Error:

Javascript is disabled in this browser. This page requires Javascript. Modify your browser's settings to allow Javascript to execute. See your browser's documentation for specific instructions.

Approved Electric Rates

Fiscal Year 2020

City of Austin Utility Bill Relief

As our community comes together to respond to the concerns of COVID-19, the City has taken steps to ensure customers have uninterrupted access to utility services and that customers experiencing hardships due to COVID-19 can get immediate utility bill help.

These measures are in effect through October 31, 2020:

Regulatory electric charges are reduced by 32% for residential and commercial customers, which will result in about a 4% reduction of the total bill. This change went into effect April 9, 2020 for residential customers and on May 1, 2020 for commercial customers.
Rates for all residential electric customers are set at 7.814 cents/kWh for usage above 1,000 kWh.
Residential water rates (Tiers 1-3) and wastewater (Tiers 1-2) volume are reduced by 10%.

These measures are in effect indefinitely or so long as funds remain:

All customers in need will be placed on payment arrangements.
Customer Assistance Program (CAP) Utility Bill Discounts on electric charges are increased from 10% to 15%. Customers with household incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level may receive the CAP discount.
The Financial Support Plus 1 fund has received additional funding. Customers who experience financial hardship due to the effects of COVID-19 are eligible for the Plus 1 Program.

Normal billing operations, including the assessment of late fees, will resume beginning in November 2020. Disconnections for non-payment are expected to resume in early 2021.

Customers who are having difficulty paying their utility bill should contact City of Austin Utilities at 512-494-9400 as soon as possible.

Get more information about City of Austin Bill Relief

September 2019 — Annual Pass-Through Rate Adjustments

On September 10, 2019, the Austin City Council — Austin Energy’s governing board — approved changes to pass-through charges for Austin Energy for FY 2020.

These changes include an increase in the Power Supply Adjustment (PSA) and a decrease in the Regulatory Charge, both of which are included in all customer pricing. These pass-through charges are reviewed each year to reflect actual expenses.

Change to Power Supply Adjustment

The total PSA increase is 8.5%. The PSA change is due to two factors:

The elimination of a previous over-recovery balance. This brings the new PSA closer to current supply costs for power.
Extremely high Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) power prices during August 2019.

Change to Regulatory Charge

The Austin City Council approved a decrease to the Regulatory Charge on customers’ bills of 6.7% to return a surplus of $7 million associated with the use of the wholesale transmission system within ERCOT.

April 2020 — Utility Bill Relief

On April 9, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 impact to our community, Mayor Steve Adler and the Austin City Council approved emergency utility bill relief efforts.

Measures include a reduction in Regulatory Charges of $25 million. This change will help both commercial and residential customers, saving them roughly 4% on their electric bills.
Additionally, the Austin City Council approved a reduction of residential customer rates for higher consumption levels.

View the approved electric rates tariff (pdf)