What the ****?! Why is my bill so high?
Ours just hit $526.08. If yours made you do a double take, you’re not alone. Let’s make sense of it.
We have September’s total. Its usage and charge details are still missing.
- Latest bill
- $526.08
- Yearly bill total
- +11.6%
- Yearly power use
- +3.9%
- More over the year
- $419.05
It wasn’t just more electricity.
Our full-year bill total rose 11.6%, while power use rose 3.9%. Weather, plan prices and delivery costs all deserve a look.
$419.05 more over the year. We compared September 2024 to August 2025 bills with September 2025 to August 2026.
Same home. Different weather.
Your A/C works harder in the heat. Electric heating can use more in the cold. A steady thermostat setting doesn’t mean steady power use.
Those averages follow the bills’ service dates at nearby DFW Airport. Weather helps explain the pattern, but doesn’t tell us which appliances used the power.
Sometimes the price changes, too.
TXU, Gexa and other providers offer different plans. Ours had variable energy prices. April’s bill was the first to show higher prices.
And what on earth is a “rider”?
Oncor’s tariff is its approved delivery price sheet. A rider changes one part of that price for a specific cost.
That might pay for moving power across the grid or running energy-saving programs. Texas regulators approve these charges.
Do riders ever go down?
Yes. Many riders charge by the kWh, so more use costs more. Some last only a short time. Rates can also fall: August 2026’s changes lowered delivery about $1.80 at 2,000 kWh, before tax.
You may not see each rider on your bill. Ours folds them into “Oncor TDU Delivery Charges.” They’re already in that amount, so don’t add them again. Rate details ↗
ERCOT keeps the grid in balance.
Think of ERCOT as the grid’s traffic controller. It watches how much electricity people need and coordinates power plants and batteries to meet that demand.
So how does that affect the price?
ERCOT also runs the wholesale power market, where companies buy and sell electricity. When demand climbs or supply gets tight, prices can rise.
Providers can buy power ahead of time to manage those swings. Your plan sets how those costs reach you.
- Fixed-rate plan: Your agreed energy price generally stays steady for the term. More power use or changing delivery charges can still raise your bill.
- Variable-rate plan: The provider can change the energy price under your plan’s terms. It doesn’t necessarily follow ERCOT prices hour by hour.
Our TXU Flex Saver bills explicitly call the energy price variable. April’s prices rose, but the bills don’t tell us why TXU changed them.
Sources for this explanation
ERCOT explains wholesale markets and buying power ahead of time. Its real-time market overview covers how it coordinates supply. TXU explains fixed and variable plans. Our April and August 2026 invoices identify the variable price on page 2.
Start with three things.
Compare your power use, plan prices and delivery charges. Then look across the seasons before switching. One mild month can hide an expensive summer or winter.
Want to see the numbers?
The bills, local temperatures and rate changes are here whenever you want a closer look.
Explore the calendar, bills and weather
September 2026
The $526.08 total is confirmed. We still need the service dates, usage and charge details to explain that increase.
Open the daily calendar and dated updates (0)
Weather: NOAA daily records at DFW Airport. Checked September 19, 2026.
How do the weather averages work?
We average each day’s high and low, then average those values across the full period. Bill periods include the start date and exclude the meter-read end date. DFW Airport is a nearby station, not a reading at the home. Averages can hide short cold snaps or heat waves. See NWS monthly averages.
See the full-year comparison
September 2024 to August 2025 bills totaled $3,617.22. September 2025 to August 2026 totaled $4,036.27.
- Energy, from different use at old prices
- +$103.50
- Energy, from higher April to August prices
- +$111.08
- Delivery, including use and rate changes
- +$218.37
- Taxes and other charges, net change
- −$13.90
- Total increase
- +$419.05
Energy comparisons hold the old tier prices steady, then price the same use at the new prices. This is not a weather-adjusted comparison. Base charges and bill credits stayed the same.
