Moving to Dallas: electricity and internet checklist

By the BillAnswers team · Updated October 20, 2026 · How we check facts

In Dallas, Oncor delivers the electricity whichever retail provider you choose, so you compare plans, pick one and agree on a start date with that provider. For internet, search your new address on the FCC National Broadband Map: for the city as a whole, providers report cable at 92.7% of residential units and fiber at 62.2% (data as of December 31, 2025). Read each plan's label before you order, and give your old electricity provider a forwarding address.

The Dallas checklist at a glance

Get the full new address, including the unit number.
Electricity: confirm the delivery company. Dallas is in Oncor's area.
Electricity: compare plans for the Oncor area and read each plan's Electricity Facts Label (EFL).
Internet: search the exact address on the FCC National Broadband Map.
Internet: read the broadband label of each plan you are considering.
Sign up for both and agree on start dates. Ask each internet provider whether it needs a technician visit or you set it up yourself.
Give your old electricity provider your move-out date and forwarding address.

Electricity in Dallas

Who delivers it. Oncor lists Dallas among the cities on its own Area Managers page (read October 20, 2026). Oncor owns the poles and wires; you buy electricity from a retail electric provider you choose. Power to Choose, the PUCT's shopping site, says that whichever company provides your electricity, it is delivered over the same poles and wires, and that for an outage you call the local wires company. Its number is on your electric bill.

What plans cost. Plan prices for the Oncor area, from the official Power to Choose list, are in the plan prices section of our Dallas electricity page, along with Oncor's delivery charges and a worked example. Compare plans at your own usage with the true-cost calculator.

How to start service.

Pick a plan and read its EFL.
Enroll with the provider and agree on a start date. Under 16 TAC 25.474, the provider must ask whether you are establishing new service or switching, and whether you want it to complete the move-in for you.
Have your identity details ready (see the table below).
On move-in day, check that the power is on.

The full steps, deposit options and the moving exception are in how to set up electricity when you move.

Leaving your old address. A Texas electricity contract covers the location it names. Under 16 TAC 25.475, no early termination fee may be charged because you move, if you give a forwarding address and, if asked, reasonable evidence that you no longer live there.

Internet in Dallas

For the city of Dallas, the FCC map shows that at least one wired or fixed wireless provider reports 100/20 Mbps or faster at 98.0% of residential units. By technology, cable is reported at 92.7% of units, fiber at 62.2% and licensed fixed wireless at 49.8% at that speed (data as of December 31, 2025; map updated October 13, 2026). Those are citywide shares, not a promise for your building.

Search your address. On the map, select your location point to see which providers report service there, the technology and the maximum advertised speeds.
Confirm with the provider. Check the same address on each provider's own site.
Read the label. Every provider must show an FCC broadband label for each plan where it is sold. Prices change often; check the provider's Broadband Facts label for your address. See how to read a broadband label.
Schedule. Ask for the installation date when you order, or whether the equipment is self-installed.
If you are refused. If a provider listed for your address will not serve you, the FCC accepts an Availability Challenge for reasons that include a denied request, excessive connection fees, or no installation scheduled within 10 business days of a request.

The providers the FCC lists for Dallas, with each one's share of units and facts from its own website, are on home internet in Dallas.

What to have ready

Item	Electricity	Internet
Full service address with unit number	Yes	Yes, availability is checked by exact address
Billing name and billing address	Yes (16 TAC 25.474)	Ask the provider
Email address	Yes, for an online enrollment (16 TAC 25.474)	Ask the provider
ESI-ID (electric service identifier)	If you have it	Not used
One identity item: last four digits of your Social Security number, mother's maiden name, city or town of birth, month and day of birth, or a driver's license or government ID number	One of these for a written or online enrollment (16 TAC 25.474)	Ask the provider what it requires
Start date	Agree on it with the provider	Ask for an install date, or self-setup
The label for the plan you chose	EFL	Broadband label

Want the statewide version?

The same steps for any Texas city, with a timeline table, are in the Texas moving checklist for electricity and internet.

Common questions

Who do I call if the power goes out in Dallas?

Power to Choose says to call the local wires company for your area, which in Dallas is Oncor, not your retail provider. The toll-free number is on your electric bill.

Do I need to call Oncor to start electricity?

No. You sign up with a retail electric provider. Under the PUCT enrollment rules, the provider must ask whether you are starting new service or switching, and whether you want it to complete the move-in for you.

Which internet providers serve Dallas?

On the FCC map's top 10 list for the city, Spectrum's parent Charter is reported at 94.3% of residential units, AT&T at 76.7%, Verizon at 62.0% and T-Mobile at 57.7%, with three satellite companies at 100%, as of December 31, 2025. Your own address can differ, so search it on the map.

Do I owe a cancellation fee on my old electricity plan when I move?

No early termination fee may be charged because you move, if you give the provider a forwarding address and, if it asks, reasonable evidence that you no longer live at the old address (16 TAC 25.475).

Sources

Last updated: October 20, 2026