Usually some service should stay on. TDI says to leave the heat on and shut the water at the valve if you leave before a freeze, and many policies limit coverage after a set vacancy period. In most of ERCOT you can pick the electric plan; water and gas run through local utilities.
Shutting off every utility in an empty house looks like the cheapest move. In Texas it often is not. Your insurance policy, a hard freeze and any future sale all push toward keeping at least some service running. This guide takes each service in turn, electricity, water and gas, and covers how to keep it in your name at a low cost while nobody lives there.
If the house is in Tarrant, Dallas, Collin or Denton County, the DFW version of this guide names the local electric, water and gas providers and the city contacts. For the wider to-do list on an empty property, see our vacant house checklist.
First question: is anyone living there?
Everything below assumes the house is truly empty. If a tenant, a relative or anyone else is staying in it, utilities become a legal question, not a budget one. Property Code Sec. 92.008 says a landlord may not interrupt a tenant's utility service, whether the tenant pays the utility directly or the landlord supplies it, unless the interruption results from bona fide repairs, construction or an emergency.
Our post on turning off utilities on a squatter explains how that section and the newer unauthorized-occupant rules fit together. If someone is in the house, talk to a Texas real estate attorney before anyone touches the service.
Read the insurance policy before you call a utility
The right answer usually depends on your homeowners policy, so read it first. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) home insurance guide lists, among losses many policies do not cover, losses that occur after the house has been vacant for the number of days the policy specifies. It also names a house vacant for 60 days or more as a reason a company may refuse to renew. TDI's advice is to talk to your company if you will be away for an extended time.
TDI's winter storm tips tie this directly to utilities. They say home policies might not pay for frozen-pipe damage if you did not take steps to protect your pipes, and they give keeping the heater on as an example. The same page notes that flood insurance does not pay for burst pipes.
Policy-reading checklist: how the policy defines "vacant" and "unoccupied," and whether leaving furniture changes that; how many days pass before any vacancy exclusion starts; any condition that you keep the house heated or shut off and drain the water system; how it treats a slow, continuing leak compared with a sudden one; and whether the company offers a vacancy endorsement or a different policy for an empty house. Write down whom you spoke with and the date.
Electricity: who sells it and who delivers it
In much of Texas, two different companies stand behind the light switch. Utilities Code Sec. 31.002 defines a retail electric provider as a company that sells electricity to retail customers. It defines a transmission and distribution utility as the company that owns or operates the equipment that carries the power to you. In the competitive market you buy from the first, and the second runs the wires and the meter.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) says you have the power to choose your provider if you live in the ERCOT region and are not served by an electric cooperative or a municipally owned utility. Its Power to Choose site lets you compare plans and rates. If a co-op or city utility serves the house, you keep or open the account with that utility instead.
PUCT rules worth knowing for an empty house
An account at a vacant house still runs under the PUCT's consumer rules. Four of them come up most often:
- Deposits. A provider may require a deposit of up to one-fifth of the estimated annual billing or the sum of the estimated bills for the next two months. The rule covers applicants as well as existing customers, so a new account in an heir's name can be asked for one.
- Contract expiration. Providers must notify residential customers at least 30 days before a contract expires. You can switch without an early termination charge if the switch is no earlier than 14 days before the expiration date in the notice. If you do nothing, the provider moves you to a month-to-month product.
- Estimated bills. If a meter reading cannot be obtained, bills may be estimated, generally for no more than three billing cycles in a row. Have the bills sent to an address you check.
- Disconnection. A provider may have service cut for nonpayment only after proper notice. The delivery utility may disconnect for emergencies, meter tampering or unsafe conditions.
Because an empty house uses little power, read each plan's pricing details for charges that apply no matter how little you use. If you have questions about choosing a provider, the PUCT Office of Consumer Assistance takes calls at 1-888-782-8477.
Water: close the valve, not necessarily the account
Water service is local. The PUCT regulates the rates, billing and service areas of investor-owned water and wastewater utilities, which tend to be smaller systems in rural areas. It does not regulate city-owned water utilities, water districts or water supply corporations. For most houses, that means deposits, transfers, monthly minimums and shutoff rules come from the city or district that sends the bill.
TDI's freeze advice points to a middle path: if you leave the house before a freeze, turn off the water at the shutoff valve and leave the heat on. The account stays open and the house stays warm, while a broken pipe has much less water to release. TDI also suggests these steps days ahead of a freeze:
- Drain and turn off the lawn sprinkler system.
- Remove hoses and wrap outdoor pipes.
- Wrap pipes in unheated areas, and turn off the water to a clothes washer in an unheated garage.
