill | $191.77 | Reported Sep 28, 2026 | Texas Public Radio |
| The grid | |||
| ERCOT hourly peak demand record (6 p.m. CT) | 91.1 GW | July 22, 2026 | EIA |
| Previous record | 85.5 GW | Aug 10, 2023 | EIA, citing ERCOT |
EIA’s 2026 summer row is a Short-Term Energy Outlook figure from September 2026, so it may still be revised as final August data come in. NEADA’s figure is a four-month total (June to September), while EIA’s is a monthly average for June to August, so the two are not directly comparable. Austin’s tiers mean a big house pays more per kWh in August than a small apartment does. In San Antonio, the summer adder only applies to use above 600 kWh a month. CPS Energy discussed a possible 4% increase in 2026 but had not approved one as of late September 2026. Possible change
If you are in a retail choice area
In Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Corpus Christi and other choice areas, your summer bill depends on the plan you picked. A home using 1,000 kWh in spring can use 20% to 40% more in summer (Energy Ogre, Jun 2026). So check the plan’s 2,000 kWh price on its fact label, not only the 1,000 kWh price. Our Texas electricity guide explains delivery charges, fact labels and Power to Choose.
Water restrictions, lawns and pools
Summer is also when water rules bite. Lawn watering is the big summer water use, and in drought stages cities limit when you can run sprinklers and add surcharges for heavy users. Rules are set city by city and change with lake and aquifer levels, so check your utility before you plant sod or fill a pool. Water rates are on our Texas water bills page.
- San Antonio (SAWS): SAWS ended Stage 3 restrictions on Aug 4, 2026 after July rain, which also ended the Stage 3 surcharge of $10.37 per 1,000 gallons over 20,000 gallons a month for single-family homes. Sprinklers were still limited to one day a week (5–10 a.m. and 9 p.m.–midnight) based on the last digit of your address. The first fine for a home watering out of turn is $137, and SAWS waives it if you complete a one-hour online class. SAWS has said that refilling a pool does not qualify for a surcharge variance (Oct 2024).
- Austin: The city has been at the lightest “Conservation Stage” since Sept 2, 2025. Automatic irrigation systems get one day a week and hose-end sprinklers get two, before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m. Violations can bring penalties of up to $1,000.
- Corpus Christi: The city was in Stage 3 restrictions as of Jul 27, 2026, with a projected water emergency pushed out to September 2028. If an emergency is declared, surcharges of $4 to $8 per 1,000 gallons over the limits would apply. See Corpus Christi.
We did not find a statewide rule on filling pools. Each utility’s drought plan decides that, and some stages restrict it.
Hurricane season and storm prep
The Atlantic season officially runs June 1 to November 30. In May 2026, NOAA called for a below-normal season with 8 to 14 named storms (FOX 7, May 21, 2026). Its Aug 6 update lowered that to 7 to 13 named storms, 2 to 6 hurricanes and 0 to 2 major hurricanes, and gave a 75% chance of a below-normal season. NOAA’s outlook does not forecast landfalls, so a quiet forecast is no promise for the coast. As of Oct 31, the season still has a month to run.
Emergency supplies sales tax holiday
Each April, Texas drops sales tax on storm supplies for a weekend. In 2026 it ran from 12:01 a.m. Saturday, April 25, through midnight Monday, April 27, and the state estimated shoppers saved about $2.4 million in state and local tax.
| Item type | Tax-free if priced under | Examples | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portable generators | $3,000 | Delivery charges count toward the price | Comptroller Pub. 98-1017 |
| Larger storm gear | $300 | Hurricane shutters, emergency ladders | Comptroller Pub. 98-1017 |
| Everyday supplies | $75 | Batteries, flashlights, fuel containers, coolers, first aid kits, tarps, phone chargers, smoke and CO detectors, fire extinguishers | Comptroller Pub. 98-1017 |
Not covered: plywood, chainsaws, camping stoves, tents, car and boat batteries, and extension ladders and stepladders (Pub. 98-1017). The next holiday should fall in April 2027. We will post the dates once the Comptroller announces them. Wind and flood insurance are the bigger storm costs for coastal homeowners. See Texas insurance.
Tax-free weekends for AC units and water savers
Texas also runs two holidays over Memorial Day weekend. In 2026, both ran Saturday, May 23, through Monday, May 25, and the state estimated $15.7 million in combined savings. If your air conditioner is near the end of its life, late May is the time to replace it.
Item lists from the Comptroller, May 19, 2026. Details are in Pub. 96-1331 (ENERGY STAR) and Pub. 98-1018 (water-efficient). Sales tax rates are on our Texas taxes page. We did not find an independent source for AC replacement or repair prices in Texas, so none is listed here.
Help with cooling bills and the heat
CEAP (Texas’s LIHEAP program)
The Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program helps low-income households pay utility bills. It is run by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs through local agencies that cover all 254 counties, and you find yours on TDHCA’s Help for Texans page. In June 2026 the state announced $166 million in federal energy assistance and weatherization funds for awards starting Jan 1, 2027. The money can pay bills and buy efficient heating, cooling or refrigeration equipment.
| Household size | CEAP income limit (150% of poverty guideline), per year | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $23,940 | Jan 26, 2026 | TDHCA |
| 2 people | $32,460 | Jan 26, 2026 | TDHCA |
| 3 people | $40,980 | Jan 26, 2026 | TDHCA |
| 4 people | $49,500 | Jan 26, 2026 | TDHCA |
Federal LIHEAP funding stands at $4.1 billion, and states have asked Congress for $7 billion in FY2027 (NEADA). TDHCA resets these limits when new federal poverty guidelines come out; the current set took effect Jan 26, 2026, so expect new limits in early 2027. Changes 2027
Cooling centers
- Houston: During the July 22, 2026 heat warning, the city opened more than 100 cooling centers and listed them on the Office of Emergency Management’s extreme-heat page.
- Dallas: Under the city’s Beat the Heat program, residents can cool off at any city facility, including libraries, recreation and community centers and some DART locations. Hours vary.
- Anywhere in Texas: Dial 2-1-1 for local help. HHSC also lists it as the line for benefits questions.
Out-of-date numbers you’ll still find online
The 2023 record fell on July 22, 2026, about 6% higher. A day earlier ERCOT had already passed the old mark at 87.4 GW.
CPS Energy’s 2023 explainer uses the pre-2024 rate. The current rate sheet (Feb 1, 2024) is higher, and the base charge went from 7.188¢ to 7.503¢.
That was NOAA’s May forecast. The Aug 6 update trimmed every range and raised the chance of a below-normal season to 75%.
Summer articles warned about the $10.37 per 1,000 gallon surcharge. SAWS left Stage 3 in August, but it can return if the aquifer drops again.
How we check
Every figure links to its source and shows the date it applies to. We prefer the agency or utility that produces the number and label anything from a broker, marketplace or aggregator. Read the full methodology.