The Brownsville City Commission approved these rate adjustments on May 3, 2022, effective June 1, 2022.
Electric
BPUB will decrease the base rate by approximately 22 percent phased over two years, beginning June 1, 2022. The remainder of the adjustment took effect December 1, 2022.
As part of this change, BPUB will begin phasing out its bill reduction program and the fuel, purchased energy and marketing charges (FPEM) seen on a BPUB electric bill. The fuel and energy charge will vary monthly, depending on market conditions during that billing period.
The FPEM is also referred to as the Fuel & Purchased Energy Charge (F&PEC) — see that page for how the monthly fuel cost is calculated and applied.
About the Bill Reduction Program
From 2017 to 2022, the bill reduction program returned funds from an earlier portion of rate increases to customers through a reduction in the Fuel and Energy Charge on their bills. BPUB returned $74.3 million to customers through this program. For more background on the funds involved, see the Tenaska Project page.
Water
| Effective Date | Increase |
|---|---|
| June 1, 2022 | 8% |
| January 1, 2023 | 8% |
| January 1, 2024 | 6% |
| January 1, 2025 | 4% |
| January 1, 2026 | 5% |
Resaca Fee: Began at $4.50 (June 2022), rising to $6.25 (January 2023). On November 13, 2023, the City Commission approved an amendment halting further increases, keeping it fixed at $6.25. The City Commission has since voted to eliminate the Resaca Fee.
Wastewater
| Effective Date | Increase |
|---|---|
| June 1, 2022 | 9% |
| January 1, 2023 | 9% |
| January 1, 2024 | 9% |
| January 1, 2025 | 4% |
| January 1, 2026 | 5% |
See current rate schedules for the latest charges, or the F&PEC page for how monthly fuel costs are applied.