McAllen Electricity Rates & Plans for the Upper Valley's Long Cooling Season
Compare plans in McAllen by estimated monthly cost at your usage, with AEP Texas Central delivery charges included.
Estimated costs are informational. Provider rates and plan terms may change. Confirm current details directly with the provider.
Live eligible-plan inventory — AEP Texas Central territory; the same active, validation-clean, fresh plan set the compare tool ranks, with TDSP delivery charges included. Rate and bill figures cover standard-priced plans only (free-period and time-of-use plans are counted in inventory but excluded from rate figures). Source: daily EFL capture of the state plan feed; refreshed with this page about every 6 hours. Confirm current rates with the provider before enrolling.
Top Electricity Plans in McAllen (Ranked by Real Monthly Cost)
Plans below are ranked by estimated total bill including AEP Texas Central delivery charges. Enter your actual monthly kWh for personalized results and confirm final details with the provider.
| # | Plan | Provider | Rate (1,000 kWh) | Est. bill (1,000 kWh) | Term | Fine print |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SimpleSaver 12 | AP GAS & ELECTRIC (TX) LLC | 6.7¢/kWh | $67/mo | 12 mo | Credit cliff at 1,000 kWh, $150 cancel fee |
| 2 | Sure Saver 12 | SPARK ENERGY LLC | 7.1¢/kWh | $71/mo | 12 mo | Credit cliff at 1,000 kWh, $100 cancel fee |
| 3 | The Lone Saver Plus 12 | Energy Texas | 7.1¢/kWh | $72/mo | 12 mo | Credit cliff at 1,000 kWh, $20 cancel fee |
| 4 | Rhythm Max Saver 24 | RHYTHM | 7.2¢/kWh | $73/mo | 24 mo | Credit cliff at 1,000 kWh, $20 cancel fee |
| 5 | Variable Advantage | SOUTHERN FEDERAL POWER LLC | 8.6¢/kWh | $86/mo | 1 mo | Variable rate |
Estimated bills include AEP Texas Central delivery charges. Confirm final pricing on the provider's Electricity Facts Label before enrolling. Use the interactive comparison below to rank all 161 plans at your own usage, or the full comparison tool.
McAllen's electricity year has almost no off-season. The upper Rio Grande Valley pairs subtropical humidity with heat that arrives in April and lingers past October, so air conditioners here log more meaningful months of work than anywhere in Texas except the border's drier stretches — and unlike Laredo's dry heat, McAllen's air makes AC systems fight moisture as well as temperature. The city shops a full deregulated market on AEP Texas Central's wires, with a boundary worth knowing: Magic Valley Electric Cooperative serves large parts of Hidalgo County around and between the Valley's cities, and co-op members have no retail choice. Inside McAllen proper, the competitive market applies — including the north-side neighborhoods that spent years under Sharyland Utilities before joining AEP Central's territory in 2019.
McAllen homes carry seven-plus months of real cooling load; mid-size homes commonly run 1,200–1,700 kWh from June through September and stay elevated through October, while mild winters drop most households to 500–850 kWh.
McAllen Electricity Rates — August 2026
Weekly standard-priced market index — AEP Texas Central territory, snapshot from the week of August 31, 2026. Unlike the live inventory above, rate figures here exclude free-period and time-of-use plans.
In the week of August 31, 2026, 155 standard-priced plans from 37 providers were on the market in AEP Texas Central territory. At 1,000 kWh, the cheapest works out to 6.8¢/kWh all-in (about $68 for the month), and the territory average is 12.8¢/kWh — down 0.9¢ vs the week of August 3, 2026. All figures include AEP Texas Central delivery charges.
| Monthly usage | Cheapest rate | Average rate | Cheapest est. bill | Average est. bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh | 9.0¢/kWh | 13.4¢/kWh | $45/mo | $67/mo |
| 1,000 kWh | 6.8¢/kWh | 12.8¢/kWh | $68/mo | $128/mo |
| 2,000 kWh | 8.2¢/kWh | 12.7¢/kWh | $164/mo | $254/mo |
Standard-priced plans in the AEP Texas Central service territory tracked in the TrueBill database, weekly snapshot from August 31, 2026. Rate = estimated all-in monthly bill (energy + AEP Texas Central delivery charges) divided by usage — the same average-price definition the Electricity Facts Label uses. Time-of-use and free-period plans are excluded from rate figures. AEP Texas Central delivery charges are identical across the territory, so these rates apply to McAllen addresses served by AEP Texas Central. Plan pricing changes often — confirm current terms with the provider.
