Newly Approved Two-Year Rate Plan Effective August 1, 2023
Laying the Infrastructure for a Resilient Future
New Braunfels Utilities’ two-year rate plan was approved by City Council and went into effect on August 1, 2023. The new rate plan will allow NBU to continue to upgrade and replace outdated infrastructure to reliably serve essential services to our growing community.
This investment in the future ensures that the NBU systems maintain compliance with regulatory agencies, such as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and are prepared to meet the community’s electric, water, and wastewater needs for generations to come.
Rate Change Process
The rate plan is the result of more than two years of work, which began in February of 2021, when NBU engaged Freese and Nichols, Inc. and sub-consultant NewGen Strategies and Solutions, LLC, to conduct a Cost-of-Service and Rate Design Study, including facilitating NBU’s first-ever Rate Advisory Committee, whose purpose was to provide feedback to NBU and its consultants regarding the proposed FYs 2024 and 2025 rate design from the viewpoint of each committee member’s rate category.
The Committee helped facilitate fair, transparent, and equitable rate designs for electric, water, and wastewater rates for each customer category and helped NBU strengthen key policy areas in preparation for developing the rate plan for FYs 2024 and 2025.
| Important Dates | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023 NBU Budget Workshop | March 27, 2023 | Meeting Agenda NBU Budget Workshop Presentation |
| NBU Board of Trustees Meeting | March 30, 2023 | Meeting Agenda • Resolution Approving Amendments to City of New Braunfels Code of Ordinances (Electric) • Resolution Approving Amendments to City of New Braunfels Code of Ordinances (Water) • Resolution Approving Amendments to City of New Braunfels Code of Ordinances (Wastewater) |
| City Council – 1st Reading and Public Hearing on Rates | April 3, 2023 | Meeting Agenda NBU FY’s 2024 and 2025 Proposed Rate Plan Presentation |
| City Council – 2nd and Final Reading on Rates | April 10, 2023 | Meeting Agenda Video (Presentation Begins at 3:19:25) |
| FY’s 2024 and 2025 Two-Year Rate Plan Takes Effect | August 1, 2023 |
Electric Rates Report
On April 10, 2023, the New Braunfels City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2023-416, establishing electric rates and charges for Fiscal Year 2024 beginning on August 1, 2023, and Fiscal Year 2025 beginning on August 1, 2024. As required by Texas Utilities Code Section 33.103, this report states the effect of the ordinance on each class of ratepayer.
| Customer Class | Average Bill Increase (FY 2023 to FY2024) | Average Bill Increase (FY 2024 to FY2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | 6.3% | 6.5% |
| Small General Service | 6.7% | 6.7% |
| Large General Service | 7.3% | 8.6% |
| Very Large Power | 5.7% | 7.3% |
| Second Feeder Service | 39.0% | 29.2% |
| Lighting Athletic Fields | 17.9% | 15.4% |
| Interstate Highway Lighting | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Area Lighting | 0.0% | 0.0% |
New Braunfels Utilities’ rates are designed to cover the cost of providing essential services. Upgrading and expanding infrastructure to support our community is vital.