Power Outage Fort Worth: Oncor Map & Recovery Guide 2026

It's 4 p.m. on a July afternoon, the air conditioner shuts off mid-cycle, and the street goes quiet. Neighbors start stepping onto porches. Within minutes, phones are out and the question is the same everywhere: who do you call?

The answer in Fort Worth is always Oncor Electric Delivery. Oncor owns and maintains the poles, transformers, and wires that deliver electricity across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It is a Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU), which means it does not sell you a rate plan. That part is handled by whichever Retail Electric Provider (REP) you chose when you signed up. But restoration is entirely Oncor's job, full stop. Calling your REP during an outage will only send you back to Oncor anyway.

Understanding that split is the single most useful thing a Fort Worth resident can know before an outage happens.

Oncor publishes a live outage map at oncor.com/outages. The map updates continuously and shows affected areas down to the neighborhood level. You can zoom into any part of Fort Worth (including the Near Southside, Westover Hills, or Alliance corridor) and see an estimated restoration time if one is available.

A few things the map shows that most people miss:

Crew status. Icons indicate whether a crew has been dispatched or is already on-site.

Number of customers affected. Small, isolated outages are often fixed faster than large transmission-level events.

Cause codes. When Oncor identifies the cause (equipment failure, storm damage, vegetation contact), it appears in the event detail.

If the map shows your block as energized but you still have no power, the fault is likely downstream of the nearest transformer, possibly at your meter or your neighbor's. That still requires an Oncor crew, but it signals a quicker fix than a substation-level event.

Oncor's outage reporting line is the fastest path. You can report through three channels:

Phone: 1-888-313-4747 (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week). The automated system can locate your account by phone number and log the outage without a wait for a live agent, which matters when call volume spikes after a storm.

Text: Text OUT to 66267. You will need to have registered your mobile number with Oncor in advance. Doing that now, before an outage, is worth the two minutes it takes.

Online: Oncor's website has an outage reporting form that works on mobile browsers.

When you report, Oncor uses your address to map the exact location of the problem. Every report adds resolution to their grid data and can move your block up the dispatch queue. Even if you assume a neighbor already called, report anyway.

Your REP does not need to be contacted about the outage itself. Do contact them, however, if you notice billing irregularities after service is restored or if you want to ask about any bill credits.

North Texas summers make heat the primary danger during extended outages. The Texas Department of State Health Services maintains a list of cooling centers around Tarrant County during declared heat emergencies. Fort Worth Public Health also coordinates shelter resources. Checking those lists before temperatures climb is worth the effort.

Downed lines. Treat every downed power line as energized. Do not drive over it, walk near it, or touch anything it contacts. Call 911 first, then Oncor.

Generators. Carbon monoxide kills more people during outages than almost any other secondary cause. Run portable generators outside, at least 20 feet from doors and windows, with exhaust directed away from the structure.

Food safety. A full refrigerator keeps food safe for roughly four hours if the door stays closed. A full freezer holds for about 48 hours. If power is out longer than that, use a food thermometer before eating anything that has been above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours.

Medical equipment. If anyone in your home depends on electrically powered medical equipment, register with Oncor's Life Support program before an emergency. That registration flags your address and can affect dispatch priority.

Fort Worth sits in Oncor's territory, which covers a large portion of North and West Texas. The grid faces several recurring stressors:

Severe thunderstorms. Tarrant County averages more than 50 severe thunderstorm warnings per year. High winds, hail, and lightning are the leading causes of localized outages.

Peak demand events. ERCOT (the Electric Reliability Council of Texas) manages the statewide grid and sometimes issues conservation appeals during extreme heat. These are not rolling blackouts but signals that generation reserves are thin. Controlled outages can follow if demand exceeds available supply.

Equipment age and vegetation. Older transformers and tree limbs contacting lines account for a significant share of neighborhood-level outages.

Winter storms. The February 2021 storm (a historical event) exposed vulnerabilities across the ERCOT grid. Oncor and the PUCT have made infrastructure investments since then, though North Texas winters remain a risk factor.

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) is the state agency that regulates electric utilities and certifies Retail Electric Providers. During major grid emergencies, the PUCT coordinates with ERCOT on load management decisions and can direct utilities on restoration priorities.

ERCOT operates the transmission grid at a statewide level. If a Fort Worth outage stems from a grid-wide supply shortage rather than local equipment failure, ERCOT is involved in the response. For most neighborhood-level outages, though, Oncor handles everything without ERCOT intervention.

The PUCT also oversees consumer protections. If you believe your REP mishandled an outage-related billing dispute, you can file a complaint at puc.texas.gov.

An outage is an inconvenient but useful reminder to check what you are actually paying per kilowatt-hour. In Texas, you have the legal right to switch Retail Electric Providers at any time, and the PUCT's shopping site powertochoose.org lists every certified plan available at your address.

As of August 2026, rates in the Oncor territory (which covers Fort Worth) range from roughly 7.2 cents per kilowatt-hour on the lowest advertised plans to a median of about 16.1 cents per kilowatt-hour across active plans, both figures calculated at 1,000 kWh per month. That spread is wide enough that switching plans can save a meaningful amount on a summer bill.

A few things to check on any plan's Electricity Facts Label (EFL) before you sign:

kWh-tier pricing. Some plans price electricity differently at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh per month. A plan that looks cheap at 1,000 kWh might be expensive at your actual usage level.

Contract length and early termination fees. Fixed-rate contracts lock in your rate but carry a fee if you leave early. Variable-rate plans have no lock-in but can move with market conditions.

TDU delivery charges. Oncor's delivery fee appears on every plan in the territory. It is a pass-through, not a REP markup, and it will be the same regardless of which REP you choose. The EFL shows the all-in rate inclusive of this charge.

For current rates at your specific address and usage level, see ElectricRates.org's Texas rate comparison or check powertochoose.org directly.

Most outage preparation takes less than an hour and costs little:

Register your mobile number with Oncor for text alerts. Oncor can send proactive updates once you are in the system.

Save Oncor's outage number (1-888-313-4747) in your contacts now, before you need it.

Keep a battery-powered or hand-crank weather radio. When cell towers are congested after a storm, a radio is often the most reliable source of emergency information.

Know your nearest cooling center. Fort Worth Public Health publishes locations during heat emergencies. Have the address saved before summer peaks.

Check your electric plan's outage protections. Some REPs offer bill credits or service guarantees tied to extended outages. Review your current plan's terms or call your REP to ask.

Finally, if you have not compared electric rates recently, do it when you have power and time, not in the middle of an emergency. Rates change, new plans enter the market, and a 15-minute comparison on ElectricRates.org or powertochoose.org could put you on a better plan before the next storm season.