Winter bills

Why is my electric bill so high in winter?

For the average Texas home, a January bill runs well above a November one, but August is higher still. The jump is biggest in homes with electric heat, and about half of Texas homes have it.

Published 2 November 2026

Is winter really my biggest bill?

In January, the average Texas home uses about 1,140 kWh. That is well above the 820 kWh it uses in November.

August is bigger still, at about 1,640 kWh, by government data. So a January bill looks high next to November, but summer is still the peak for the average home. Here is why summer climbs even higher.

These are averages for all Texas homes, gas-heated ones too. Your own winter depends a lot on how you heat your home.

Does electric heat make my winter bill higher?

About 51% of Texas homes heat mainly with electricity, by a 2020 U.S. Energy Information Administration survey. Across the whole country, it is only 34%.

About 42% heat with gas instead. A gas furnace puts the cost of cold weather mostly on your gas bill. With electric heat, every cold night lands on your electric bill.

Over a year, heating uses about 11% of a Texas home's power, and air conditioning uses about 28%. That is one reason August usually beats January.

Does the kind of electric heat make a difference?

Yes, a big one. An electric furnace or baseboard heater turns power straight into heat.

A heat pump moves heat from outside into your home instead of making it. The U.S. Department of Energy says it can use about 65% less power for heating than those heaters.

About 19% of Texas homes heat mainly with a central heat pump, by the same survey. So two homes in the same cold snap can get very different bills.

Is it cheaper to leave the heat on all day?

Usually not. The U.S. Department of Energy says to turn the thermostat back 7 to 10°F for 8 hours a day. It says that can cut as much as 10% a year from heating and cooling costs.

Nights, and the hours you are out, are the easy times to do it. If you have a heat pump, use a thermostat made for one. The Department of Energy says that makes turning it down pay off.

Turning it down helps, but it may not be enough. If a winter bill is hard to pay, Texas has help programs. And a freeze limits when your power can be shut off.

How do winter months change which plan fits you?

Plans are usually compared at 1,000 kWh a month. Some also pay a bill credit only in months you reach that level. For the average Texas home, only January reaches 1,000 kWh between November and March.

A plan that looks cheap at 1,000 kWh can miss its credit in those milder months. If your bill jumped while your kWh stayed the same, check the other common causes.

We estimate each plan in your ZIP across all twelve of your months, cold and hot. The plan likely to cost you the least comes first.

1. Find your heat source

   Gas or electric, it decides how much of winter shows up on your power bill.

2. Count the mild months too

   Four of the five months from November to March fall short of 1,000 kWh.

3. Judge all twelve bills

   A cold January and a hot August, added into one estimated cost.

Articles are general information for Texas electricity shoppers. Every cost Power Rate Check shows is an estimate, and the Electricity Facts Label is the provider's official price document — read it before you sign.