Central Texas Electric Cooperative Rate Selection Guide
Central Texas Electric Cooperative (CTEC) is a member-owned electric cooperative serving roughly 48,000 meters across 11 Central Texas counties from Fredericksburg. As a non-ERCOT-competitive co-op, CTEC delivers billing and daily usage through its SmartHub portal but does not yet offer Green Button, EDI, or third-party APIs, so commercial energy data access runs through SmartHub plus a manual authorization process.
Central Texas Electric Cooperative Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large Power Service | Industrial | $100/mo + $9.75/kW + $0.00875/kWh dist. | Facilities with ≥75 kW demand |
| Commercial – Three Phase | Commercial | $50/mo + $0.03051/kWh dist. | Three-phase shops/offices under 75 kW |
| Commercial – Single Phase | Commercial | $40/mo + $0.03051/kWh dist. | Small single-phase businesses |
| Public Services & Not-for-Profit | Commercial | $36–$45/mo + $0.02746/kWh dist. | Churches, schools, non-profits |
Market Overview
CTEC operates as a non-competitive, member-owned cooperative outside ERCOT retail choice. Rates are set by the cooperative's board under the Texas Utilities Code; there is no retail electric provider (REP) choice and no community choice aggregation.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Central Texas Electric Cooperative Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Rates reflect CTEC's 2025 rate adjustment (an 11.23% revenue increase over the 2022 test year), applied to bills issued on or after March 29, 2025. Each schedule combines a monthly access (customer) charge with a per-kWh distribution energy charge; Large Power Service adds a per-kW demand charge. Charges below are CTEC distribution components — wholesale power cost is billed separately.
Effective: March 29, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Power Service | industrial | Commercial, industrial, and large non-residential loads with demand of 75 kW or greater in any month. | $100.00/month access charge; $9.75/kW demand charge (billed demand = actual demand, or 60% of the highest demand in the prior 11 months); $0.00875/kWh distribution energy charge. | $0.00875/kWh distribution+ $9.75/kW |
| Commercial Service – Three Phase | commercial | Three-phase commercial loads under 75 kW. | $50.00/month access charge; $0.03051/kWh distribution energy charge. | $0.03051/kWh distribution+ None |
| Commercial Service – Single Phase | commercial | Single-phase commercial loads under 75 kW. | $40.00/month access charge; $0.03051/kWh distribution energy charge. | $0.03051/kWh distribution+ None |
| Commercial Service – Public Services & Not-for-Profit (Three Phase) | commercial | Three-phase public-service and not-for-profit commercial accounts under 75 kW. | $45.00/month access charge; $0.02746/kWh distribution energy charge. | $0.02746/kWh distribution+ None |
| General Service (Wells & Other Services) | commercial | General/agricultural service points such as wells and miscellaneous small commercial loads. | $29.50/month access charge; $0.04344/kWh distribution energy charge. | $0.04344/kWh distribution+ None |
| Key Accounts (>3 MW) | industrial | Large key accounts exceeding 3 MW. | $1,500.00/month access charge; demand and energy components set per the Large Power tariff and individual arrangements. | See Large Power tariff+ Per Large Power Service ($9.75/kW) |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Large facility with ≥75 kW demand
Manufacturing, cold storage, or large commercial sites at or above 75 kW are billed on Large Power Service, where the $9.75/kW demand charge with a 60% ratchet dominates the bill.
With demand priced at $9.75/kW and a ratchet that locks in 60% of the prior 11-month peak, a single high-demand interval can inflate charges for nearly a year.
- Stagger startup of large motors/HVAC to shave coincident peaks
- Track the demand value printed on each monthly bill (CTEC has no interval export)
- Consider on-site solar or storage to clip demand peaks during high-load months
Mid-size three-phase commercial under 75 kW
Offices, retail, and light-commercial three-phase accounts below 75 kW pay a flat $50 monthly access charge plus ~$0.0305/kWh distribution with no demand charge.
Without a demand charge, total cost scales with kWh, so energy efficiency and load reduction directly lower the bill.
- Stay below 75 kW to avoid moving onto demand-based Large Power Service
- Use SmartHub daily usage to spot abnormal consumption
- Pursue lighting/HVAC efficiency since cost is energy-driven
Public-service or not-for-profit account
Churches, schools, and non-profits qualify for the Public Services & Not-for-Profit commercial rate with a lower $0.02746/kWh distribution charge.