The earlier bills cover August 6, 2024 to August 6, 2025: 365 days and 26,792 kWh. The later bills cover August 6, 2025 to August 5, 2026: 364 days and 27,839 kWh. September 2026 is separate because its charge details are missing.
What changed in ERCOT’s market?
Across calendar 2025, all-in real-time power costs rose 13.8% from 2024. The market monitor linked higher energy costs to a 61% rise in its natural-gas price index.
Other costs moved down. Backup-service cost per MWh fell 60%, and price spikes happened 40% less often. Extra supply helped limit those spikes.
These are wholesale market measures, not changes to a household rate. Providers can buy power ahead of time. Independent market monitor, pages 1 to 3 ↗
Read the tariff details and sources
A high bill is stressful, especially when you haven’t changed much at home. If your TXU, Gexa, or other provider’s bill surprised you, start with three things: power use, energy price, and delivery charges.
We looked at our founder’s TXU Energy Flex Saver bills in Oncor’s area, from July 2024 through September 2026. Your plan may work differently, but the same checks can help you see what changed.
What do my provider, Oncor, and ERCOT each do?
Your electricity provider
Companies such as TXU and Gexa sell you electricity and send your bill. Your plan sets your energy prices, fees, and credits.
Oncor
Oncor runs the poles, wires, and meters in its area. Delivery charges help pay for that service. Texas regulators approve its delivery rates.
ERCOT
ERCOT helps keep power supply and demand in balance. It runs the markets where companies buy and sell power. It doesn’t own the power lines or set your plan’s price.
Does an ERCOT price spike go straight onto my bill?
Not always. The price companies pay for power is different from the price in your contract. Providers can buy power ahead of time. Your plan’s terms determine how price changes affect you.
These bills don’t tell us that an ERCOT price spike caused a change in this home’s energy price. Read our explanation of ERCOT’s role above.
The delivery rates below are for homes served by Oncor. Other areas have different rates. See how Texas electricity works.
What did our bills look like?
The latest full comparison uses bills from September 2025 through August 2026, against September 2024 through August 2025. The calendar also includes July and August 2024, plus September 2026’s summary. A kilowatt-hour, or kWh, is the unit your bill uses to count electricity use.
We use each bill’s “current charges,” which include that period’s taxes and credits. Old balances and payments don’t count toward this total.
Why did some months cost more?
January to February
We used more power at the same energy prices.
Use rose from 2,189 to 3,023 kWh, about 38%. The bill went from $298.69 to $438.10.
The plan’s energy prices stayed at 10.2¢, 5.1¢, and 10.7¢ per kWh. Delivery also cost more because we used more power.
Electric heating can raise winter use. These bills don’t tell us which appliances caused the increase in this home.
March to April
The plan’s energy prices went up.
April’s bill is the first with higher prices: 11.3¢, 5.7¢, and 11.9¢ per kWh.
This plan charges one price for the first 1,200 kWh, another for the next 800, and another above 2,000. These prices cover energy only. Delivery and taxes come later.
At April’s same 2,010 kWh, the new prices add $18.12 before tax compared with the old ones.
This home had a variable-price plan. These prices don’t apply to every TXU customer or to Gexa customers.
May to June
We used more power, and delivery rates changed.
Use rose from 1,857 to 2,413 kWh, about 30%. The Oncor line went from $108.56 to $151.73.
To see the rate change alone, hold use steady at 2,000 kWh. Delivery would rise from about $116.60 to $126.45, before tax.
So the $43.17 increase on our bill wasn’t all a rate increase. Part of it came from using more power.
What are tariffs and riders?
A tariff is the approved price sheet and rules for delivery. Here, it has nothing to do with import taxes.
A rider is a change to that price sheet for a certain cost. It can add a charge or lower one. Some apply only in certain months.
When did Oncor’s rates change?
Here are the dates in Oncor’s price sheets. Each dollar example uses 2,000 kWh and leaves out taxes. Your bill may cover days before and after a change.
The charge for moving power across the grid rose.
The transmission rider went from 1.8796¢ to 2.3580¢ per kWh. That adds $9.57 at 2,000 kWh. Source: TCRF, page 97.
