In DFW, electricity is sold by a retail provider you choose and delivered by Oncor in its service area, water comes from your city, and Atmos Energy's Mid-Tex Division serves the Dallas and Fort Worth area with gas. Oncor takes meter tampering reports by email or mail, and by phone when there is immediate danger.
Our Texas guide to utilities and squatters covers the law: what Property Code Sec. 92.008 says about cutting a tenant's service, why the 2025 squatter removal law is silent on utilities, and how meter tampering is treated. This page is the Dallas-Fort Worth layer. It maps who provides each service, what they ask for, and how to report a problem, so you can give your attorney accurate facts.
Three services, three kinds of provider
| Service | Who you deal with | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity (Oncor area) | Your retail electric provider for the account; Oncor for the wires and meter | Your provider's number is on the bill; Oncor general line 888.313.6862, outages 888.313.4747 |
| Water in Fort Worth | City of Fort Worth Water | 817-392-4477 |
| Water in Dallas | Dallas Water Utilities | (214) 651-1441, or DallasGo online |
| Natural gas | Atmos Energy, Mid-Tex Division | 888-286-6700 |
If the house is outside Fort Worth or Dallas, check your water bill for the name of your provider.
Electricity: Oncor delivers, your provider sells
Oncor's FAQ explains that Texas is a deregulated market. You choose a retail electric provider, and Oncor points people to the Power to Choose website to compare plans. That provider holds your account. Oncor says it delivers electricity but is not a retailer and does not sell power directly to customers. In practice, account questions go to the provider named on the bill, while Oncor handles the lines, outages and meters in its area.
For an owner with an occupant problem, one Oncor resource is especially useful. Its FAQ points to Smart Meter Texas, a site the Public Utility Commission endorses, which stores daily, monthly and 15-minute usage data from advanced meters. Customers and authorized market participants can see it. If you hold the account, a jump in usage at a house you believed was empty is a fact worth writing down for your attorney or the police.
Reporting meter tampering to Oncor: email contactcenter@oncor.com or write to Oncor Meter Tampering Investigation, 1616 Woodall Rodgers Fwy., # 2M 012, Dallas, TX 75202. Include the street address and city. If the situation presents immediate danger, Oncor says to call 888.313.6862. Oncor's safety page warns that tampering with meters and live wires can cause electrocution or fires.
Water in Fort Worth
Fort Worth Water opens accounts by phone at 817-392-4477 or at its customer service location. Its account page lists what the city needs at least one day before activation:
- the name, phone number, Social Security number and driver's license number of the person responsible for the account;
- the name of the present property owner; and
- if available, the name of the previous owner or tenant.
A $20 activation charge appears on the first bill, with an extra $25 for same-day requests. A refundable residential deposit applies unless the customer qualifies for a waiver. The page also notes that a bill may include charges related to theft or tampering. If you own a Fort Worth house and are unsure whether anyone has opened water service there, call the city and ask what it can tell you about the account at that address.
Water in Dallas
Dallas Water Utilities opens accounts through DallasGo online, by phone at (214) 651-1441 on weekdays, or in person at the customer service lobby at Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla Street. A deposit is billed on the first bill unless the customer meets one of the city's criteria. One criterion is owning, or being in the process of buying, the property served. Others include a good DWU credit history, being 65 or older, a letter from someone with good DWU credit, or 12 months of on-time payments with another utility.
When an account holder moves out, DWU asks them to call and discontinue service, and the deposit is credited to the final bill. Keep that in mind once the house is back in your hands and you are deciding whose name the account should be in.
Gas from Atmos Energy
Atmos Energy says its Mid-Tex Division serves the Dallas and Fort Worth area. Customer service is at 888-286-6700, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central. Ask Atmos what it can share about the account at your address, and report anything that looks like a damaged or altered gas meter right away.
Restoration cases go to the local justice court
If a tenant claims an unlawful shutoff, Property Code Sec. 92.0091 sends the sworn complaint to the justice court in the precinct where the house sits, and the judge can order service restored before a hearing. In DFW that means the Tarrant, Dallas, Collin or Denton County justice court for that address. Our DFW squatter law guide lists the courts and the eviction fees.
A short checklist for DFW owners
- Gather your latest electric, water and gas bills and note whose name is on each account.
- If you hold the electric account, check usage history on Smart Meter Texas.
- Report any bypassed or damaged meter to the provider that owns it.
- Write down dates, readings and photos taken from public areas, then share them with your attorney.
- Do not change service at an occupied house until your attorney has weighed in.
Once the house is empty and yours again, our guide to utilities in a vacant DFW house covers what to keep on and how each provider handles a vacant property.
Selling the house instead
Some owners reach the end of an occupant problem and decide to let the house go. You can ask us about your property at any stage.
Cash Home Advisors is based in Fort Worth and buys houses across DFW. We pay all closing costs, can close in 7–14 days, and you see the closing statement before you sign. Get a cash offer, check our areas we serve, or read about selling in Fort Worth and Dallas.
Want a cash offer instead?
We buy Texas houses as-is, pay all closing costs, and can close in 7–14 days.
Get my cash offer or call (817) 635-0743
Frequently asked questions
How do I report electric meter tampering in the Oncor area?
Oncor asks for reports by email to contactcenter@oncor.com or by mail to its Meter Tampering Investigation office in Dallas, with the street address and city. If the situation is an immediate danger, call Oncor at 888.313.6862.
Can I see electricity use at my empty DFW house?
Oncor's FAQ points customers to Smart Meter Texas, a site endorsed by the Public Utility Commission that stores daily, monthly and 15-minute usage data from advanced meters for customers and authorized market participants.
What does Fort Worth Water ask for when someone opens an account?
The city asks for the name, phone number, Social Security number and driver's license number of the person responsible, the name of the present property owner, and the previous owner or tenant if available. There is a $20 activation charge on the first bill.
Who do I call about gas service in Dallas or Fort Worth?
Atmos Energy says its Mid-Tex Division serves the Dallas and Fort Worth area. Its customer service line is 888-286-6700, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central.
Sources
- Oncor, Start and stop service FAQs
- Oncor, Safety (electric meter tampering)
- City of Fort Worth Water, Opening, closing and transferring accounts
- Dallas Water Utilities, Account information
- Atmos Energy, Texas service territory
- Atmos Energy, Contact us
- Texas Property Code, Chapter 92 (Sec. 92.0091 restoration of utility service)
General information, not legal or tax advice. Talk to a Texas attorney or CPA about your situation.