Despite usage staying steady year over year, DISD's utility costs have increased due to rising usage rates, said Brandon Hoke, an engineer with TDIndustries, a facilities maintenance and building controls provider for the district. Hoke, along with members of the district's operations team, presented an annual utility report during a Nov. 11 board meeting.
"Denton ISD is not unique in the fact that the costs are increasing," Hoke said.
The overview
A majority of the increase in utility costs comes from electricity, Hoke said. From the FY 2023-24 to FY 2024-25, electric costs increased by $1.28 million, according to the meeting presentation.
The cost of electricity per kilowatt-hours, a common billing unit for electrical energy, has increased by 28% since last year.
DISD has three electric providers for its campuses, including Coserv, Denton Municipal Utilities and Direct Energy. The company's kilowatt-hours rates are:
- Coserv: $0.1225 per kWh
- Denton Municipal Utilities: $0.1398 per kWh
- Direct Energy: $.0886 per kWh
DISD's electric use has decreased over the past year. Hoke contributed the usage drop to actions from DISD's operations team, including modifying utility schedules and using optimum start times for equipment. Some schools, such as Martinez, Sandbrock Ranch and Union Park elementaries, have implemented energy efficient systems within the campuses, he said.
"You have saved millions of dollars in costs," board President Barbara Burns said. "Even though it doesn't seem like we're getting ahead of it, we certainly are."