One charge applied for December. Another went away.
The mobile-generation rider added 0.1027¢ per kWh, or $2.05. It applies in December only.
The nuclear-decommissioning rider dropped from 0.0199¢ per kWh to zero on December 15. Sources: pages 95 and 107, and the earlier rate sheet.
The charge for energy-saving programs rose.
The efficiency rider went from 0.1137¢ to 0.1487¢ per kWh. That adds 70¢ at 2,000 kWh. Source: EECRF, page 101.
Oncor changed its base delivery rates.
The distribution rate rose from 2.5344¢ to 3.6043¢ per kWh. A separate distribution rider dropped from 0.5772¢ to zero.
The fixed monthly charges dropped from $4.23 to $4.06. The rate-case expense rider became 0.0086¢ per kWh. Sources: earlier page 67 and current pages 67, 105, and 106.
Two changes lowered the combined rate.
The transmission rider dropped from 2.3580¢ to 1.9046¢ per kWh. A temporary surcharge added 0.3633¢ per kWh through December 2026.
Together, those changes reduce delivery by $1.80 at 2,000 kWh. Sources: pages 98 and 108.
What do these charges help pay for?
Transmission moves power across the wider grid. Distribution brings it through the local network to homes. The efficiency rider pays for energy-saving programs.
The temporary surcharge collects an approved difference between earlier rates and new rates. Costs can also move from a rider into base rates. A smaller rider doesn’t always mean a smaller bill.
Our bills show one combined Oncor line. They don’t list each rider, so we can’t split every delivery dollar into its exact parts.
Is Oncor delivery about 6 cents per kWh now?
Yes, based on the residential price sheet we checked on September 19, 2026. We calculate $4.06 a month plus 6.0295¢ per kWh.
At 2,000 kWh, that comes to about $124.65 for delivery, before tax. Your energy charges are separate. See Oncor’s price sheet.
Show me the math
Add these per-kWh charges in dollars: 0.036043 for distribution, 0.019046 for transmission, 0.001487 for efficiency, 0.000086 for rate-case expense, and 0.003633 for the temporary surcharge.
That comes to $0.060295 per kWh. The customer and meter charges add $1.48 + $2.58 = $4.06 each month.
$4.06 + (2,000 × $0.060295) = $124.65.
The nuclear-decommissioning and separate distribution riders are zero in this schedule. The December-only mobile-generation rider doesn’t apply to this September example.
Billing dates and rounding can affect the final amount.
September’s $526.08 current charges are confirmed, but that PDF has no charge breakdown. Today’s rate also won’t explain every older bill.
What should I check on my bill?
- Check your kWh and the number of days. Did you use more power, or did this bill cover more days?
- Check your plan’s energy prices and credits. Did a price change or a credit stop? A plan’s advertised average price may not match your use.
- Check the delivery line. More power use raises delivery costs, even at the same rate. Oncor rate changes can affect customers across providers.
- Compare costs across the year before switching. Include summer cooling, winter heating, credit rules, and any fee for leaving your current plan.
A cheap mild-weather month doesn’t tell you what a plan will cost in February or August. Your Electricity Facts Label is your plan’s price sheet. Read it alongside your bill and the delivery rates for that period.
Sources and how we checked the numbers
We reconciled 26 complete TXU invoices from July 2024 through August 2026. Energy, base charge, delivery, taxes, other charges and credits add up to each bill’s current charges. September 2026 has only a summary page.
Each bill includes a $9.95 TXU base charge and a $30 credit. February 2026 also includes a $0.55 tax credit. March and April 2025 contain $16.77 and $9.95 in other charges. The April comparison uses both sets of energy prices at the same 2,010 kWh.
The rate changes come from Oncor’s official tariff page and the linked residential price sheets. The role explanations come from Oncor and ERCOT.
We don’t have your bills or know your plan’s terms. This example can help explain what to check, but it doesn’t predict your costs or savings.
The original bills stay private. We have left out the address, account numbers, and meter details.