Questions for your water provider: Is there a monthly charge with zero usage? Can the account be moved into your name, and is a deposit required? If service was shut at the meter, what does it take to restart it, and how long?
Gas: decide with the heat in mind
If the furnace runs on natural gas, turning off the gas means no heat in a freeze. That is the very situation TDI says may leave frozen-pipe damage uncovered. If the heat is electric and gas only feeds a water heater or range, shutting gas off is a smaller decision, but it still has a restart cost in time.
Before you stop or restart gas service, ask the gas utility whether someone must be at the house to turn service back on, whether pilot lights will be relit, and whether a closed account carries any fee to reopen. Write the answers down; you will need them again when a buyer's inspector wants the water heater running.
Code compliance keeps running while the house is empty
Turning off utilities does not take a house off a city's radar. Local Government Code Sec. 214.001 lets a Texas city, by ordinance, require an owner to secure, repair, remove or demolish a building that is unoccupied by its owners, tenants or guests and is unsecured to the point that uninvited people or children could get in. The same section covers buildings that are dilapidated, substandard or unfit for human habitation.
Subchapter H of the same chapter lets a city in a county of 2.5 million people or more require owners of vacant buildings to register them. It presumes a building is vacant when lawful activity has stopped, or appears to have stopped, for more than 150 days. Each city writes its own ordinance, so look up your city's code compliance department for the local version.
If you may sell, the contract turns the utilities back on
Paragraph 7A of the TREC 20-19 resale contract says the seller, at the seller's expense, shall immediately cause existing utilities to be turned on and keep them on while the contract is in effect. Inspectors cannot test a furnace, water heater or plumbing without power, water and gas. If you shut service off, find out the lead time to restart each one now. Our guide to selling a vacant house in Texas covers the rest of the contract.
A service-by-service summary
| Service | Common choice for an empty house | What to confirm first |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | Keep on, thermostat set low enough to protect pipes | Policy heat conditions; plan charges; deposit if the name changes |
| Water | Keep the account; close the main valve before a freeze | Policy drain conditions; minimum charge; restart steps |
| Gas | Keep on if the heat is gas | Who relights pilots; reopening fee |
| Sprinklers and hoses | Drain and shut off before cold weather | Timing before the first freeze |
If the bills are still in a late parent's or former tenant's name, move them into your own name or the estate's so that notices reach you. Our guide to selling inherited property in Texas covers who can act for an estate.
Selling instead of carrying the bills
Some owners would rather not pay for power, water and gas at a house nobody uses. Cash Home Advisors is based in Fort Worth and buys houses across DFW. We can close in 7–14 days and we pay all closing costs, and you see the closing statement before you sign.
You can ask for a cash offer, read how our process works, or browse more posts on vacant houses and squatters.
Want a cash offer instead?
We buy Texas houses as-is, pay all closing costs, and can close in 7–14 days.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I turn off the water in a vacant house in Texas?
TDI's winter advice is that if you leave your house before a freeze, you should turn off the water at the shutoff valve and leave your heat on. That is different from closing the water account. Check your insurance policy for any condition about heat or draining the plumbing, and ask your water provider about charges while usage is zero.
Can I pick any electric company for an empty house in Texas?
Only in the competitive market. The PUCT says you can choose your provider if the house is in the ERCOT region and is not served by an electric cooperative or a city-owned utility. In those areas you can compare plans on the PUCT's Power to Choose site. Elsewhere you take service from the utility that serves the area.
How large a deposit can a Texas electric provider ask for?
Under the PUCT's consumer rules, a retail electric provider may require a deposit of up to one-fifth of the estimated annual billing or the sum of the estimated bills for the next two months.
Does homeowners insurance still cover a vacant house in Texas?
It depends on the policy. TDI's home insurance guide says many policies do not cover losses that occur after the house has been vacant for the number of days the policy specifies, and that a house vacant 60 days or more is a reason a company may refuse to renew. Call your company before the house sits empty.
Sources
- Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide (exclusions and nonrenewal)
- Texas Department of Insurance, Winter storms: Tips for preparing your house and pipes
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Choosing an electric plan
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Electricity FAQs (deposits, contract expiration, estimated bills, disconnection)
- Public Utility Commission of Texas, Water and wastewater consumer help
- Texas Utilities Code, Chapter 31 (Sec. 31.002 definitions)
- Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 214 (Sec. 214.001; Subchapter H vacant building registration)
- Texas Property Code, Chapter 92 (Sec. 92.008 interruption of utilities)
- Texas Real Estate Commission, Resale contract TREC No. 20-19 (paragraph 7A)
General information, not legal or tax advice. Talk to a Texas attorney or CPA about your situation.