New Braunfels Utilities Rate Selection Guide
New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) is a municipally-owned electric, water, and wastewater utility serving roughly 60,000 electric customers in central Texas. NBU has deployed AMI smart meters (NBU SMART) with hourly interval collection and offers online billing and usage data via its CustomerConnect portal, but does not currently support Green Button, public APIs, or EDI.
New Braunfels Utilities Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small General Service | Commercial | $0.01778/kWh delivery + $0.07428/kW demand + generation/transmission | Small businesses below LGS thresholds |
| Large General Service | Commercial | $11.38/kW delivery demand + generation/transmission | Mid-to-large commercial with sustained demand >25 kW |
| Very Large Power | Industrial | $8.36/kW delivery demand + generation/transmission | Largest industrial loads |
| Second Feeder Service | Industrial | $7.51/contract kW/month capacity | Facilities needing redundant feeder capacity |
Market Overview
NBU is a vertically-integrated municipal electric utility outside ERCOT retail competition. Rates are approved by the New Braunfels City Council on recommendation of the NBU Board of Trustees. Customers cannot choose a competitive retail electric provider. Bills comprise delivery, generation (plus Generation Cost Recovery Factor), transmission (plus Transmission Cost Recovery Factor), and a Replenish Reserves charge.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the New Braunfels Utilities Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
NBU's FY2026 electric rates took effect August 1, 2025 (approved by the New Braunfels City Council). The Large General Service and Very Large Power classes are the primary C&I schedules and are demand-billed. Verified FY2026 figures below come from NBU's official FY2026 Electric Rate Table; generation and transmission cost-recovery factors are market pass-throughs that vary monthly.
Effective: August 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small General Service (SGS) | commercial | Smaller commercial customers below the demand thresholds for Large General Service. | Customer charge varies by meter size (increased 14% in FY2026). Delivery charge $0.01778/kWh; delivery demand charge $0.07428/kW. Generation base rate $0.04000/kWh (Oct-May) / $0.05000/kWh (Jun-Sep) plus Generation Cost Recovery Factor; transmission base $0.00520/kWh plus Transmission Cost Recovery Factor; plus variable Replenish Reserves. | — |
| Large General Service (LGS) | commercial | Larger commercial/industrial customers with demand above SGS thresholds (demand metered when consumption >3,000 kWh or connected load >25 kW). | Customer charge varies by meter size (increased 14% in FY2026). Delivery demand charge $11.38/kW. Generation base rate $0.04000/kWh (Oct-May) / $0.05000/kWh (Jun-Sep) plus Generation Cost Recovery Factor; transmission base rate $0.00520/kWh plus Transmission Cost Recovery Factor; plus variable Replenish Reserves charge. Billing demand = highest 15-minute kW in the month. | — |
| Very Large Power | industrial | NBU's largest power customers. | Customer charge varies by meter size (increased 14% in FY2026). Delivery demand charge $8.36/kW. Generation base rate $0.04000/kWh (Oct-May) / $0.05000/kWh (Jun-Sep) plus Generation Cost Recovery Factor; transmission base $0.00520/kWh plus Transmission Cost Recovery Factor; plus variable Replenish Reserves charge. | — |
| Second Feeder Service | industrial | C&I customers requiring redundant/second-feeder capacity. | Capacity charge $7.51 per contract kW per month, in addition to applicable energy and demand charges under the customer's base rate class. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial facility (retail, office) with demand >25 kW
Falls into Large General Service; bill dominated by the $11.38/kW delivery demand charge plus generation/transmission.
LGS applies once demand is sustained above 25 kW; the demand charge is the primary cost lever.
- Use interval/demand data from NBU to find your monthly 15-minute peak
- Stagger HVAC and equipment startups to flatten peaks
- Shift deferrable load out of Jun-Sep summer generation period
Large industrial / manufacturing load
Largest loads are served under Very Large Power with a $8.36/kW delivery demand charge.
Very Large Power offers a lower per-kW delivery demand than LGS for large loads; Second Feeder Service ($7.51/contract kW) adds redundancy where needed.
- Negotiate/confirm class assignment with NBU based on contract demand
- Add Second Feeder Service only if redundancy justifies the $7.51/kW capacity charge
- Implement demand-limiting controls to protect against billing-demand spikes
Small business near demand thresholds
Small General Service with $0.01778/kWh delivery and $0.07428/kW demand; risk of moving into LGS if demand grows.