See how Texas electricity rates have trended · Monthly Texas market reports
Provider Rates on the AEP Texas Central Grid This Week
Lowest and average all-in rates per provider at 1,000 kWh, from the snapshot for the week of August 31, 2026.
| Provider | Plans | Lowest rate | Avg rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| AP GAS & ELECTRIC (TX) LLC | 7 | 6.77¢ | 10.93¢ |
| SPARK ENERGY LLC | 5 | 7.51¢ | 10.54¢ |
| SOUTHERN FEDERAL POWER LLC | 5 | 8.60¢ | 12.45¢ |
| Octopus Energy | 6 | 8.70¢ | 11.95¢ |
| TARA ENERGY | 5 | 9.72¢ | 12.52¢ |
| JUST ENERGY | 4 | 9.92¢ | 13.46¢ |
| AMIGO ENERGY | 5 | 9.92¢ | 15.65¢ |
| Rhythm Energy | 4 | 10.42¢ | 11.40¢ |
| Energy Texas | 4 | 10.42¢ | 11.75¢ |
| Companion Energy | 2 | 10.60¢ | 10.95¢ |
Rates are EFL average prices at 1,000 kWh including AEP Texas Central delivery charges. This is territory-level data — identical for every city on the AEP Texas Central grid, because providers price by TDSP territory, not by city. Full history on the Texas rate history page.
Local planning angle for McAllen
A cooling season this long changes plan arithmetic: summer-weighted structures get seven months to prove themselves rather than three, so a plan that's slightly wrong for your usage compounds its error longer here than anywhere in the state's big metros. Anchor comparisons on your real high-season usage, then sanity-check December — the Valley's mild winters put many homes below bill-credit thresholds exactly when nothing else on the bill is large enough to hide it.
Who Delivers Electricity in McAllen
AEP Texas Central (your delivery utility)
AEP Texas Central owns and maintains the poles, wires, transformers, and meters in McAllen. They handle outages and infrastructure, but they do not sell electricity plans. You choose a retail provider separately, and AEP Texas Central delivers the power regardless of which provider you pick.
AEP Texas Central's delivery charges are the same for every customer in Hidalgo County, regardless of retail provider. TrueBill includes these charges in every estimate.
Review AEP Texas Central TDSP delivery charges and service-area details →Typical Electricity Usage in McAllen
McAllen homes often use significantly more electricity during summer cooling months than during the rest of the year.
That seasonal swing changes plan economics: bill credits, minimum usage fees, and usage-based pricing can behave very differently as monthly usage moves up and down.
TrueBill ranks plans using your actual usage profile whenever possible instead of relying only on the standard 1,000 kWh benchmark.
Estimated profile derived from McAllen seasonal ranges and AEP Texas Central service-area usage patterns.
What to Check Before Picking a Plan in McAllen
Some plans only apply a credit if you use, say, 1,000 kWh or more in a month. Miss the threshold and your bill can jump. Check where your usage lands in every month, not just summer.
Rates can change across usage bands, so the advertised rate may only apply at one usage level. Compare estimated cost at your expected usage, not just the 1,000 kWh benchmark.
A monthly base charge or a fee for using too little can outweigh a low per-kWh rate, especially in smaller homes and apartments.
Longer contracts lock in your rate but usually carry a cancellation fee. Check the term and the fee in the plan's EFL before you sign up.
TrueBill factors these plan structures into every estimate. Plan terms can change, so confirm details with the provider before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions About Electricity in McAllen
Can everyone in the McAllen area choose their electricity provider?
What happened to Sharyland Utilities customers in McAllen?
How should McAllen households handle the seven-month cooling season when comparing plans?
Can I switch electricity providers in McAllen?
How do AEP Texas Central delivery charges affect my total McAllen electricity bill?
What is the difference between the AEP Texas Central delivery charge and the energy charge on my McAllen electricity bill?
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Estimated costs are informational. Provider rates and plan terms may change. Confirm current details directly with the provider.