Wiktor Wise
Finding out which company provides your electricity can be a tricky process, especially in deregulated energy markets, where customers can choose from multiple electricity suppliers. In the United States, you can usually find your electricity provider by searching for it online by address or zip code. In some states, you may need to select an electricity provider, while in others, you can choose your natural gas provider. If you are unsure about who your electricity provider is, you can look for it on your electricity bill or contact your local utility company.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Find electricity provider | By address or zip code |
| Tools | ElectricityPlans ESID Lookup Tool, Energy Comparison Tool |
| Deregulated energy markets | Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan (partial), New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington, D.C. |
| Retail electricity providers | Provide power, handle customer service, send bills, and coordinate with the utility |
| Utility company | Delivers power to your home and handles emergencies |
| ESID Number | A unique number assigned to a property address, acts as a social security number for the electric meter |
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What You'll Learn
How to find your electricity provider by zip code
Finding your electricity provider by zip code can be a straightforward process. However, it's worth noting that the process may vary depending on your location, as some states have deregulated energy markets, allowing customers to choose their energy suppliers.
If you live in a state with a deregulated energy market, such as Texas, Connecticut, Illinois, or Maryland, you likely have the freedom to choose your electricity provider. In such cases, you can follow these general steps:
- Use an online energy comparison tool: Several websites offer energy comparison tools that allow you to enter your zip code and view a list of available electricity providers in your area. You can then compare their plans, rates, and features.
- Consider your usage patterns and budget: After comparing the options, select a plan that aligns with your typical electricity usage and fits within your budget.
- Enroll in your chosen plan: Follow the prompts provided by the platform to enroll in your selected plan and set up your electricity service.
On the other hand, if you live in a state with a regulated energy market, the process may be more straightforward. In regulated areas, a single utility company typically provides all services, so you don't need to worry about choosing a supplier. You can usually find your local utility company by performing a simple online search or contacting your city or town hall.
Additionally, you can often identify your electricity provider by examining your electricity bill. Look for a section labeled "electric supply charges," "supply services," or something similar. The name of your electricity provider is usually listed in this section.
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Deregulated energy markets
In the United States, you can usually find your utility provider by searching for it based on your address or zip code. However, in some states, you may need to select your electricity or natural gas provider. Over the years, some states and towns in the U.S. have deregulated their energy markets, allowing customers to choose their energy supplier. This has led to increased competition, lower prices, and more value-added services.
In a regulated electricity market, vertically integrated monopoly utilities cover the entire value chain with oversight from a public regulator. The utility ensures that power is generated, sent to the grid, and reaches customers. Customers in regulated markets cannot choose their power generator and must purchase power from the utility in their area. Regulated markets dominate most of the Southeast, Northwest, and much of the West (excluding California).
In a deregulated electricity market, market participants other than utility companies own power plants and transmission lines. Generators (electricity-generating companies) sell electricity into a wholesale market, and retail energy suppliers purchase this electricity to sell to customers. Transmission companies or utilities own and operate the transmission grid. This market universe is managed by an independent system operator (ISO) or regional transmission organization (RTO). The utility company is still responsible for distributing power and ensuring everything is working correctly. Deregulated markets have opened up generation for competition from independent power producers in 24 states, including California, Texas, and most states in the Northeast.
As of 2025, full electricity retail energy choice is available in 15 states, including Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Connecticut, and Maryland. In Texas, for example, 72 municipally owned utilities (MOUs) provide power to about 15% of the state's population, while the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) oversees the deregulated market that powers the other 85%.
Deregulated markets allow businesses to hedge their prices, helping them to budget their costs for the year. They can lock in a price per kilowatt-hour (kWh), protecting themselves against price spikes or increases due to weather or other events that impact wholesale power prices. Customers benefit from more competitive rates and generation options, including renewable energy.
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Utility companies vs. retail energy providers
In the United States, you can easily find out which utility provider serves your address or zip code. In some states, you will need to select an electricity or natural gas provider. Over the years, some states and towns in the U.S. have deregulated their energy markets, allowing customers to choose their energy supplier. This has led to competition, often resulting in lower prices or value-added services.