Staying within SGS thresholds avoids the higher LGS demand charge.
- Monitor connected load to stay under 25 kW and consumption under 3,000 kWh/month where practical
- Consider SGS net metering (solar/wind up to 10 kW) to offset kWh
- Track usage in CustomerConnect for early warning of threshold creep
Sustainability/ESG reporting & benchmarking
NBU lacks Green Button/API, so benchmarking data must be gathered manually.
No programmatic export exists; data must come from the portal, authorized customer-service requests, or PDF bills.
- Download PDF bills and daily usage from CustomerConnect
- Request a free Utility Consumption Report for conservation benchmarking
- For multi-site portfolios, Nectar can onboard NBU accounts — see docs.nectarclimate.com
Historical Rate Trends
NBU rates are reviewed annually and set by the New Braunfels City Council on recommendation of the NBU Board of Trustees. The FY2026 schedule took effect August 1, 2025 and included a 14% increase to customer charges across classes, following prior adjustments approved in 2023-2024.
August 1, 2025
FY2026 rates effective; customer charges increased ~14% across classes; delivery demand charges set (LGS $11.38/kW, Very Large Power $8.36/kW).
+14%January 1, 2024
Prior rate adjustments approved by New Braunfels City Council during 2023-2024 cycle.
variesOverall trend: Rising — customer charges increased 14% in FY2026; rate adjustments approved in consecutive years driven by power-supply costs and reserve replenishment.
Next expected change: FY2027 rates expected effective August 1, 2026 pending City Council approval.
Cost Optimization Strategies
For NBU C&I accounts the dominant cost driver is the per-kW demand charge billed on the single highest 15-minute interval each month. Reducing and flattening peak demand, plus shifting flexible load away from the higher-cost summer generation period (Jun-Sep), delivers the largest savings.
Peak Demand Management
For: LGS and Very Large Power accounts
Stagger startup of large motors/HVAC and use demand-limiting controls so no single 15-minute interval spikes billing demand.
Seasonal Load Shifting
For: All demand-metered C&I
Shift deferrable production/load out of the June-September window when the generation base rate rises from $0.04 to $0.05/kWh.
Stay Below Demand-Metering Triggers
For: Small commercial accounts near thresholds
Where feasible, keep monthly consumption under 3,000 kWh and connected motor/inductive load under 25 kW to avoid moving into a demand-billed class.
On-Site Solar / Net Metering
For: Facilities with suitable roof/site
NBU's net metering service rate (solar/wind up to 10 kW for SGS) can offset purchased kWh; larger DG should be evaluated under the Electrical Connection Policy.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download New Braunfels Utilities interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a third-party energy consultant access NBU C&I usage data programmatically?▾
No. NBU does not offer a public API, Green Button Connect My Data, or a Share My Data program. Consultants must obtain signed customer authorization and request data through NBU Customer Service, or submit a Texas Public Information Act open records request. Neither method supports automated recurring access.
Does NBU provide interval (15-minute) data for commercial demand analysis?▾
NBU's AMI meters collect hourly interval data and use 15-minute intervals to determine billing demand, but the customer portal only displays daily usage. There is no documented 15-minute interval export. For detailed demand analysis, request data directly from NBU or use the metered demand shown on bills.
How is billing demand determined for NBU commercial accounts?▾
Billing kW demand is the highest measured kW in any 15-minute interval during the month. Demand may be metered when monthly consumption exceeds 3,000 kWh or connected load exceeds 25 kW of motor/inductive equipment; sustained demand over 25 kW moves the account into a demand-billed rate class.
Which NBU rate class applies to my business?▾
NBU uses Small General Service, Large General Service, and Very Large Power classes (plus Second Feeder Service). Class assignment depends on demand and consumption; accounts exceeding 25 kW demand in two summer months or four months in a 12-month period are billed under the applicable demand class. Confirm your class with NBU.
Can NBU customers shop for a competitive electricity supplier?▾
No. NBU is a municipal utility outside ERCOT retail competition. There is no retail electric provider choice; NBU is the sole electricity provider in its service territory and rates are set by the New Braunfels City Council.
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