Setting Up Utilities in Dallas, Texas
Dallas is in Texas's deregulated electricity market, so the first thing to know is that nobody assigns you a power company — you pick one, and the plans vary a lot. The wires and the meter belong to Oncor no matter who you buy from. Gas, water, and trash are simpler. Here's who handles what and how to get everything turned on before you're standing in a dark house.
Electricity
You can choose your providerDallas is in the deregulated ERCOT market. Oncor owns the poles, wires, and meter and handles outages, but you choose your retail electric provider and compare plans on the state's Power to Choose site.
Delivery utility (poles, wires & outages): Oncor
Compare electricity plans →Natural Gas
Atmos Energy
Atmos Energy is the natural gas utility for Dallas and most of the DFW metro. Set up service directly with Atmos when you start your other utilities.
Water & Sewer
Dallas Water Utilities
The City of Dallas provides water and wastewater service through Dallas Water Utilities; start or transfer service through the city, which also handles most residential trash and recycling.
Trash & Recycling
City of Dallas Sanitation
Residential trash, recycling, and bulk pickup are handled by City of Dallas Sanitation Services and set up with your city water account.
Internet
Spectrum / AT&T Fiber
Dallas is one of the most competitive internet markets in Texas — Spectrum cable reaches nearly everywhere, AT&T Fiber and Google Fiber cover large swaths, and Frontier and Grande/Astound fill in more. Coverage is genuinely address-by-address; check the FCC map for your exact street.
Check your address (FCC map) →Electricity: You Pick, Oncor Delivers
If you're coming from a regulated state, this part trips people up. In Dallas there's no default power company — you shop a marketplace of retail electric providers, sign up with one, and Oncor delivers the electricity over its lines regardless of whose name is on your bill. Start on Power to Choose, the state-run comparison site, and read the fine print, because the headline rate on a plan often assumes a usage level you won't hit. Watch for minimum-usage fees, teaser rates that jump after a few months, and contract lengths. A boring 12-month fixed-rate plan is the right answer for most households. Set it up a few days before move-in so the lights are on when you arrive.
Gas, Water, and Trash
Natural gas comes from Atmos Energy across Dallas and nearly all of DFW — call them or set it up online, and note that some newer homes are all-electric with no gas service at all. Water, sewer, and most residential trash and recycling run through the City of Dallas on a single account, so you can knock those out in one stop. Give yourself a business day or two of lead time on the city account, especially around the first of the month when everyone's moving.
Internet: Shop Around, It's Competitive
Dallas has some of the best internet competition in the state, which is good news for your wallet if you're willing to compare. Spectrum's cable network covers close to the whole city and is the easy default. But if AT&T Fiber or Google Fiber has reached your street, take the fiber — symmetrical speeds and better reliability for the same money or less. Because availability changes block by block, don't trust a provider's marketing map; plug your exact address into the FCC's national broadband map and see what's really wired to your door.
FAQ: Utilities in Dallas
Yes. Dallas is in the deregulated ERCOT market, so you select your own retail electric provider and compare plans on the state's Power to Choose site. Oncor owns the wires and meter and handles outages no matter which provider you sign up with.
Atmos Energy is the natural gas utility for Dallas and most of the DFW metro. You set up service directly with Atmos, though some newer all-electric homes have no gas service.
The City of Dallas provides water and wastewater through Dallas Water Utilities, and City of Dallas Sanitation handles residential trash and recycling. Both are typically set up on a single city account.
It depends on your exact address. Spectrum cable covers nearly the whole city and is a safe default, but if AT&T Fiber or Google Fiber reaches your street, fiber is the better choice for speed and reliability. Check the FCC broadband map for what's available at your address.
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