El Paso Electric: rates, outages and why you can’t switch

No. No other company can sell power in El Paso Electric’s Texas area. That’s why Power to Choose doesn’t list plans for these homes. Instead, the state sets El Paso Electric’s rates. They change only when regulators approve a new rate or fuel costs move.

The state okayed an increase in February 2026, and the new rates are on bills now. El Paso Electric says a typical home pays about $13 more a month, depending on use. The City of El Paso estimated about $13.71. The company first asked for an increase of about $22.39 a month.

It’s already in effect. Regulators approved it on February 20, 2026, and El Paso Electric says the new rates took effect on or after May 1, 2026. The City of El Paso had asked regulators to rehear parts of the decision in March 2026.

Texas customers can call El Paso Electric’s trouble and outage line at (915) 877-3400, any time. You can also check its online outage map to see if your outage is known. New Mexico customers call (575) 523-7591. Call 911 first for downed lines.

For Texas customer service, call (915) 543-5970, Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There’s also a support line at (915) 543-5711. For outages, use the separate trouble line at (915) 877-3400, which works around the clock. Have your account number ready when you call.

El Paso Electric serves about 357,000 customers in Texas. That number comes from a state filing. It also serves part of New Mexico, like Las Cruces. That state has its own rules. Its Texas customers can’t pick another company, so it’s the only choice.

El Paso Electric says the average Texas home pays about $140 a month in summer, from June to September. Summer bills run highest because of air conditioning. The 2026 increase adds about $13 a month for a typical home, the company says.

The standard home rate is $13.71 a month, plus 13.247 cents per kWh for the first 600 kWh in summer (May to October) and 14.247 cents above that. Other months cost 11.247 cents per kWh. Fuel, other charges and taxes come on top.

It depends on when you applied. Solar homes that applied before December 17, 2017, are grandfathered for 20 years. Most others now pay a monthly demand charge that replaced the old $30 minimum bill in May 2026. A solar advocate says it averages $28.50 to $47.50.

The city argued the request was too high and unfair to homes. It said El Paso Electric wanted more than double what it sought in 2021. The city says its work in El Paso Electric’s last six rate cases saved customers about $189 million.

Mail payments to El Paso Electric, P.O. Box 660380, Dallas, Texas 75266-0380. Other mail goes to P.O. Box 982, El Paso, Texas 79960. Or send an email to customercare@epelectric.com. El Paso Electric says it answers within two business days. Write your account number on your check.

Not the open retail market. In most of Texas, you choose a provider and a wires company delivers the power. In El Paso Electric’s Texas area, one company does it all. No one else can sell power to homes there. Your bill changes only when the state approves it.

Barely. El Paso Electric said about 3,000 customers lost power during Winter Storm Uri, and a third of them for under five minutes. Millions of other Texans lost power for days. El Paso runs on a western grid, not the main Texas grid.