Can I get lights after 5 PM in Texas?

Yes - five Texas light companies accept same-day orders until 6:00 PM CT: Payless Power, TXU Energy, Frontier Utilities, 4Change Energy, and Gexa Energy. After 6 PM, you can still sign up and your lights will come on the next morning.

What if it's after 6 PM?

No light companies offer same-day service after 6:00 PM CT. But you should still sign up tonight - your order will be first in line for tomorrow morning, and most people have lights by 8-10 AM.

What's the fastest way to get lights right now?

Prepaid plans from Payless Power are the fastest path. No credit check, no deposit, no approval wait. Pay $40-75 to start (this covers your usage, not a deposit) and your lights come on within 2-4 hours.

Need Lights After 5 PM in Texas? You Still Have Options

It’s after 5 PM. You’ve been dealing with this all day. Maybe you called around, got quoted $200-$400 deposits, sat on hold with overseas call centers, burned through half your phone battery. And now you’re looking at the clock thinking you’re too late.

You’re not. Not yet.

Five light companies in Texas still accept same-day orders between 5 PM and 6 PM CT. After 6 PM, your options change - but there’s still a move you should make tonight.

5 PM to 6 PM: Your Last Window for Same-Day Lights

If it’s between 5 and 6 PM Central Time right now, these five companies can still get your lights on today:

Light Company	Same-Day Cutoff	Days
Payless Power	6:00 PM CT	Monday - Sunday
TXU Energy	6:00 PM CT	Monday - Saturday
Frontier Utilities	6:00 PM CT	Monday - Saturday
4Change Energy	6:00 PM CT	Monday - Saturday
Gexa Energy	6:00 PM CT	Monday - Saturday

Notice the difference: Payless Power processes 7 days a week, including Sundays. The other four are Monday through Saturday only. If it’s Sunday evening, Payless Power is your only same-day option.

Check which plans are available at your address

For a full breakdown of every company’s cutoff time, see our same-day cutoff times guide.

The Fastest Option Right Now

If you need lights as fast as possible, prepaid through Payless Power is the shortest path. Here’s why:

No credit check. Zero. That means no approval delay, no waiting for someone to review your application.
No deposit. The $40-75 you pay to start goes directly toward your light usage. It’s not a fee and it’s not a deposit - you’re prepaying for the power you’ll use.
2-4 hours to connection. Once your order goes through, most people have lights within a few hours.

Traditional plans can work too, but they require a credit check. If the light company needs a deposit, that adds time. If you’re racing the clock at 5:30 PM, prepaid removes every speed bump between you and having your lights on tonight.

After 6 PM: What to Do Tonight

If it’s past 6 PM, no light company in Texas offers same-day service. That’s the reality.

But here’s what you should do right now - tonight, not tomorrow morning:

Sign up before you go to bed. When you enroll tonight, your order gets queued and will be one of the first processed tomorrow morning. Most people who sign up the night before have lights by 8-10 AM.

If you wait until tomorrow to start the process, you’re pushing your connection back by hours. Every minute you delay tonight is a minute later you get lights tomorrow.

Enter your ZIP to see available plans

Weekend Evenings

Weekend timing matters because not every company works the same schedule.

Saturday after 6 PM: Same-day is done, but sign up tonight and you’ll be in the queue for Sunday morning processing. If you choose a company that processes on Sundays (like Payless Power), you could have lights by mid-morning Sunday.

Sunday before 6 PM: Payless Power is your only same-day option. The other four companies don’t process on Sundays.

Sunday after 6 PM: No same-day options. Sign up tonight, lights come on Monday morning. For more detail on weekend and holiday connections, check our weekend and holiday connection guide.

What NOT to Do

When you’re stressed and it’s getting late, it’s easy to make moves that slow things down. Avoid these:

Don’t call overseas call centers at night. Most light companies route after-hours calls to offshore centers with limited authority. They can take your info but often can’t actually push a connection order through. Sign up online instead - it’s faster and the order gets into the system automatically.

Don’t submit multiple applications at once. If you apply with three different light companies at the same time for the same address, it can create conflicts with your meter ID (called an ESIID). This can actually delay your connection instead of speeding it up. Pick one company, sign up, and give it a few hours.

Don’t ignore a switch hold. If you owe money to a previous light company, you might have a switch hold on your meter. That blocks any new company from turning your lights on until the hold is resolved. If you hit this wall, prepaid companies can sometimes still connect you - but you need to know about it upfront so you’re not spinning your wheels.

Get Your Lights On

We check multiple light companies to find you the best option. Many people qualify for traditional plans with $0 deposit. You always have prepaid as a guaranteed fallback.

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This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. For official rules, visit the Public Utility Commission of Texas. NoDepositLights.com is powered by Compare Power (PUCT License BR190020).