What to Do When Your Address is Labeled a Business

Why is My Address Showing up as a Business?

Wondering why your home is labeled as a “business” for electricity? It’s more common than you think.

Why Your Address Shows Business

There are a few reasons why your address might be coming up as a business or commercial property. Here’s the details:

Oops in the Paperwork: A simple error in your utility company’s records, like a typo or outdated info, could wrongfully tag your home as commercial.
Your Home’s Location: Living in a zone designated for both residential and commercial use? That might automatically put your home in the commercial category, affecting how utilities view it.
The History of Your Space: If your home once buzzed with business activities, that history might still be in the records, keeping it labeled as commercial property.
Past Owners: Homes and apartments previously owned by a business or commercial entity are often categorized as commercial. You might run into this with an old industrial building that has been converted into lofts. This affects how utilities see your space and the kind of taxes you pay. It also affects regulations like zoning laws and utility rates.
Wrong Address: Using the wrong address, especially for properties with multiple structures (like a workshop or apartment complexes), can lead to your home showing as a business. This usually happens when you enter the address for these structures instead of the specific one for your home or apartment.
New builds: For newly constructed homes, a temporary meter from the construction phase may still be in place. This can make your address show up as a business until you get your permanent meter.

Here’s What to Do

First things first, double-check the address you entered:

Apartments: Apartment complexes have multiple potential addresses. Make sure you entered the street address for your specific unit, not the complex’s main office or a generic building address. Reach out to your landlord or leasing team for the right address if you don’t have it.

Houses: Make sure you enter the street address for your home. Nearby streetlights and utility boxes can have an address almost the same as yours. You can contact the seller or landlord to get the right address.

New builds: Check with your builder to make sure they have ordered a permanent meter. You’ll need that before picking an electricity plan. And just a heads up, it can take a few days for that permanent meter to appear in the electricity market database.

If you’re switching electricity companies:

Check your past bills for the ESID. This is the code that links directly to the meter for your home or apartment. Enter that ESID in the address line and you should be all set without worrying about finding the right address.

Utility Company Contact Info

Need to contact your utility company to make sure they have the address labeled right? Here’s who to call:

Get Your Address Changed to Residential

If your property is listed as a business, your first step is to contact your utility company. Make sure they haven’t made a mistake in their system.

If your address is actually listed as a business, check out the article below to get an overview of the different steps you may need to take to get your address changed to a residential property.

How to Change Your Address Type

Get a Business Plan

If you have a shed, garage, or light pole on your property that needs power, we’ll get you hooked up with the right business plan for your needs.

The plans are a little different and so is the process, but we still have you covered. Check out the details below.

How to Buy Business Electricity

Get Multiple Plans

If you have a few different houses, sheds, garages, or even light poles that need power we’re here to help. Check out the page below for details on getting as many plans as you need.

How to Get Electricity for Multiple Meters

Can’t find your address at all?

If you’ve made it this far down the page but can’t find your address at all you might be in a part of Texas that doesn’t have electricity choice. Check out the details on these areas below.

Municipally-owned Utilities or Co-ops

Not sure where to start?

Trying to get an electricity plan only to find your address is a business is a pain. But you’re not on your own.

Give us a call to talk to a local Texan who can walk you through all your options. We’ll make sure you get the right plan and don’t get stuck paying for anything you don’t need.

Call 1-888-963-9776, Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:45 pm.

Keep reading

How to Switch Business Electricity in Texas

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Written by

Graham Griffin

Sr. Content and Media Specialist

Content Leader. Multimedia Storyteller. Data-Driven Creator.