Billing Information

Benefits of PrePay include

• When signing up, new PrePay users will have no upfront deposits

• No more monthly bills

• Set your payment schedule

• Conveniently purchase electricity up front

• Monitor energy use

• Established members can use their existing deposit to pay their bill

How PrePay works

• Sign up: At our office at 1701 SE Loop 304, Crockett, TX 75835. Call the New Service Department at 936-544-5641 for more information.

• Load up: To establish a prepaid account, a minimum balance of $70.00 must be paid.  (Plus the HCEC Connect Fee.  Other fees may be applicable)

• Review alert: We'll notify you via phone, text or email once your account reaches the low balance threshold of $25.00. To avoid automatic disconnect (when your account balance reaches zero), refill your account.

• Reload: When your balance is low, just make a payment by using your smartphone app, calling the office at 936-544-5641 or by logging onto www.ebiz.houstoncountyelec.com

You can download the HCEC Prepaid Application here.

If you are establishing new service in your name or re-establishing service in your name, you will need to fill out a non-commercial service application as well.

Prepay FAQs

How does the program work?
Rather than being billed monthly for the power you used in the previous month, Pay-As-You-Go gives you the option to prepay for your electricity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via telephone or through HCEC’s website or mobile app. As you use power, your prepaid balance will go down. Statistics indicate prepaid electricity programs help lower electric consumption by 10-15 percent by increasing members’ awareness of their usage patterns.

How much electricity do I need to purchase?
When you first sign up for prepay, you will need credit of at least $70. After that, it’s up to you. You can pay as much as you want or as little as $5. Just keep in mind, paying a small amount will only buy you electricity for a short period of time.

How will I know when my balance is getting low?
After signing up for notifications, members will receive an alert by phone, text or email when they have an estimated 5 days of electric use remaining or a balance of $25.

Will I still get a bill every month?
No. When you sign up for prepay, we won’t mail you a bill each month. Your bill will be calculated daily based on how much power you use, and that amount will be deducted from your prepaid account each day.

How can I check my account balance?
You can go to HCEC's website or mobile app to monitor your account balance and your power consumption.

What if my account runs out?
If funds in your account run out, your electricity will be disconnected. You will be notified by text or email. You can purchase more power through our website or mobile app, in person during business hours, or by telephone any time of day, seven days a week. 

I already paid a security deposit. Will it be refunded if I sign up for prepay?
Your deposit will be credited to your prepaid account balance.

What kind of payments will be accepted with prepay?
You can make a payment to your prepay account using cash, a credit card, or a check. However, service charges for checks returned due to insufficient funds will be deducted from your prepaid account.  We do not suggest paying at a payment location because the funds submitted there take several days to post to your account.  If your electricity gets disconnected during that time, we are not able to reconnect unless the funds are posted to the account.

Can I continue using automatic draft?
No. When you sign up for prepay, your automatic draft will be discontinued.

Can I stop participating in prepay at any time?
Yes. In order to re-establish standard billing, a security deposit may be required.