If you live in the Houston area and buy electricity from a retail provider, part of every bill goes to CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric for delivering that power. These delivery charges, also called TDU or TDSP charges, are set by tariff and approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT). This guide lists every residential delivery charge in effect for meters read on or after September 30, 2026, explains what each one pays for, and shows where to verify it.

Key numbers: about 6.53¢ per kWh plus $4.90 per month in fixed charges. At 1,000 kWh, that is about $70.23 a month for delivery alone, up about $1.19 from September because of a new Distribution Cost Recovery Factor (DCRF).

Fixed charges: customer charge and meter charge

Every residential account pays a $2.11 customer charge and a $2.79 metering charge each month, for $4.90, no matter how much electricity it uses. They cover account-level costs such as customer service, billing and metering.

Base distribution charge

The distribution system charge of 2.3240¢/kWh is the core price for CenterPoint's local poles, wires, transformers and substations. It is set in a full base-rate case, most recently PUCT Docket 56211, and changes only when a new rate case is decided.

Transmission Cost Recovery Factor (TCRF)

At 3.0812¢/kWh, the TCRF is the largest single delivery charge. It recovers changes in the cost of the high-voltage transmission system, including what CenterPoint pays other Texas transmission owners, since the last base-rate case. The current rate applies to meters read on or after September 1, 2026.

Distribution Cost Recovery Factor (DCRF): what changed this fall

The October 2026 change. The residential DCRF rose from $0.004944 to $0.006137 per kWh (+0.1193¢, about 24%) for meters read on or after September 30, 2026. At 1,000 kWh, that adds about $1.19 a month. There is no fixed DCRF charge for residential customers.

The DCRF lets CenterPoint recover distribution investment placed in service since its last base-rate case without filing a new one. In PUCT Docket 59981, filed July 17, 2026, CenterPoint asked to update the DCRF for investment made from January 2024 through May 2026. The request covers a total annual DCRF revenue requirement of about $352.3 million, of which about $72.9 million is new compared with the prior DCRF set in Docket 59424. The application asked for the new rate on meter reads on or after October 26, 2026.

Instead, the parties agreed to interim rates starting September 30, which an administrative law judge approved on August 14. The judge's September 14 proposal for decision recommends the same rate and effective date, and an unopposed settlement filed October 1 supports it too. As of October 13, 2026, we had not found a final Commission order. Interim rates are subject to surcharge or refund, so any change in the final order would typically be trued up.

Energy Efficiency Cost Recovery Factor (EECRF)

The EECRF, 0.1576¢/kWh, funds CenterPoint's state-required energy efficiency programs. It is recalculated each year.

Securitization charges: System Restoration Charges II and III

These two charges repay storm recovery bonds. SRC II (0.0636¢/kWh) comes from a June 2025 financing order (Docket 57559) for May 2024 storm restoration costs. SRC III (0.2848¢/kWh) comes from an October 2025 financing order (Docket 58252) covering Hurricane Beryl, Hurricane Francine, Winter Storm Enzo and certain deferred costs. CenterPoint collects them for its restoration bond companies.

ADFIT credits

Two credits, ADFIT II (-0.0023¢) and ADFIT III (-0.0418¢), return accumulated deferred federal income tax benefits tied to the same restoration costs. They slightly offset the SRC charges.

Refunds: TC5 refund

The TC5 refund (-0.0278¢/kWh) returns money left over after an older set of transition-charge bonds (Schedule TC5) was paid off.

Smaller riders: TEEEF, RCE and NDC

• TEEEF (0.0742¢/kWh): recovers the cost of temporary emergency generation facilities for widespread outages. Current rate effective August 15, 2026.
• Rate Case Expenses surcharge (0.0048¢/kWh): recovers regulatory case costs.
• Nuclear Decommissioning Charge (0.0013¢/kWh): a non-by-passable charge under PUCT rules that funds nuclear plant decommissioning.

The part you can shop: the energy rate

Delivery charges can't be shopped. CenterPoint bills the same regulated rates to every retail provider in its territory, and every plan pays them, whether listed separately or folded into an all-in price. Switching providers doesn't lower them.

What differs between plans is the provider's energy charge, any base fee, contract length, and terms like early termination fees. When you compare offers, check whether each price already includes delivery charges so you're comparing like with like at your own usage. You can compare current plans on Gatby's Houston electricity plans page. For more background, see our guides to Texas TDSP delivery charges and understanding your Texas electric bill.

How we calculated these numbers

We took each residential charge from CenterPoint's current retail delivery tariff and the Docket 59981 filings, then added them. The September 1 comparison uses the same components with the previous $0.004944 DCRF, which was set in Docket 59424. Figures are rounded; check the tariff for any later rider changes.

