To set up electricity for a new business location in Texas, work in this order: find the ESI ID, confirm the utility (TDU) and that the address is in the competitive market, estimate usage and peak demand, choose a plan, schedule the move-in, then check the first meter read on your first bill.

Starting service at a new location is a move-in, not a switch, and that changes a few rules. This guide walks franchise owner-operators and professional offices, from law and dental practices to insurance and accounting offices, through each step, with the PUCT rules and utility tariff details behind it. The goal is simple: power on by opening day, on a plan you actually chose.

Key takeaways

• It's a move-in: Texas rules define a move-in as a request for service at a new premise, or at an existing one where the customer of record changes. The three-day right to rescind covers switches, not move-ins.
• ESI ID first: Every point of service delivery has an ESI ID, a 17- or 22-digit number that has to appear on every electric bill for that space.
• Size it early: Oncor sets a new nonresidential premise's initial rate from projected load information you or your builder provide, and it bills secondary service above 10 kW largely on demand.
• Timing: In Oncor's area, a move-in at a space with an existing meter can be done the same day if the order arrives by 7 p.m. CT and it isn't a Sunday or a holiday. A new meter needs at least two business days' notice, and neither works while required inspections, permits or construction are still open.

Is a new location a move-in or a switch?

It's a move-in. Under 16 TAC §25.471, a move-in is "a request for service to a new premise where a customer of record is initially established or to an existing premise where the customer of record changes." A switch is "the process by which a person changes REPs without changing premises." Taking over a space from a previous tenant counts as a move-in, because the customer of record changes.

The difference shows up in a few places. For a switch, the provider has to offer a right to rescind "without penalty or fee of any kind for a period of three federal business days" after you receive the terms of service. 16 TAC §25.474(j) is direct about move-ins: "The right of rescission is not applicable to an applicant requesting a move-in." So read the EFL and terms of service before you submit, not after.

The same rule has providers explain on their enrollment websites that only the applicant, or the applicant's authorized agent, can make a move-in or switch request. A provider also can't charge you a fee just to enroll, though it can pass through properly tariffed TDU charges for connecting service (§25.474(n)).

Moving rather than adding a site? Your current contract is "limited to service to a customer at a location specified in the contract," and 16 TAC §25.475(c)(2)(C) bars an early termination fee for relocating when you give a forwarding address and, if your provider asks, reasonable evidence that you've left the old location.

Step 1: Find the location's ESI ID

The ESI ID, short for Electric Service Identifier, is how the Texas market identifies a specific point of service. Power to Choose describes it in its glossary as "a 17 or 22-digit number used in the deregulated market to identify a unique point of electric service delivery to a premise (your home or business)."

The fastest place to find it is an old bill for the space, because Texas billing rules require every bill to show the "service address, electric service identifier (ESI), and account number" (16 TAC §25.479). Ask the landlord or property manager for a recent bill, or for the ESI ID itself.

In a strip center, double-check the suite. Oncor's tariff (Section 6.2.3.1.2) serves multitenant buildings either through an individual meter for each tenant space or through one meter for several spaces. If your suite has its own meter, make sure the ESI ID you give the provider belongs to that meter, not the unit next door. If it shares a meter, settle with the landlord who holds the account before you enroll. If nobody has a bill, give your provider the exact service address with the suite number. The enrollment rules have the provider obtain or confirm the ESI ID when one is available.

Step 2: Confirm the TDU and the market

The TDU, or transmission and distribution utility, owns the wires, reads the meter and delivers the power, whoever your retail provider is. Oncor lists four TDUs in the state's deregulated zones: Oncor, CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP) and AEP Texas. Your TDU sets the delivery charges and move-in rules for your address, so it's worth knowing before you compare plans.

Retail choice runs through those utilities. If a city-owned utility or an electric cooperative serves the address, start with that utility, because the shopping steps in this guide may not apply there.

Step 3: Estimate usage and peak demand

Your TDU wants this number before you open. Oncor's Tariff for Retail Delivery Service (Section 6.2.3.5, effective June 1, 2026) bases the initial rate for a new nonresidential premise "on projected load information provided by Retail Customer or builder/developer to ensure adequate facilities are installed." Your electrician, builder or kitchen designer can help you total the equipment list.

Two thresholds are worth planning around. First, in Oncor's area, nonresidential secondary service splits at 10 kW, and above that line most of the variable delivery charges are billed on demand in kW, based on your highest 15-minute demand of the month. CenterPoint's line is 10 kVA. The second threshold is the small commercial line, peak demand under 50 kW during any 12-month period. Below it, your EFL must show the average price at 1,500, 2,500 and 3,500 kWh a month, with a 30 percent load factor assumed if demand charges apply.

A dental, insurance or accounting office will usually look very different from a kitchen. If you're opening a restaurant, our guide to what uses the most electricity in a restaurant walks through demand billing in detail.

Step 4: Time the move-in

Your provider submits the move-in so it's processed on "the approximate scheduled date agreed to by the applicant and as allowed by the tariff" of your TDU (§25.474(k)). In other words, the TDU's tariff sets the real timing. Here's how Oncor handles it under its tariff effective June 1, 2026 (Sections 6.1.2.1 and 6.1.2.3), as read on November 3, 2026:

Oncor move-in service	When Oncor completes it	Tariff charge
Move-in, existing standard meter	On the requested date, if the order arrives by 7 p.m. CT that day and the day isn't a Sunday or a holiday	$0.55
Move-in, new standard meter	On the requested date, if it's a business day and the order arrives by 5 p.m. CT at least two business days ahead	$28.70
Holiday move-in	On a holiday, at an existing premise with an existing meter	$25.30
Priority move-in, new premise	A first-time connection made outside normal business hours	$207.90

Two details matter more than the dollar amounts. Neither standard move-in is available while required inspections, permits or construction are still open, and a new meter needs its own lead time. If your buildout runs late, your power-on date moves with it, so plan the move-in around your final inspection, not the day you get the keys.