The reduced energy charge meaningfully lowers cost for steady-use community facilities.
- Confirm eligibility with Member Services
- Choose single- vs three-phase based on equipment needs
- Enroll in SmartHub for usage tracking and paperless billing
Energy manager needing data for benchmarking
Because CTEC offers no Green Button, API, or interval export, build your data process around SmartHub PDF/daily exports plus a manual authorization request for anything more granular.
CTEC's manual, form-based access means lead time matters; plan ahead and capture monthly demand figures off the bill.
- Submit the Authorization and Release Form early (allow 5–10 business days)
- Record the demand value from each monthly bill for trend analysis
- Verify Smart Meter Texas coverage by ESI-ID for possible 15-minute data
Historical Rate Trends
CTEC held rates flat from 2016 until a comprehensive 2025 adjustment, driven by inflation, rising materials/equipment costs, and infrastructure investment, and informed by a Cost of Service Study by The Prime Group.
March 29, 2025
Board-approved rate adjustment increasing revenues ~11.23% over the 2022 test year. Large Power demand charge rose from $6.75 to $9.75/kW; access and distribution energy charges increased across most classes (e.g., Large Power access $75→$100, distribution $0.00820→$0.00875/kWh).
+11.23%January 1, 2016
Prior rate adjustment; rates then held flat until the 2025 change.
n/aOverall trend: Rates were stable for nearly a decade, then rose materially in 2025. C&I demand pricing rose sharply (Large Power demand $6.75→$9.75/kW). Future changes will track wholesale power costs and infrastructure needs.
Next expected change: No specific adjustment announced for 2026 as of this research; monitor CTEC notices and board resolutions.
Cost Optimization Strategies
For CTEC C&I accounts, the largest savings lever is demand management on Large Power Service, followed by energy efficiency on flat commercial rates. Because there is no interval export, optimization relies on monthly bill demand figures and SmartHub daily usage.
Peak demand shaving
For: Large Power Service (≥75 kW)
Limit coincident demand by staggering large equipment startups and managing HVAC to reduce the monthly kW peak that sets the $9.75/kW charge and 60% ratchet.
Stay below the 75 kW threshold
For: Commercial accounts near 75 kW
Accounts near 75 kW can avoid demand-based billing entirely by keeping peak demand under the threshold and remaining on flat commercial rates.
Energy efficiency on flat rates
For: Commercial Service (single/three phase)
For sub-75 kW commercial accounts with no demand charge, lighting, HVAC, and process efficiency directly cut the ~$0.0305/kWh energy cost.
On-site solar / storage for peak clipping
For: Large commercial/industrial
Distributed solar paired with storage can shave demand peaks on Large Power Service and offset energy use; coordinate with CTEC's interconnection and solar resources.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Central Texas Electric Cooperative interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a commercial customer get usage data from CTEC for energy analysis?▾
Commercial members can view daily usage and download PDF bills in SmartHub. For more detail, contact Member Services at (800) 900-2832 to request a custom data pull — this is a manual process and CTEC does not provide CSV exports or an API.
Can a third-party energy consultant access my CTEC data directly?▾
Not through an automated channel. The consultant must obtain your signed Authorization and Release Form, which CTEC processes manually before sharing billing data (typically PDF, ~5–10 business days). No API or aggregator integration exists.
Does CTEC offer interval (15-minute) data for demand analysis?▾
No. CTEC's AMI meters collect interval reads internally but only daily usage is exposed in SmartHub. Large Power members billed on demand should track the demand figure shown on their monthly bill; granular interval data requires a manual request and is not guaranteed.
Is my CTEC meter readable through Smart Meter Texas?▾
Possibly. CTEC is in the ERCOT footprint, but its participation in Smart Meter Texas is not confirmed. C&I customers should contact CTEC or Smart Meter Texas with their ESI-ID to verify whether 15-minute data and Green Button are available.
Which CTEC rate applies to commercial and industrial accounts?▾
Loads under 75 kW typically fall on Commercial Service (single- or three-phase) or the Public Services/Not-for-Profit variant. Loads of 75 kW and above fall on Large Power Service, which carries a $100/month access charge, a $9.75/kW demand charge, and a $0.00875/kWh distribution energy charge as of the March 2025 adjustment.
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