Frequently asked questions

What are CenterPoint delivery charges on a Houston electric bill?

Delivery charges are what CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, the regulated utility that owns the poles, wires and meters in its Houston-area service territory, charges to move electricity to your home. They are set in CenterPoint's tariff and approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. For a typical home they include two fixed monthly charges, a customer charge and a meter charge, plus a list of per-kilowatt-hour charges: base distribution, transmission and distribution cost recovery factors, energy efficiency, storm restoration bond charges, several smaller riders, and a few credits. CenterPoint bills these to your retail electric provider, which either lists them on your bill or includes them in an all-in price per kilowatt-hour.

How much are CenterPoint residential delivery charges in October 2026?

Adding every residential per-kilowatt-hour charge and credit in CenterPoint's current tariff gives about 6.53 cents per kilowatt-hour, for meters read on or after September 30, 2026. On top of that are two fixed charges, a $2.11 customer charge and a $2.79 meter charge, for $4.90 a month. At 1,000 kilowatt-hours, total delivery comes to about $70.23 for the month. At 2,000 kilowatt-hours, a common summer level for larger Houston homes, it is about $135.57. These figures cover delivery only. They do not include your provider's energy charge, any provider base fee, or applicable taxes and fees, so your full bill will be higher.

What changed in CenterPoint delivery charges this fall?

The main change is the Distribution Cost Recovery Factor, or DCRF, which lets CenterPoint recover distribution investments made since its last base-rate case. Under interim rates in PUCT Docket 59981, the residential DCRF rose from $0.004944 to $0.006137 per kilowatt-hour for meters read on or after September 30, 2026, an increase of about 0.12 cents per kilowatt-hour. That moved the per-kilowatt-hour delivery total from about 6.41 cents on September 1 to about 6.53 cents. For a home using 1,000 kilowatt-hours, the increase is about $1.19 a month. The transmission cost recovery factor also has a newer rate effective for meters read on or after September 1, 2026.

Is the new DCRF rate final?

Not as of October 13, 2026, based on the public docket. The current rate is an interim rate approved by an administrative law judge on August 14, 2026. The judge's September 14 proposal for decision recommends approving the same residential rate, and on October 1 CenterPoint filed an unopposed settlement that also supports the requested revenue requirement and rates. The Public Utility Commission of Texas still has to issue a final order, and we had not found one at the time of writing. Interim rates are subject to surcharge or refund, so if the final rate differs, the difference would typically be trued up. The settlement says a changed final rate would apply after 45 days' notice to retail providers.

What are the system restoration charges and ADFIT credits?

System restoration charges repay bonds that CenterPoint issued to finance storm recovery costs, a process often called securitization. The residential bill currently carries two. Schedule SRC II, about 0.06 cents per kilowatt-hour, stems from a 2025 financing order tied to May 2024 storm restoration costs. Schedule SRC III, about 0.28 cents per kilowatt-hour, stems from a later 2025 financing order covering costs from Hurricane Beryl, Hurricane Francine, Winter Storm Enzo and certain deferred costs. The charges are collected for a bond company that CenterPoint services. Two matching ADFIT credits, together about 0.04 cents per kilowatt-hour, return deferred federal income tax benefits associated with those same restoration costs to customers, which slightly reduces the net charge.

Can I avoid CenterPoint delivery charges by switching electricity providers?

No. CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric charges the same regulated delivery rates to every retail electric provider serving customers in its territory, and changing providers or plans does not change who delivers your power or what the utility charges for delivery. Some providers show delivery charges as separate line items, while others fold them into a single advertised price, but the cost is there either way. The parts of your bill that differ from plan to plan are the provider's energy charge, any base or monthly fee the provider sets, contract length, and terms such as early termination fees. When comparing offers, check whether each price includes delivery so you are comparing totals on the same basis at your actual usage.

Sources

1. CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, Rates & Tariffs (Houston Electric)
2. CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, Tariff for Retail Delivery Service (current PDF)
3. PUCT Docket 59981, Item 2: CenterPoint application to amend its DCRF (July 17, 2026)
4. PUCT Docket 59981, Item 36: CenterPoint unopposed motion for interim rates (Aug. 13, 2026)
5. PUCT Docket 59981, Item 60: ALJ Proposal for Decision (Sept. 14, 2026)
6. PUCT Docket 59981, Item 64: Stipulation and Settlement Agreement (Oct. 1, 2026)
7. PUCT Docket 59981, Item 67: Order No. 8 (Oct. 2, 2026)
8. PUCT Docket 59981, full filings list
9. PUCT Docket 59424, final order setting the prior $0.004944/kWh residential DCRF