Setting Up Utilities in Midland, Texas: Electricity, Water, Gas, Internet and Trash

Getting the lights, water and Wi-Fi on is the first real job of any move. In Midland that means four or five different organizations, and electricity works differently here than in many states. This guide walks through each one, with the official source for every step.

If you’re also handling a driver license, vehicle registration or a homestead exemption, our New Resident Checklist for Midland, Texas covers those. This page sticks to utilities and goes deeper on each one.

Who Handles What

• Electricity: Oncor delivers it, and you pick a retail electric provider to buy it from.
• Water, sewer and trash: City of Midland Utility Billing, all on one bill.
• Natural gas: Atmos Energy, West Texas Division.
• Internet and TV: your choice of provider, depending on what reaches your address.

Electricity: How Texas Choice Works

Power to Choose, the Public Utility Commission of Texas shopping site, explains it in its FAQ: the Texas Legislature passed a deregulation law in 1999 so people in most parts of the state can choose their own electric company, called a retail electric provider. The local wires company still delivers the power, reads meters, maintains the poles and wires and responds to outages.

In Midland, that wires company is Oncor. Your retail provider sells you the plan and sends the bill. Oncor keeps the power flowing to your house.

Not every Texas address has choice. The PUC’s electric plan page says you can choose your provider if you live in the ERCOT region and aren’t served by an electric cooperative or a municipally owned utility. If you’re looking at a rural property outside town, run the address through Oncor’s lookup (below) before you shop. If Oncor doesn’t show it, ask the seller or landlord who supplies power there.

Step 1: Find your ESI ID

Every electric meter has an ESI ID number tied to the service address. Oncor’s moving page tells you to start with its ESI ID lookup tool, which also confirms the address is in Oncor’s service area.

Step 2: Compare plans on Power to Choose

Power to Choose is the PUC’s official comparison site. Enter your ZIP code and it lists plans from providers that serve your area. If you’d rather talk to someone, the Power to Choose FAQ lists a toll-free line at 1-866-797-4839.

When you narrow it down, open each plan’s Electricity Facts Label, or EFL. Power to Choose says every provider must publish one for each plan, with rates, fees and contract terms in a standard format so you can compare. A few things worth checking on the label:

• Minimum usage fees. Power to Choose says many plans charge a fee if you use less than a set amount in a month, often with cut-off points like 500 or 1,000 kWh. The EFL is where you’ll find it.
• Early termination fees. The PUC’s electricity FAQ says these apply if you cancel a contract early, and they’re disclosed in the Terms of Service and the EFL.
• Contract length and what happens after. Power to Choose says your provider must notify you before a contract of three or more months ends. If you don’t renew or switch, you can be moved to a month-to-month, variable rate plan.

Step 3: Ask about a deposit

The PUC’s electricity FAQ says a provider may require a residential customer to establish satisfactory credit as a condition of service. It caps a deposit at either one-fifth of the estimated annual billing or the estimated billings for the next two months. Ask each provider before you sign up whether you’ll owe one.

Step 4: Sign up and let the provider handle Oncor

Oncor’s moving page says to give your chosen provider the last seven digits of the ESI ID. The provider then sends a move-in order to Oncor, which starts service. You don’t contact Oncor to turn the power on yourself.

Power outages go to Oncor

Outages are Oncor’s job, not your retail provider’s. Oncor’s moving page lists these ways to report one:

• Call 888-313-4747, 24 hours a day.
• Text OUT to 66267.
• Report online or check the outage map.
• Text REG to 66267 to sign up for MyOncor Alerts.

Billing questions go to your retail provider. For unresolved disputes, Power to Choose lists the PUC hotline at 1-888-782-8477.

Water and Sewer: City of Midland Utility Billing

Inside city limits, water, sewer and garbage are one account with the City of Midland. Here’s what the City Utility Billing page says.

• Start service: apply online through the city’s customer portal. Have a valid government-issued photo ID ready. The page says a lease or other documents may be required in some cases.
• Future start dates: the page says appointment windows can be arranged to turn water on at a future date, though limitations may apply.
• Transfer service: call the office or transfer online through the portal.
• Stop service: email cs@midlandtexas.gov or visit the office in person.
• Pay: online through the portal, with auto pay available when you register; in person at the Central Cashier’s Office on the first floor of City Hall or at the Utility Billing office; or by mail to Customer Service, PO Box 1152, Midland, TX 79702-1152.
• Office: Center Pointe Building, 1030 Andrews Highway, Suite 220, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone 432-685-7320.
• After-hours water problems: 432-685-7340.

The billing page doesn’t publish deposit rules, so ask about deposits when you apply. The city keeps its rate tables on the current water and sewer rates page, which lists separate rates for customers inside and outside the city. For a sense of how utilities fit your overall budget, see our Cost of Living in Midland, Texas guide.

Watering rules

Midland sets outdoor watering days by address. When we checked, the city’s Utilities page said Midland was under Stage 1 (Mild) water shortage conditions and listed this schedule:

• Even-numbered addresses: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
• Odd-numbered addresses: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The page says violations may bring a fine of up to $500. Drought stages change, so check the city’s current schedule and its Drought Contingency Plan before you set your sprinkler timer. The city also has a leak detection guide that’s worth a look in a new-to-you house.