Your provider can pass these TDU charges through to you (§25.474(n)). CenterPoint, AEP Texas and TNMP set their own move-in timing and charges in their tariffs, so ask your provider what applies at your address.

Step 5: Choose the plan for the new location

Pick the plan before you schedule the move-in, because the move-in is how you enroll on it. For a new location, a few things deserve extra weight:

• Term vs lease. A fixed rate product holds its price for the term, apart from allowed pass-through changes like TDU charges. A term that runs well past your lease, or past a planned remodel, can leave you with an early termination fee to manage if plans change.
• Usage you don't know yet. A new location has no history, so the EFL's sample prices at 1,500, 2,500 and 3,500 kWh are only a starting point. Keep your first months of bills, because they're the baseline for your first renewal.
• A business product, not a residential one. A shop or office is a nonresidential premise, so enroll it on a business product. Oncor's residential delivery schedule, for example, is limited to service "for residential purposes of a permanent nature to Individual Private Dwellings" and individually metered apartments.
• More than one site. Lining up end dates across locations means you renew once instead of tracking several deadlines. We can work out the setup for all of them.

When the contract eventually comes up, our small business electricity renewal guide explains the notices Texas requires and when to start shopping.

Opening soon? Request small business plan options

Common mistakes when opening a new location

• Treating the lease date as the power-on date. The TDU won't complete a standard move-in while required inspections, permits or construction are still open.
• Enrolling the wrong suite. Match the ESI ID to your meter before you enroll.
• Signing up on a residential plan. A business location belongs on a business product.
• Skipping the EFL and terms of service. They hold the early termination fee and, for small commercial customers, how any demand charge is applied. And a move-in has no three-day rescission window.
• Not checking the first bill. Texas bills show the previous and current meter reads and their dates when the provider has that data. Make sure the first read lines up with your move-in date.

How VIP Energy Service helps you open with power on

Ambit Energy is the retail electric provider, so Ambit sells the electricity and sends the bill, while your TDU connects the meter and delivers the power.

If you're signing a lease or getting close to opening, the business plan request form is the place to start. Sending it doesn't enroll you in anything. We'll reach out to talk through your options.

Have the address and your opening date? Request small business plan options

Frequently asked questions

How do I set up electricity for a new business location in Texas?

Find the ESI ID, confirm the TDU and that the address is in the competitive market, estimate your usage and peak demand, choose a business plan, then have the provider schedule the move-in for a date the TDU's tariff allows. Check the meter read dates on your first bill.

What is an ESI ID, and where do I find it for a commercial space?

It's the 17- or 22-digit Electric Service Identifier for a point of service delivery. Texas bills have to show it, so a recent bill for the space from the landlord or the previous tenant is the quickest source. Make sure it matches your suite.

How long does it take to get power on at a new business location in Texas?

It depends on the TDU and the meter. In Oncor's area, a move-in at a space with an existing meter can happen on the requested day if the order reaches Oncor by 7 p.m. CT on any day but Sunday or a holiday, and a new meter needs at least two business days' notice. Neither standard move-in happens while required inspections, permits or construction are still open.

Is starting service at a new location different from switching providers?

Yes. Starting service at a new premise, or taking over a space from another tenant, is a move-in. A switch is changing providers at the same premise. Switches come with a three-federal-business-day right to rescind, and move-ins don't.

Can I use a residential plan for a small office or shop?

No. A shop or office is a nonresidential premise and should be enrolled on a business product. Oncor's residential delivery schedule, for example, is limited to service "for residential purposes of a permanent nature to Individual Private Dwellings" and individually metered apartments.

Sources

• Public Utility Commission of Texas, 16 TAC §25.471, General Provisions of Customer Protection Rules (effective January 6, 2022). Accessed November 3, 2026.
• Public Utility Commission of Texas, 16 TAC §25.474, Selection of Retail Electric Provider (effective March 8, 2017). Accessed November 3, 2026.
• Public Utility Commission of Texas, 16 TAC §25.475, General Retail Electric Provider Requirements and Information Disclosures to Residential and Small Commercial Customers (effective January 6, 2022). Accessed November 3, 2026.
• Public Utility Commission of Texas, 16 TAC §25.479, Issuance and Format of Bills (effective January 6, 2022). Accessed November 3, 2026.
• Public Utility Commission of Texas, Electric Substantive Rules (index of current rules and effective dates). Accessed November 3, 2026.
• Power to Choose, Glossary. Accessed November 3, 2026.
• Oncor Electric Delivery, Delivery Charges 101 and Tariff for Retail Delivery Service (Sections 6.1.1.1.1, 6.1.1.1.3, 6.1.2.1, 6.1.2.3, 6.2.3.1.2 and 6.2.3.5, effective June 1, 2026). Accessed November 3, 2026.
• CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, Tariff for Retail Delivery Service (Sections 6.1.1.1.2 and 6.1.1.1.3, effective February 26, 2026). Accessed November 3, 2026.

Plan details and rates subject to change. Electricity service is subject to credit approval. Rule text, tariff charges and move-in timing in this article are as of November 3, 2026, from the sources linked above. Published by Ambit Energy, VIP Energy Service.