Commercial Electricity for Assisted Living in Texas
What a Texas senior-living community pays for power - comfort and hot water around the clock, dining, and laundry - plus how to lower the bill.
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Texas has over 1,300 assisted living and senior communities, and like a nursing home their power bill is a 24/7 residential one - climate control, hot water, dining, and laundry - with somewhat lighter medical load. Below is what these communities use and pay. See related guides for nursing homes and hotels & motels, or browse all commercial electricity guides by business type.
Key Takeaways
- A typical Texas assisted living community uses about 30,000–70,000 kWh a month (roughly $2,500–$5,800 at ~8.3¢/kWh).
- HVAC and hot water lead, running around the clock for residents.
- Dining and laundry add steady daily load.
- Larger communities and those with memory-care wings use more.
- Efficient HVAC and water heating, LED, and a competitive fixed rate are the biggest levers.
Assisted Living Power, in Brief
Figures are estimates that scale with units and services. See methodology and sources below.
What an Assisted Living Community Pays for Power
An assisted living community is a 24/7 residence with shared amenities: apartments to keep comfortable, constant hot water, a dining operation, and laundry. HVAC and water heating lead, much like a hotel that's always full.
Estimated usage & bill by community size
| Community size | Units | Monthly usage | Est. monthly bill* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small community | ~30 units | 20,000–35,000 kWh | $1,650–$2,900 |
| Typical community | ~80 units | 30,000–70,000 kWh | $2,500–$5,800 |
| Large community | 150+ units | 70,000–130,000+ kWh | $5,800–$10,800+ |
*Electricity portion at Texas's ~8.3¢/kWh average commercial rate. Some heating, hot water, and cooking may be on natural gas, billed separately.
How does the Texas commercial rate compare?
Texas businesses pay an average of about 8.3¢ per kWh - roughly 38% below the U.S. commercial average of ~13.5¢. Because Texas is deregulated, you can shop the supply portion of your bill across 30+ retail providers and lock in a fixed rate - compare current commercial electricity rates.
Comfort and Hot Water Around the Clock
Keeping apartments and common areas comfortable is the biggest load, with constant hot water second and dining and laundry behind them.
| System | Why it draws power | Approx. share | Est. cost / month* |
|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 24/7 comfort for apartments and common areas | 40–50% | $1,500–$1,875 |
| Water heating | Constant hot water for residents | 15–20% | $560–$750 |
| Kitchen & dining | Meals prepared and served daily | 10–15% | $375–$560 |
| Laundry | Linen and resident laundry | 8–12% | $300–$450 |
| Lighting & other | Common areas, halls, elevators, exterior | 12–18% | $450–$675 |
*Illustrative split of a ~$3,750/month typical bill. Where cooking and water heating use gas, those electric shares drop.
How Peak Cooling Sets Your Demand Charge
Most of your bill is energy — the total kilowatt-hours (kWh) you use over the month. But many commercial accounts also carry a demand charge, billed on your single highest peak of power draw, measured in kilowatts (kW), usually over a 15-minute interval. It doesn't matter only how much electricity you use, but how fast you use it at your busiest moment.
How to keep demand charges down
- Shift laundry and kitchen prep away from the afternoon cooling peak.
- Zone and schedule common-area HVAC separately from apartments.
- Pre-cool before the hottest part of the day.
- Watch your interval data to find the monthly peak.
Demand Response for Senior Living
Demand response is a program where businesses agree to reduce their electricity use for short windows when the Texas grid (ERCOT) is under strain — typically late afternoons on the hottest summer days. In exchange, participating businesses earn payments or bill credits.
Where Senior Living Communities Save
- Lock in a fixed commercial rate. Comparing 30+ Texas providers at the right time is usually the biggest single lever.
- Upgrade HVAC and add controls. Efficient units and smart controls cut the biggest 24/7 load.
- Improve water heating. Efficient or heat-pump water heating cuts a constant load.
- Switch to LED. LED apartments, halls, and common areas cut long-hours load.
- Run laundry and dining efficiently. Full loads, efficient equipment, and off-peak scheduling reduce cost and peaks.
- Review demand and interval data. Knowing your peak kW shows whether a different rate structure would save money.
Related Commercial Electricity Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How much electricity does an assisted living facility use in Texas?
A typical Texas assisted living community of about 80 units uses roughly 30,000 to 70,000 kWh per month, or about $2,500 to $5,800 at the state's average commercial rate of about 8.3¢ per kWh. Larger communities use more.
What uses the most electricity in an assisted living community?
HVAC leads, keeping apartments and common areas comfortable around the clock, followed by constant hot water, dining, laundry, and common-area lighting.
What is the average commercial electricity rate in Texas?
Texas businesses pay an average of about 8.3¢ per kWh as of 2026, roughly 38% below the U.S. commercial average of about 13.5¢. Your actual rate depends on your ZIP code, utility (TDU), usage, and when you sign your contract.
How can an assisted living community lower its electricity bill?
Upgrade HVAC with smart controls, improve water heating, switch to LED, run laundry and dining efficiently and off-peak, and lock in a competitive fixed commercial rate.
Do assisted living communities pay demand charges?
Often yes. On a hot afternoon, full HVAC across apartments and common areas runs with dining and laundry, creating a peak in kilowatts that a demand charge bills across the month.
What is demand response and can a community earn from it?
Demand response pays businesses to reduce use during short summer grid-peak windows. Resident comfort comes first, but a community can shift laundry off-peak and ease common-area setpoints slightly during a peak window in exchange for bill credits.
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Get a Free Quote Call 866-284-9272Methodology & Sources
Business count: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 - 1,306 community care facilities for the elderly (NAICS 6233) in Texas. Average commercial rate: EIA / state commercial averages (Texas ~8.3¢/kWh; U.S. ~13.5¢/kWh, 2026). Usage and the energy-user split are estimates that vary by units, services, and gas-vs-electric cooking and heating. Bills are electricity-only and exclude natural gas, taxes, fees, and account-specific demand charges.