Trash, Bulk Pickup and Recycling

Trash is billed on your water bill, so there’s no separate account to open. The city’s trash service page covers the basics:

• Pickup days: residential garbage goes out either Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday.
• Carts or alley containers: curbside customers get their own cart. Where there’s an alley, one container serves every four to five homes.
• Free furniture and appliance pickup: call 432-685-7278 to schedule. Furniture, appliances, grills and swing sets are on the list. Put items in the alley behind your home within the city right-of-way, not next to the dumpster. Pickups go in order of call date.
• Not accepted: tires, vehicle batteries, barrels of oil or related materials, tree limbs and construction debris. The page says dumping these is considered illegal dumping.
• Paint: spread it on old wood or cardboard, let it dry, then put it in the alley container.

Holidays can shift pickup by a day. The city posts those changes on its Solid Waste page.

Recycling is drop-off

There’s no curbside recycling cart. The city’s recycling page lists these drop-off sites:

• Citizens Collection Station, 4100 Smith Road. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Citizens Convenience Center, 6400 W. Highway 80. Same hours as the Collection Station.
• Butt’s Recycling Center, 26 W. Industrial Loop. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Accepted recyclables are cardboard, paper, #1 and #2 plastics and aluminum. The two city stations also take household furniture, mattresses, appliances and brush (single-axle trailer loads only, residents only, loads secured). They don’t take commercial waste, construction material, fencing, concrete, dirt, rock, tires or hazardous waste. The page says both stations are for City of Midland residents hauling their own household items.

The recycling page doesn’t list a household hazardous waste drop-off. For old TVs and computers, it points to the state’s free programs through TCEQ for TVs and computers. For anything else you’re unsure about, email solidwaste@midlandtexas.gov or call 432-685-7278.

Natural Gas: Atmos Energy

The Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates gas utilities, lists Atmos Energy, West Texas Division, as the gas utility for Midland in its Natural Gas Service to Texas Cities table.

Atmos has an online start service form that walks through your mailing address, personal information, service address, activation requirements and a start date. Customer service is 888-286-6700. The form doesn’t spell out deposit rules or whether someone needs to be home for the turn-on, so ask Atmos when you book.

If you smell gas, Atmos’s leak safety page says to leave the area right away. Then, from a safe distance, call 911 and Atmos’s 24-hour emergency line at 866-322-8667. Don’t assume someone else has reported it. Atmos says it will send a technician to check at no cost.

Call 811 before you dig. Planning a fence, a new mailbox, a sprinkler system or landscaping? Texas811 says the service is free and asks you to contact 811 at least two business days before digging, not counting weekends and holidays. The Railroad Commission’s homeowner page says the requirement applies even in your own backyard. If you hire a contractor, Texas811 says the contractor makes the call.

Internet and TV

Internet options in Midland depend on your exact street, so check your address before you sign a lease or close if working from home matters to you. These providers have official Midland pages:

• AT&T lists AT&T Fiber plans in Midland, noting limited availability.
• Optimum lists internet, TV and mobile service in Midland, with a store at 3001 W. Loop 250 N.
• Astound describes itself as a Midland provider for internet, TV and phone.

To see everything reported at a specific address, use the FCC’s National Broadband Map. The FCC’s how-to page says you type in a street address and it shows which providers report service there, the technology and the maximum advertised speeds. If the map is wrong for your home, you can file an availability challenge from the map. Then confirm with the provider’s own address check before you order.

Living Outside City Limits

If you’re looking at a home outside City of Midland limits, utilities can work differently. The city lists separate water and sewer rates for customers outside the city, and its recycling page says the citizen collection stations are for City of Midland residents. Beyond that, arrangements vary by property, and some homes may use a well, septic system or private trash hauler. Ask the seller or landlord who provides each utility, and run the address through Oncor’s ESI ID lookup. Our Midland Neighborhoods Guide can help you figure out which side of the line you’re looking at.

Utility Setup Timeline

• Once you have an address: look up your ESI ID, check the FCC broadband map and confirm whether the home is inside city limits.
• Before move-in: compare plans on Power to Choose, read the EFLs, sign up with a provider and set your start date. Apply for water through the city portal and request your turn-on date. Set up Atmos gas service and schedule internet installation early, so you’re not waiting on an install date after you arrive.
• Move-in day: check that the lights, water and gas are on, and save the Oncor and Atmos emergency numbers in your phone.
• Week one: learn your trash days and your watering days, find your closest recycling drop-off and set up auto pay if you want it.

For everything else on the move, start with our Living in Midland hub and Moving to Midland, Texas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I call Oncor to start electricity in Midland?
No. Oncor’s moving page says you choose a retail electric provider, give it your ESI ID, and the provider sends a move-in order to Oncor. You do call Oncor for outages, at 888-313-4747.

What do I need to start water service in Midland?
The City Utility Billing page says to apply online and have a valid government-issued photo ID. A lease or other documents may be required in some cases. Water, sewer and garbage are on the same account.

Does Midland have curbside recycling?
No. Recycling is drop-off at the Citizens Collection Station on Smith Road, the Citizens Convenience Center on W. Highway 80 or Butt’s Recycling Center on W. Industrial Loop.

Can an electric provider charge me a deposit?
Yes. The PUC says a provider may require a deposit of up to one-fifth of the estimated annual billing or the estimated bills for the next two months. Ask each provider about its credit requirements before you sign up.