El Paso residents see higher summer electric bills as new rates take effect

EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — Higher electric bills are catching some El Paso residents off guard this summer, with some customers saying they are paying more than they did this time last year.

El Paso Electric says several factors are driving the increase, including a shift into summer rates and newly approved rates that took effect June 1.

“The trend that we have seen lately is that customers went from a non-summer previously approved rate to now summer approved rates,” said Melanie Valdez, El Paso Electric supervisor of energy consulting.

Valdez said the utility received approval from the state of Texas for new rates in May 2026, following a rate review submitted in June 2025.

“Yeah, so one of the first things is we got commission approval from the state of Texas for new approved rates in May, 2026… Beginning effective June 1st, we did go ahead and implement those rates,” Valdez said.

Emily Schmalz reports on El Paso residents see higher summer electric bills as new rates take effect (Credit: KFOX14)

El Paso Electric said non-summer rates are about 11 cents per kilowatt hour.

The summer rate period runs from May through October, with the first 600 kilowatt hours billed at about 13 cents per kilowatt hour and usage above that charged at about 14 cents.

Last year, those rates were closer to 10 and 11 cents, according to the utility.

For Texas customers, El Paso Electric said peak hours are Monday through Friday from 2 to 7 p.m., when rates increase to about 31 cents per kilowatt hour.

For New Mexico customers, peak hours are 3 to 7 p.m., with a peak rate of about 22 cents per kilowatt hour.

Valdez said the rate review includes costs tied to infrastructure upgrades aimed at maintaining reliability as the region grows.

“And so to do that, we need to make sure our infrastructure reflects that as well. We’re growing at a huge rate, more than I think we’ve seen in the past 15 years,” she said.

Valdez also said the monthly residential customer charge increased from $9 to $13.71.

Not every customer agrees with the higher bills.

One resident said their monthly bill jumped from about $335 last year to more than $460 this year.

Another resident said his bill rose from June of last year to this year, but believes the increase may be needed.

“Last year we paid about $48 in June and this year went up to $78,” he said.

I feel it’s probably necessary. I hope the company is being thoughtful about us, but they probably do need the money to keep up good service.

To help reduce costs, Valdez recommended keeping blinds closed, using ceiling fans, raising the thermostat a few degrees and looking into El Paso Electric’s low-cost energy program.

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