How El Paso Electric’s seasonal rates compare with other Texas cities

EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — As summer heat pushes air conditioners into overdrive, many El Paso residents say their electric bills are becoming harder to manage — and some are seeing sharp increases.

One El Paso customer described her bill as “ridiculously high. It’s 428 dollars.” Another said her monthly cost has more than doubled: “I used to pay, like, around 150… 160… and now it’s 360.”

Electricity use is commonly measured in kilowatt-hours, a standard unit. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, one kilowatt equals 1,000 watts, and one kilowatt-hour is one kilowatt used for one hour.

That means a 1,000-watt appliance running for one hour uses one kilowatt-hour, while a 100-watt television would use one kilowatt-hour after running for 10 hours.

In El Paso, those kilowatt-hours cost more during the summer months. El Paso Electric’s residential rates are higher from May through October, with tiered pricing based on usage.

During that period, the first 600 kilowatt-hours cost 13.247 cents per kilowatt-hour, and usage above 600 kilowatt-hours costs 14.247 cents per kilowatt-hour. From November through April, the rate drops to 11.247 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Jordan Salas reports on How El Paso Electric’s seasonal rates compare with other Texas cities (Credit: KFOX14)

El Paso Electric says its tiered rates are meant to encourage energy conservation and keep customers’ bills manageable. Some residents say they are trying to cut back where they can. One customer said, “We turn off the ac every time we go out and in the night.”

A comparison of summer residential electric rates in several Texas cities shows wide variation.

In San Antonio, rates from June through September are listed at 7.503 cents per kilowatt-hour for the first 600 kilowatt-hours and 9.653 cents per kilowatt-hour above 600.

Amarillo’s rate from June through September is 10.380 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Austin’s summer residential rates range from 4.640 cents to 10.884 cents per kilowatt-hour across four usage tiers, with the highest tier at 10.884 cents.

Another key difference is how service is structured. El Paso, Austin, San Antonio and Amarillo are listed as cities where customers generally have one assigned utility.

In Dallas and Houston, customers can choose among multiple electric companies offering different rates.

A review of three plans from one provider showed advertised prices ranging from about 17 to 20 cents per kilowatt-hour in Dallas and about 16 to 19 cents per kilowatt-hour in Houston, based on 1,000 kilowatt-hours. Rates vary by provider and plan.

While having multiple providers does not guarantee a lower price, it does offer more choice.

One resident said, “It is good to have competition.” Another added, “It would be better. You would have choices.”

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