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No retail choice

New Braunfels electricity: one provider, New Braunfels Utilities

Homes in New Braunfels can’t choose an electricity provider. Here’s why, what it means for the bill, and the nearest places that can shop.

New Braunfels Utilities is owned by the City of New Braunfels and provides electricity, water and wastewater to the city. San Antonio to the south has its own city utility too, so the nearest places with retail choice are well away.

When Texas opened its electricity market in 2002, city-owned utilities and electric cooperatives were allowed to join but not required to, and almost none have: Lubbock, in 2024, was the first city to do it, and Nueces is the only co-op. New Braunfels Utilities still buys or generates the power, owns the wires and meters, and sends one bill, with rates set locally rather than by competing offers.

New Braunfels Utilities’s website (opens in a new tab)

What this means for your bill

One bill, from New Braunfels Utilities, at rates it sets. There are no plans to compare, no contract to time and no early termination fee to weigh. Sites that list “New Braunfels electricity plans” are showing the plans sold in the choice areas nearby; an address on New Braunfels Utilities’s lines can’t enroll in them, and we don’t pretend otherwise.

What you can do is ask New Braunfels Utilities about its own rate options and its efficiency and rebate programs, and work on the usage: in a Texas summer most of the bill is air conditioning.

Check: is your address really on New Braunfels Utilities’s lines?

Utility borders don’t follow city limits. A few addresses in and around New Braunfels can be on a neighboring utility's lines. The surest check is the bill: the company that sends it is the company that serves you. If it names Oncor, CenterPoint Energy, AEP Texas, TNMP or Lubbock Power & Light as the delivery company, you can choose, and every plan sold at that address can be priced on your own 12 months.

New Braunfels electricity FAQs

Can I choose my electricity provider in New Braunfels?

No. New Braunfels Utilities is the only electricity provider for addresses on its lines, and there is no retail plan to switch to. Comparison sites that list plans for New Braunfels are showing plans sold in the delivery areas around it; a New Braunfels address on New Braunfels Utilities's lines can't enroll in them.

Why doesn't New Braunfels have electricity choice?

When Texas opened its electricity market in 2002, city-owned utilities and electric cooperatives were allowed to join but not required to, and almost none have: Lubbock, in 2024, was the first city to do it, and Nueces is the only co-op. New Braunfels Utilities still buys or generates the power, owns the wires and meters, and sends one bill, with rates set locally rather than by competing offers.

Who do I call about an outage or a bill in New Braunfels?

New Braunfels Utilities, for both. It owns the wires, sends the crews and issues the bill, so there is no second company involved. The number is on the bill and on its website.

Will New Braunfels get retail electricity choice?

Only if the city decides to join the competitive market, as Lubbock did in 2024. That is a decision for the city council and the utility's board, not the state, and none has been made for New Braunfels as of this writing.

How do I lower my electricity bill in New Braunfels?

Without plans to compare, the bill comes down to usage and the utility's own options. Ask New Braunfels Utilities about its rate structures (some city utilities offer time-of-day or budget-billing options), its efficiency and rebate programs, and any payment arrangements. Air conditioning is most of a Texas summer bill, so the thermostat, attic insulation and a serviced unit are where the usage goes.

The nearest places with choice

The choice market is a drive away. Every city we price is on the rates page.

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