CenterPoint Energy’s Budget Plan is a billing option that lets you spread your natural gas costs evenly over a 12-month period to avoid the payment peaks caused by greater gas use in winter. You will still pay the same amount for the amount of gas you use, but by spreading out your costs, your payments become more manageable.

Sign up for Budget Plan

You can join Budget Plan at any time. To enroll online, or to view the amount of your Budget Plan payment, go to our secure My Account Online login page. If you have not yet registered for My Account Online, you will need a copy of your most recent CenterPoint Energy bill.

This graph shows a sample Budget Plan year if you join in August. The shaded area shows the highs and lows of a typical 12-month CenterPoint Energy bill. The solid line shows how Budget Plan levels your bill payments. The dotted lines show that after the mid-year review, we may change your monthly payment up or down based on usage and the price of gas from our suppliers.

How your Budget Plan amount is calculated

1.  Your Budget Plan payment amount is based on your past consumption pattern of natural gas at different temperatures, projected natural gas prices and assumed normal weather conditions. Each month, the difference between the Budget amount that you are billed and the actual usage is placed into a deferred balance, either as a credit or debit.

2. Halfway through the program year, we will review your Budget Plan payment amount and we may change the amount based on weather and the cost of natural gas from our suppliers and your deferred balance. If your amount will be changing, you will receive a notice the month before the change takes effect.

3. Before the next Budget Plan year begins, we will review your Budget Plan amount again, comparing the cost of the natural gas you used with the Budget Plan payments you have made. If your balance is greater or less than the cost of the natural gas you actually used, we will divide the difference by 12 and add it to your Budget Plan payment amount for the next 12 months. If you carried a credit balance over most of the program year, we will pay you interest.

You may discontinue the plan at any time by notifying CenterPoint Energy. Changes to the Budget Plan will be effective with your next bill. Your Budget Plan will also be discontinued if you close your account or if service is turned off for non-payment. In addition, your Budget Plan enrollment will be discontinued if your account becomes two months past due.

If your Budget Plan is discontinued, any outstanding balance owed to CenterPoint Energy, including the deferred balance, will be due with your next bill. Likewise, any credit due to you will be applied to your next bill.