Colder weather often leads to higher electricity bills due to increased energy use for heating, water heating, and household appliances. When outdoor temperatures drop significantly, your heating system works harder to maintain your indoor comfort, even if you haven’t adjusted your thermostat settings.

Following the winter storm from January 9-11, 2025, you may notice a higher KPUB electric bill for January.

Why Your Energy Use Increases in Cold Weather:

Heating Systems Work Harder: Your HVAC system runs more frequently to maintain warmth, using more energy.

Water Heaters Use More Power: Cold weather means your water heater must work harder to warm incoming water.

Increased Use of Space Heaters: Portable heaters provide extra warmth but can significantly increase electricity use if used continuously.

Refrigerators & Heat Pumps Work Harder: Appliances with defrost cycles, such as refrigerators and heat pumps, consume more electricity in extreme cold.

 

Are These Higher Bills Due to a Rate Increase?

If your bill went up, it was not due to rates. KPUB has not had a recent rate increase (in fact, the last fixed or variable rate change for KPUB was in July of 2024, which was a decrease for our customers as a result of lower power supply costs). KPUB’s customers currently enjoy some of the lowest rates in the State of Texas. Learn more about our rates here.

The total amount of your bill is reflective of many factors, but in large part, it is specific to how warm you prefer to keep your home or office in the wintertime (roughly half of your bill is typically spent on heating/cooling).

 

What Resources Are Available to Help Manage My Winter Bills?

At KPUB, we understand that sometimes you may need extra time to make a payment. We’re your neighbors, and helping our community is our priority. If you need assistance, please contact our customer service team at 830.257.3050 to discuss payment arrangements and explore your options.

 

Other Bill Management Programs and Tools

Enroll in PrePay billing: This puts you in control of your energy usage and lets you pay for your electricity when you want, how you want. Learn more here.

Sign up now for budget billing: This program allows you to have a more predictable KPUB bill each month. For those on a fixed income, this is very helpful in averaging out higher seasonal bills and spreading costs. Learn more here.

FREE home energy audits: An energy audit can be a valuable tool for understanding your energy usage, utility bill and ways for you to then help reduce it. Learn more here.

KPUB’s NEW home energy calculator: This tool can break down how many kilowatt-hours your television, washing machine, dryer and HVAC unit are using. The answer might surprise you, and once armed with this information, it could make you a smarter energy customer. Learn more here.

 

Track Your Energy Usage with SmartHub

KPUB provides tools to help you monitor your energy usage by the day and even by the hour throughout your billing period.

Sign in to your SmartHub account and select the Usage tab to review your energy consumption. This can help you identify patterns, track high-usage times, and make informed adjustments to manage your bill. Learn more about SmartHub here.