Some of the support the board of trustees is considering every month is if payment and extension plans are continued to be offered, no residential disconnects for non-payment of bills and waiving late fees.
According to NBU, customers experiencing hardship or needing assistance can contact the Customer Service Department at 830-629-8400 or [email protected] to discuss individualized payment plans based on their needs.
“From the NBU board of trustees to the newest employee, we are proud to be part of this community and committed to our mission of strengthening our community by providing resilient essential services,” NBU said in a press release. “Over the past month, NBU shared its commitment to communicating with our customers and keeping them informed in advance of any billing changes.”
October NBU bills will reflect the “replenish reserve” amount of $.013 per kWh in the PCRA line item of the bill, NBU says.
The table below is the calendar year, 2022 fourth-quarter total cost of power monthly forecast, based on an average of 1,200 kWh usage. The monthly per kWh forecast is estimated to be $0.1241 plus the monthly Electric Service Availability Charge, according to NBU.
“It is important to note that this quarterly forecast is subject to change should NBU experience extreme weather and/or energy market events,” NBU said in a press release.
Definitions of the following line items and any necessary updates to the quarterly forecasting can be found at www.nbutexas.com/rate-breakdown.
NBU is also working on simplifying its bills. The Generation, Transmission, and Replenish Reserves line items are included and identified in the bill's PCRA and Purchased Power line items. The following line items will replace the current NBU bill line items later this year.
| Line Item | October | November | December | Monthly electric bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generation | $0.079 | $0.079 | $0.079 | $94.80 |
| Transmission | $0.0172 | $0.0172 | $0.0172 | $20.64 |
| Delivery Charge | $0.0149 | $0.0149 | $0.0149 | $17.88 |
| Replenish Reserves | $0.013 | $0.013 | $0.013 | $15.60 |
| Per kWh Charge Total | $0.1241 | $0.1241 | $0.1241 | |
| Electric Service Availability Charge | $17.06 | $17.06 | $17.06 | $17.06 |
| Total Bill | $165.98 |
“The Conservation and Customer Service team is prepared to help customers identify ways to make their homes more energy efficient and will help find ways to reduce water usage,” NBU said in a press release.
Customers can schedule a free home assessment by visiting www.nbutexas.com/assessment or calling 830-608-8925. Customers can also review the rebates NBU offers at www.nbutexas.com/rebates.
The NBU Utility Bill Payment Assistance program, facilitated by the New Braunfels Food Bank, is available for qualifying customers. Due to the high influx of bill payment assistance applications, NBU staff is helping the New Braunfels Food Bank to process several aspects of the applications, excluding the awarded amount, which remains the sole responsibility of the Food Bank, according to NBU.
In addition, NBU officials said they are actively working with community agencies to solidify additional bill payment assistance and relief. Once a simplified, unified system is confirmed, those available resources will be posted online at www.nbutexas.com/utility-bill-assistance.
Customers can review current rates, the cost of power, and a host of frequently asked questions at www.nbutexas.com/rate-breakdown.
