Summer electric bills are rising across the country. And in El Paso, Texas, bills are arriving with totals that, for many customers, are sharply above what they paid in May.
What happened?
Three pressures are coalescing to drive these enormous bill increases, as El Paso Matters reported. These factors are newly approved higher rates, heavier air-conditioning demand during 100-degree weather, and the disappearance of a short-term fuel credit.
After the latest bills arrived, complaints spread across neighborhood forums and social media.
"Is it just me or did anybody else in the neighborhood get an extremely high bill for June?" one Upper Valley resident wrote on Nextdoor. "I know I used electricity a little more than last month but not $200 more than last month. El Paso Electric, what the heck is going on?"
The state-approved rate increase began in May, just before brutally hot June weather arrived. El Paso Matters explained that the city averaged 86.2 degrees in June, about 10 degrees higher than in May, and logged 17 days with highs of at least 100 degrees.
The heat and rate increase came as a fuel-refund credit disappeared from bills. The outlet reported that for the average resident, this credit was valued at roughly $18.
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"The short answer is that customers may be seeing the combined effect of hotter weather and higher usage, currently effective rates, and the end of a temporary fuel-refund credit," El Paso Electric spokesperson Jacob Reyes told the outlet. "The contribution of each factor will differ by customer."
When the Public Utility Commission of Texas approved the rate increase, it was the first time it had done so in nearly five years, per El Paso Matters.
Why does it matter?
An increase can disrupt household budgets, especially in a city where many families already have little room to absorb sudden expenses.
El Paso Matters reported that El Paso's 2024 median household income came in at just under $60,000, well below both the Texas and national medians.
The mix of factors indicates that relief may not come soon. July bills could resemble June's, and August's may be even more expensive.
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