Any power outage is disruptive. But when CenterPoint Energy plans to shut off electricity for hours for scheduled maintenance, how much notice do they have to give people who live in that area?
A homeowner in Spring asked our “2 Helps You” team for answers after CenterPoint told him the power would be off for eight hours this week. Amy Davis tracked down the information and explained what you should do when you get one of these notices in your neighborhood.
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Homeowner letter warns of power outage
Hugo lives near Cypresswood and Louetta and received a letter by mail from CenterPoint. The letter was marked “Temporary Electric Service Interruption” and said the “essential planned outage” would begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 1 and last about eight hours.
Hugo wrote to “2 Helps You”: “There’s no way an outage is legal during above-average temperatures in Houston.”
We did some checking.
The Public Utility Commission says CenterPoint can shut off power with no notice to customers at all. The utility is only required to notify retail electric providers and customers on its critical care list—those who need power for life support equipment.
As for the above-average temperature, it was unseasonably warm in the 90s. Caroline Brown reported on KPRC 2 News that it was 96 degrees in Navasota and 92 degrees in Kingwood.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas only issues a ban on electric disconnections during severe heat or freezing events recognized by the National Weather Service.
CenterPoint is doing a lot of work to strengthen its infrastructure and make the system more resilient. So, when you get one of these notices about a planned outage, you should pay attention and make sure you’re protecting your property.
More info: CenterPoint Energy Systemwide Resiliency Plan
Steps you can take to protect your home during planned power outages
If your home does not have a whole-home surge protector, you should unplug major appliances and turn off your air conditioning. When CenterPoint switches the power back on, this will help protect your electronics and property from power surges, which are common when power is restored.
Up in Spring, Hugo did just that. He pulled out his fridge, got his portable generator and extension cords ready for eight hours without electricity. But he never lost power.
CenterPoint told us that when crews arrived to do the maintenance work, they realized they could safely remove vegetation from power lines without cutting power.
Bottom line: CenterPoint is not required to notify you before they cut your power. They have been better about trying to communicate with home and business owners since Hurricane Beryl.
If you want those notices by text or email instead of mail, you have to sign up for their “Power Alert Service.”
More info: How to apply to get on CenterPoint’s critical care list if someone in your home is on a life support system that requires electricity.
CenterPoint Energy Statement:
As part of CenterPoint Energy’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the reliability and resiliency of our electric grid, crews are working to remove potentially hazardous vegetation near the 3600 block of Cypresswood. Outage notifications for customers in the area were mailed on September 22, 2025, to proactively notify them that lines would be de-energized in order for crews to safely remove the vegetation. The vegetation management team has determined they can safely remove the vegetation without de-energizing the lines and an outage will not be required to complete work in this area.
We understand that any interruptions in service can be an inconvenience for customers and appreciate the community’s patience as we continue working to enhance service across the Greater Houston area.