What is an ESID, and where do I find mine?
The 17- or 22-digit number that identifies your meter in the Texas market — and why every quote starts with it.
2 min read · Updated Sep 9, 2026
Every electric meter in the competitive part of Texas has an Electric Service Identifier, usually written ESID or ESI ID. It is the key that ERCOT, your delivery utility and every retail electric provider use to talk about the same premises, which is why the first thing any accurate commercial quote needs is your ESID rather than your company name.
What it looks like
An ESID is a string of digits, either 17 or 22 long, and it starts with a prefix that tells you which transmission and distribution utility delivers your power:
| Starts with | Delivery utility | Load zone (usually) |
|---|---|---|
| 1044372 | Oncor Electric Delivery | North |
| 1008901 | CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric | Houston |
| 1020404 | AEP Texas Central | South |
| 1020403 | AEP Texas North | West |
| 1017699 | Texas-New Mexico Power | North / Houston |
| 1052623 | Oncor (former Sharyland) | West |
Where to find it
It is printed on every Texas electricity bill, normally in the account-summary block near the service address — look for "ESI ID" or "ESID". It is not the same as your account number, which your provider assigns and which changes when you switch. The ESID stays with the meter for life.
If you do not have a bill to hand, search by address. We hold the public ERCOT extract of every premises in the market and can usually identify a business meter from the street number and ZIP code in one step.
Why quotes need it
Commercial pricing in Texas is set per delivery territory and load zone, and the supplier's matrix price depends on both. Your ESID pins those down exactly, so the rate we show is the rate the supplier will honor — rather than a "from" price that moves once a salesperson checks your address.
One meter, one contract
If your business has several meters — a warehouse and an office, say — each has its own ESID and can be priced and contracted separately. Larger multi-site accounts are often better priced as a group; if that is you, ask for a callback and United Power Group will run a custom quote.