Can I get lights after 5 PM in Texas?

Yes - seven Texas light companies still take same-day orders after 5 PM: Ambit Energy until 6:30 PM CT, and TXU Energy, Pogo Energy, Frontier Utilities, Gexa Energy, and 4Change Energy until 6:00 PM CT, Monday through Saturday (Payless Power runs to 6:00 PM on weekdays). After your company's cutoff, you can still sign up and your lights will come on the next morning.

What if it's after 6 PM?

Ambit Energy accepts same-day sign-ups until 6:30 PM CT, Monday through Saturday on smart meters. After 6:30 PM, the same-day door is closed - 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?

After 5 PM, prepaid through Pogo Energy is the shortest path. No credit check, no deposit, no approval wait. Sign up and load $60 before 6 PM CT (that money covers your usage, not a deposit) and your lights typically come on within 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 deposits in the hundreds, 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.

Seven light companies in Texas still accept same-day orders after 5 PM — and the last door doesn’t close until 6:30 PM CT. After that, your options change, but there’s still a move you should make tonight.

5 PM to 6:30 PM: Your Last Window for Same-Day Lights

If it’s after 5 PM Central Time right now, these seven companies can still get your lights on today:

Light Company	Same-Day Cutoff	Days
Ambit Energy	6:30 PM CT	Monday - Saturday
TXU Energy	6:00 PM CT	Monday - Saturday
Pogo Energy	6:00 PM CT (sign up + $60 load)	Monday - Saturday
Frontier Utilities	6:00 PM CT	Monday - Saturday
Gexa Energy	6:00 PM CT	Monday - Saturday
4Change Energy	6:00 PM CT	Monday - Saturday
Payless Power	6:00 PM CT (allow 4-6 hours)	Monday - Friday

Notice the pattern: none of the seven processes same-day orders on Sundays or holidays, and Ambit gives you the extra half hour to 6:30. (Reliant Energy and Discount Power don’t make this list — their same-day cutoff is 5 PM.)

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 after 5 PM, prepaid through Pogo Energy 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 $60 you load 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.
Hours, not days. Once your order goes through before the 6 PM cutoff, most people have lights the same evening.

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 6:30 PM: What to Do Tonight

If it’s past 6:30 PM, no light company in Texas offers same-day service. That’s the reality — Ambit holds the last same-day door in the state, and it closes at 6:30 PM.

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 6:30 PM: Same-day is done for the weekend. Sign up tonight and you’ll be queued for Monday morning processing - no company runs same-day connections on Sundays.

Sunday before 6 PM: No company offers same-day connection on Sundays, including Payless Power. Sign up and you’ll be queued for Monday morning.

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 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 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 every company - prepaid included - from turning your lights on until the hold is resolved. The one exception: if you’re a new occupant who isn’t the person who owed, move-in paperwork gets the hold removed. Either way, 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.

Find Light Companies

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).