For the first time in seven years, customers of Denton Municipal Electric will see higher rates in their electric bills.
On Tuesday, the Denton City Council authorized a mid-year rate increase for DME clients that will take effect on April 1.
The increase will lead to an estimated average increase of $24 on residential bills. Businesses will take a larger hit, with small businesses seeing an average increase of $26 per month and medium businesses seeing an average increase of $330 per month. Larger businesses could see increases up to $8,000 per month.
- Residential Customers: Estimated to increase the average electric bill (1000 kWh usage) from $106 to $130 per month.
- Small Business Customers: Estimated to increase the average electric bill (1,101 kWh usage) from $148 to $174 per month.
- Medium Business Customers: Estimated to increase the average electric bill (13,7171 kWh usage, 48 kW demand) from $1,361 to $1,691 per month.
- Large Business Customers: Estimated to increase the average electric bill (342,406 kWh usage, 867 kVA demand) from $28,002 to $36,258 per month.
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According to DME, the increase was needed to offset rising transmission and energy expenses.
DME said in a statement that all Texans now pay more for energy due to statewide regulatory changes beyond DME's control, but that DME customers continue to pay some of the lowest average monthly bills compared to other municipally-owned utilities in Texas.
Residents in Denton can also use the Residential Bill Calculator to get an estimate of their new monthly bill based on their average usage.
