Setting Up Utilities in Hideaway, Texas
Electricity
You can choose your providerHideaway is in the deregulated ERCOT market with Oncor as the chief delivery utility — Power to Choose lists 150+ competing plans for ZIP 75771, so you choose your retail provider. A few addresses on the area's fringes are on Wood County Electric Cooperative instead, with no plan shopping.
Delivery utility (poles, wires & outages): Oncor
Compare electricity plans →Natural Gas
CenterPoint Energy (Entex)
CenterPoint Energy (Entex) serves Hideaway with piped natural gas, per the Railroad Commission of Texas's city-by-city table — though only about a hundred homes in the community are on gas, so many streets run on propane instead. Confirm availability for your specific address.
Water & Sewer
Crystal Systems (Hideaway Lake)
Water service in Hideaway comes from Crystal Systems, a private water utility serving the community — not from a city water department.
Trash & Recycling
Hide-A-Way Lake Club / private hauler
Trash service in the gated community is arranged through Hide-A-Way Lake Club or a private hauler rather than a city sanitation department — confirm current arrangements with the club office.
Internet
Widest coverage: Optimum
Optimum reports service to 97% of homes inside Hideaway city limits, the widest reported coverage of any provider other than the satellite companies and the 5G home-internet carriers. Fiber is reported at 1% of homes. Full provider comparison on our Hideaway internet page.
Check your address (FCC map) →Hideaway is a different kind of East Texas city — a gated lake-and-golf community in northwest Smith County where Hide-A-Way Lake Club, Inc. maintains the roads, lakes, and amenities while the city government handles municipal functions. Utilities follow the same split personality: electricity is the standard deregulated Texas setup on the Oncor grid, but water comes from a private utility, and some services run through the club rather than a city department.
Plan on choosing a retail electric plan before move-in, setting up water with Crystal Systems, confirming trash arrangements with the club, and checking internet availability (Optimum reports the widest coverage, 97% of homes on the FCC broadband map) — and note that many homes here run on propane rather than piped gas.
Electricity: You Choose Your Provider
Behind the gate, electricity works the same as in Tyler or Lindale: Hideaway is on the Oncor grid inside Texas's deregulated market. Oncor owns the lines and handles outages, and you pick the retail provider that sells you the power — more than 150 plans are listed for ZIP 75771 on Power to Choose, so compare rates and contract lengths before move-in.
A small caveat for the area's edges: Wood County Electric Cooperative serves some addresses around the community, and co-op members don't shop plans. If your closing paperwork names the co-op, that's your utility.
Water, Trash, and the Gas Question
Hideaway doesn't run a municipal water department — service comes from Crystal Systems, the private water utility for the community, with its own office and emergency line. Trash is likewise arranged through Hide-A-Way Lake Club or a private hauler rather than a city crew, so ask the club office about current pickup arrangements when you close.
Piped natural gas exists but is limited: CenterPoint Energy serves Hideaway in the Railroad Commission's city table, but only about a hundred homes in the community are on the mains — many streets run on propane. If gas matters to your kitchen or heating plans, confirm for the specific street before you buy.
Internet
Providers report home internet service inside Hideaway city limits over cable at 98% of homes, licensed fixed wireless at 91% of homes, unlicensed fixed wireless at 4% of homes, and fiber at 1% of homes, out of 1,754 homes and apartments, according to FCC National Broadband Map data as of December 31, 2025.
At least 98% of homes have a reported wired or fixed-wireless option of 100/20 Mbps or faster, and at least 1% have a reported gigabit (1,000/100 Mbps) option.
Optimum reports service to 97% of homes inside Hideaway city limits, the widest reported coverage of any provider other than the satellite companies and the 5G home-internet carriers. Fiber is reported at 1% of homes.
Availability is address-specific: check your exact address on the FCC National Broadband Map before signing up.
FAQ: Utilities in Hideaway
Yes. Hideaway is in Texas's deregulated market with Oncor as the delivery utility — Power to Choose lists over 150 plans for ZIP 75771. A few fringe addresses are on Wood County Electric Cooperative, which has no plan shopping.
Crystal Systems, a private water utility serving the Hideaway Lake community — there's no municipal water department. Set up service directly with Crystal Systems.
Yes, but it's limited. CenterPoint Energy serves Hideaway, though only about a hundred homes in the community are on the gas mains — many streets use propane. Confirm availability for your street before you buy.
Apart from satellite and 5G home-internet carriers, Optimum reports the widest coverage: 97% of homes inside Hideaway city limits in FCC data as of December 31, 2025. Other providers reporting at least 10% coverage: AT&T, T-Mobile Home Internet, and Verizon Home Internet. Availability varies by address, so check the FCC National Broadband Map.
Sources & Verification
- FindEnergy — Hideaway electricity (Oncor delivery, deregulated)
- Power to Choose — 150+ plans for ZIP 75771, Oncor TDU (verified June 2026)
- Lindale Area Chamber — utilities directory (Crystal Systems water for Hideaway Lake)
- Hide-A-Way Lake Club — community management
- Railroad Commission of Texas — Natural Gas Service to Texas Cities (Table 1A; CenterPoint serves ~116 Hideaway homes)
- FCC National Broadband Map
East Texas guides
Region-wide guides that put Hideaway in context — where to go, what things cost, and how people actually live here.
Moving to East Texas: What You Need to Know
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Read Guide →Cost of Living in East Texas
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Read Guide →East Texas Real Estate Guide
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Read Guide →Best Day Trips from Tyler and East Texas
Drive-time guide to day trips from Tyler: state parks, small towns, museums, and lakes within about 30 minutes, an hour, and up to three hours.
Read Guide →Business Owner?
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