In a traditional energy system, the utility provider is also the utility supplier. They package the energy produced and sell it to the consumer, owning and operating the infrastructure that delivers electricity to the consumer's home. Utility companies in such a system function as monopolies, meaning the consumer cannot switch energy suppliers.
In deregulated markets, utility companies own the infrastructure that delivers electricity to customers, but do not package and sell the energy. Instead, competitive retail energy providers buy electricity from wholesale generators and sell it to customers, competing with each other to provide the best plans, prices, renewable energy options, and customer service, along with additional benefits and incentives.
Retail energy providers may buy energy at wholesale from producers, or they may operate their own power plants, such as nuclear generators or wind and solar farms. They compete to earn your business based on plans, pricing, contract terms, and additional services. They may offer fixed and variable-rate options, access to renewable energy, and flexible plans that can save you money depending on your usage habits.
It is important to know who your utility company is so that you know where to report an outage or service interruption. Your utility provider is the company that reads your meter and bills you, even if you have a different energy supplier. They are responsible for delivering your energy and maintaining the delivery infrastructure.
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ESID Lookup Tool
If you are based in Texas, you can use the ESID Lookup Tool to find your Electric Service Identifier (ESID) or Electric Service Identification Number (ESI ID). This is a unique number for your property address that helps utilities and energy providers enrol you in energy plans and measure your usage.
You can find your ESID number on your electricity bill—it is a number that begins with 10089 or 1044. If you are unable to find it, you can use the ESID Lookup Tool instead. This tool is free to use and updated daily, directly from the ERCOT database. You can use it to look up any ESID in Texas.
To use the tool, enter your address. The tool will then identify your ESID number. If you are unable to find your ESID number using the tool, it may be because your meter is new and hasn't been set up yet. In this case, you will need to contact the utility company to have a new ESID assigned.
Once you have your ESID, you can use it when contacting a Retail Electric Provider (REP) to set up an account and start your electric service.
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Energy plans and pricing
Energy plans and their pricing are dependent on a number of factors, including the state and region in which you live, the size of your household, and your average energy usage.
In the United States, most addresses are tied to a single distribution utility, but the power can come from multiple retail suppliers. In some states, you can choose your electricity provider, and in others, you can choose your natural gas provider. In community-choice aggregation (CCA) areas, the municipality chooses the energy provider.
If you live in a deregulated energy market, such as Texas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan (partial), New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, or Washington, D.C., you can shop around for an energy provider and plan that meets your needs.
When choosing an energy plan, you may come across fixed-rate plans, variable-rate plans, and 100% Green Energy Plans. Fixed-rate plans lock in the same price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity for the duration of your contract, regardless of market fluctuations. Variable-rate plans, on the other hand, fluctuate with the energy market, so your bill may vary. 100% Green Energy Plans are a great option for sustainability-minded consumers, although the electricity flowing through your power lines may not be entirely green. Instead, your energy usage may be offset by the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs).
When shopping for an energy plan, it is important to compare different rates and plans from each provider to find the best option for your budget. You can use online comparison tools like EnergyPricing.com or Choose Energy to explore plans and rates in your area. Additionally, reading customer reviews can give you an idea of the customer service and reliability of each company. Other factors to consider include the company's size and history, as well as the terms of the contract.
Remember, the cheapest plan may not always be the best fit for your needs. For example, as of August 11, 2025, the cheapest electricity rate in Texas was 9.2 cents per kWh from APG&E, but this may not be suitable for a large household with high energy needs. Therefore, it is essential to consider your specific requirements when selecting an energy plan.
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Frequently asked questions
You can find out who provides your electricity by entering your address or zip code into a utility lookup tool.
Yes, it is important to know your utility company as they deliver power to your home and handle emergencies.
An ESID number (Electric Service Identifier) is a unique number assigned to your property address. You can find your ESID number using an ESID Lookup Tool, which requires you to enter your address.
In deregulated areas, the utility company and the electricity provider are separate entities. The utility company delivers the power and handles emergencies, while the electricity provider sells the electricity and manages customer service, billing, and plan options.
You can find out if you live in a deregulated area by checking a list of deregulated states, such as Texas, Ohio, Illinois, Connecticut, and Maryland. If your state is deregulated, you can choose your electricity provider.
