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ENOUGH investigates CenterPoint Energy rates and electric bills (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\nHOUSTON \u2013 If your electric bill feels like it keeps getting more expensive, you\u2019re not imagining it. CenterPoint\u2019s delivery charges have increased.<\/p>\n
For Houston-area customers, a portion of each monthly electric bill goes to CenterPoint Energy for transmitting and distributing electricity.<\/p>\n
But how much are customers paying CenterPoint \u2014 and what happens to that money?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what ENOUGH set out to find out.<\/p>\n
How much of your electric bill goes to CenterPoint?<\/p>\n
We asked electric customers to look at their bills and tell us how much they paid for the electricity they used compared with how much went to CenterPoint.<\/p>\n
ENOUGH investigates CenterPoint Energy rates and electric bills (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n
For Sean Gambini, 41% of his September bill went to CenterPoint through the transmission and distribution, or TDU, charge.<\/p>\n
His total bill was $795.61, with $322.28 going toward the TDU delivery charge.<\/p>\n
Another customer, Javier Alvarez, said 82% of his bill went to CenterPoint. He paid $67.90 in CenterPoint charges compared with $82.45 for the electricity itself.<\/p>\n
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ENOUGH investigates CenterPoint Energy rates and electric bills (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n
Dan and Irene Phillips said about $220 of their roughly $720 bill went to CenterPoint.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur electric bill has almost doubled,\u201d Dan Phillips said.<\/p>\n
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ENOUGH investigates CenterPoint Energy rates and electric bills (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)Why has the CenterPoint charge increased?<\/p>\n
CenterPoint is a transmission and distribution utility, which is why its charge on your electric bill is called a TDU fee.<\/p>\n
According to the figures reviewed by ENOUGH, CenterPoint\u2019s per-kilowatt-hour delivery rate has increased over the past several years.<\/p>\n
In 2020, the rate was 4.05 cents per kilowatt-hour, in addition to a $4.90 monthly fee.<\/p>\n
In 2026, the rate is 6.41 cents per kilowatt-hour, while the $4.90 monthly fee remains.<\/p>\n
For customers who use 2,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each month, the difference in the rate amounts to about $566 more per year.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Check your ZIP code: Houston power outage activity<\/a><\/p>\n CenterPoint told ENOUGH that the fees customers pay cover the utility\u2019s costs for infrastructure and other expenses.<\/p>\n The company said it does not earn a profit on day-to-day operating and maintenance costs.<\/p>\n CenterPoint provided this statement to ENOUGH:<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we invest in infrastructure, we\u2019re allowed to earn a regulated return on that investment, which is set by the Public Utility Commission of Texas in rate cases.\u201d<\/p>\n The company said those capital costs are recovered gradually over time, typically over decades, while day-to-day operating and maintenance costs are passed through to customers without a profit.<\/p>\n So how does CenterPoint make money?<\/p>\n CenterPoint is a publicly traded, Fortune 500 company.<\/p>\n The company reported about $1 billion in profit last year, according to SEC filings.<\/p>\n The story also examined CenterPoint\u2019s stock performance and executive compensation, including a reported $3 million increase in CEO Jason Wells\u2019 compensation last year.<\/p>\n When the Public Utility Commission of Texas approves utility rate increases, those rates include an allowed return on equity for investors.<\/p>\n Energy and utility policy experts interviewed by ENOUGH said that structure can provide utilities and their investors with a regulated return on infrastructure investments.<\/p>\n Krysti Shallenberger with the Energy and Policy Institute<\/a> said utilities benefit when they propose major infrastructure projects because those investments are included in the utility\u2019s rate base.<\/p>\n Tyson Slocum with Public Citizen<\/a> said utilities have less financial incentive to spend money on routine maintenance that does not qualify for the same return.<\/p>\n A CenterPoint representative confirmed this in the following statement he sent by email: <\/p>\n \u201cDay to day operating and maintenance costs are passed through to customers without a profit.\u201d <\/p>\n What is the Public Utility Commission\u2019s role?<\/p>\n The Public Utility Commission<\/a> of Texas regulates electric utilities and approves utility rate cases.<\/p>\n The commission is made up of four commissioners and a chairman, all appointed by the governor, according to the ENOUGH investigation.<\/p>\n ENOUGH asked members of the PUC to speak with us about CenterPoint\u2019s rate increases and if the increased profits should factor into whether more increases are necessary. None of the commissioners responded to our interview request.<\/p>\n Then we learned PUC Chairman Thomas Gleeson would be in Houston for the opening of a new power plant in northwest Harris County.<\/p>\n So, ENOUGH reporter Stephania Jimenez and producer Andrea Slaydon tried to get time with him.<\/p>\n We contacted the chairman\u2019s office ahead of the event and asked for an interview about the impact of the new power plant on customers and the rate increases approved by the PUC.<\/p>\n The chairman\u2019s spokesperson initially asked what questions we planned to ask.<\/p>\n We explained that we wanted to discuss the power plant, rate hikes and the PUC\u2019s role in those decisions.<\/p>\n A few days later, the spokesperson responded that Gleeson would not be able to accommodate the interview request.<\/p>\n ENOUGH still went to the event.<\/p>\n Jimenez introduced herself to Gleeson and asked if there would be an opportunity to speak with him. She was told they could try again at the end of the event.<\/p>\n After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, our team tried again. But we were told the media could not go beyond that point.<\/p>\n So we did not get the interview.<\/p>\n That leaves an important question for customers: As CenterPoint\u2019s rates increase, who is asking whether those costs and the utility\u2019s investments are delivering the results customers expect?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/E52GMQO2W5E23E67DQPAUSWPRA.png\"\/)
ENOUGH investigates CenterPoint Energy rates and electric bills (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)CenterPoint says its charges are not profit<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/QS2MQOCYIRCG7OTLP3XG4GBPFY.png\"\/)
ENOUGH investigates CenterPoint Energy rates and electric bills (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/P6FB7UPKVJCCFALWGHH64BL3LE.png\"\/)
ENOUGH investigates CenterPoint Energy rates and electric bills (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SMIIFYS5MVHW5MZVLQYFRXEBU4.png\"\/)
ENOUGH investigates CenterPoint Energy rates and electric bills (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n