What Is a Light Company? Electric Utility vs Provider Explained (2026)

"Light company" is a colloquial American term for your electric utility or electricity provider. The phrase dates back to the late 1800s when companies like Edison Electric Illuminating Company sold electricity primarily for electric lighting—the technology that replaced gas lamps and candles.

Many early electric utilities literally had "light" in their name: Houston Lighting & Power, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, Commonwealth Edison (originally Chicago Edison Light Company). Some still do. Cleveland Illuminating Company and Duquesne Light carry the name today.

When someone says "I need to call the light company," they typically mean: the company responsible for their electricity service. In regulated states, that is one company. In deregulated states like Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, the answer gets more complicated—because your electricity involves two separate companies.

In deregulated electricity states, two companies handle your power. Understanding which is which saves confusion when you need to call someone.

The electric utility (delivery company) owns the poles, wires, transformers, and meters. The utility delivers electricity to your home, maintains the grid, and responds to outages. You cannot choose your utility—it is determined by your address. Examples: Oncor in Dallas, CenterPoint in Houston, PECO in Philadelphia, AEP Ohio in Columbus.

The electricity provider (supplier/REP) buys wholesale electricity and sells it to you at a retail rate. You can choose your provider in deregulated states. In Texas, providers are called REPs (Retail Electric Providers). In Ohio and Pennsylvania, they are called competitive suppliers.

Your utility handles outages. Your provider handles billing, rates, and plan options. Calling the wrong one wastes time. Our TDU vs REP guide breaks down the difference in detail.

Finding your light company takes about 30 seconds. The fastest method depends on whether you are in a deregulated or regulated state.

Deregulated states (TX, OH, PA, MA): Enter your ZIP code at ElectricRates.org. The system identifies your utility and shows available electricity providers in your area. You'll see both your delivery utility and competitive supplier options.

Regulated states: Your light company is your local utility. Search "[your city] electric company" or check your electric bill for the company name. In regulated states, one company handles everything.

Check your electric bill: Your current light company is printed on every bill. In deregulated states, look for two names—the delivery utility and your current supplier. In Texas, your REP name appears prominently while Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, or TNMP appears as the TDU.

Ask your landlord: Renters moving into a new apartment should ask the property manager which utility serves the building. This tells you the delivery company. Then you can shop for a supplier.

Texas uses unique terminology that confuses newcomers. Your "light company" in Texas is actually two entities working together.

Your TDU (Transmission and Distribution Utility) is the delivery side. Texas has five TDUs: Oncor (Dallas-Fort Worth, Waco), CenterPoint (Houston), AEP Texas (Corpus Christi, McAllen), TNMP (scattered areas), and LP&L (Lubbock). Your TDU is fixed by your address.

Your REP (Retail Electric Provider) is the sales side. Texas has over 100 licensed REPs: TXU Energy, Reliant, Gexa, Green Mountain, and dozens more. You pick your REP based on rates and plan features.

When Texans say "my light company," they usually mean their REP—that is the company name on their bill, the one they call about billing questions. But for outages, you contact your TDU.

Exceptions: Austin Energy, CPS Energy (San Antonio), and El Paso Electric are municipal/regulated utilities where one company does everything.

Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts use a delivery utility + competitive supplier model similar to Texas but with different terminology.

Ohio light companies: AEP Ohio (Columbus), Duke Energy Ohio (Cincinnati), AES Ohio (Dayton), FirstEnergy's Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison, and Cleveland Illuminating Company. These utilities deliver power. You can choose a competitive supplier for the generation portion. Ohio calls this Energy Choice.

Pennsylvania light companies: PECO (Philadelphia), PPL Electric (Allentown/Lehigh Valley), Duquesne Light (Pittsburgh), Met-Ed (Reading), PENELEC (Erie), West Penn Power (Greensburg). Pennsylvania shoppers compare suppliers through PA Power Switch.

Massachusetts light companies: Eversource (eastern MA and Boston), National Grid (central and western MA). Both utilities allow competitive supply choice, though Community Choice Aggregation programs handle switching for many towns automatically.

In all three states, your utility handles delivery and outages. Your supplier handles the energy rate. You can switch suppliers without any service interruption.

Knowing which light company to contact saves frustration. Here is a quick reference for deregulated states.

Contact your utility (delivery company) for:
- Power outages and downed power lines
- Flickering lights or voltage problems
- New service connections and meter installations
- Tree trimming near power lines
- Street light outages

Contact your provider (supplier/REP) for:
- Billing questions and payment arrangements
- Rate and plan changes
- Starting or stopping service
- Contract renewals and early termination
- Switching to a new provider

Emergency: Downed power lines and gas leaks require an immediate call to 911 first, then your utility. Never touch a downed wire. Report it and keep others away.

Pro tip: Save both numbers in your phone. During storms, utility phone lines get overwhelmed. Most utilities now offer outage reporting through apps and text messages, which are faster than calling.

In deregulated states, switching your electricity provider (the "light company" that sells you power) is one of the easiest ways to cut your electric bill. The process takes 5-10 minutes and involves zero service interruption.

Texas: Over 100 REPs compete for your business. Switching takes effect within 1-2 business days for most meter reads. No technician visit needed. Compare plans at ElectricRates.org/texas.

Ohio: Switch suppliers with no service interruption. Your utility continues delivery exactly as before. The change shows up on your next billing cycle. Compare rates at ElectricRates.org/ohio.

Pennsylvania: Same seamless process. Choose a new supplier and your utility handles the switchover. Compare rates at ElectricRates.org/pennsylvania.

Massachusetts: Supplier switching works identically. Compare rates at ElectricRates.org/massachusetts.

Households in deregulated states that actively shop for electricity save $150-400 per year compared to default utility rates. Switching costs nothing—and takes less time than making coffee.