Two businesses on one bill
In the parts of Texas inside the ERCOT grid where customers choose a provider, the company that sells you electricity (the retail electric provider, REP) is not the company that owns the poles and wires. The wires company is a transmission and distribution utility, or TDU. The Public Utility Commission of Texas says it sets the delivery charges for TDUs, but not the final price a REP charges. TDUs bill the REPs, and the REPs pass the charges on to you.
Because the delivery rate is set by the regulator for the delivery area, it is the same whichever REP you buy from. Shopping changes the energy and provider-fee side of the bill; it does not change the TDU's rate. Areas served by a city utility or an electric cooperative work differently, and the PUCT bill guidance does not apply to them.
The three parts of a delivery charge
The PUCT publishes residential delivery charges per month as three components: a customer charge, a metering charge and a volumetric charge per kWh. The first two are flat amounts you pay each month at any usage. The third grows with every kilowatt-hour.
| Delivery area | Customer charge | Metering charge | Per kWh (cents) | At 500 kWh | At 1,000 kWh | At 2,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Central | $1.27 | $1.97 | 5.7 | $31.83 | $60.42 | $117.59 |
| AEP North | $1.27 | $1.97 | 5.6 | $31.26 | $59.27 | $115.30 |
| CenterPoint | $2.11 | $2.79 | 6.5333 | $37.57 | $70.23 | $135.57 |
| Oncor | $1.48 | $2.58 | 6.0295 | $34.21 | $64.36 | $124.65 |
| TNMP | $1.70 | $5.86 | 7.7710 | $46.42 | $85.27 | $162.98 |
The last three columns are the PUCT's own average-bill lines for delivery alone. They follow from the first three. For Oncor at 1,000 kWh: $1.48 plus $2.58 plus 1,000 times 6.0295 cents ($60.295) is about $64.36. Delivery charges at the same usage differ by delivery area; the TNMP area is the highest at every usage level in the table, mostly because its metering and per-kWh charges are higher.
Surcharges and riders
The PUCT lists TDU surcharges that can appear as separate lines, including an advanced metering systems surcharge to recover the cost of smart meters, a competition transition charge, and an energy efficiency cost recovery factor. Surcharges include charges billed as tariff riders by the TDU. The PUCT also lists a system benefit fund line, a PUCT assessment, and sales tax. Which lines you see depends on your delivery area and your provider's bill format.
Why your plan's price may already include delivery
The PUCT says REPs may bundle all charges into one price per kWh or itemize them. That is why the rule requires the average prices on an Electricity Facts Label to reflect recurring charges, and why a plan's advertised energy rate can look lower than the average price on the label. When you compare plans, use the label's average price at your usage, which includes the recurring charges. The label guide walks through it.
Delivery charges can change under your contract
Delivery rates are reset through regulatory proceedings. Under PUCT rule 25.475, a fixed-rate plan's price may change solely to reflect actual changes in TDU charges, so your plan can move with a new delivery tariff while its energy price is locked. See the plan types guide.
A worked comparison
Take a household that uses 1,200 kWh in a month. In the Oncor area the PUCT figures give $1.48 + $2.58 + 1,200 x 6.0295 cents = $76.41 of delivery charges. In the CenterPoint area the same usage gives $2.11 + $2.79 + 1,200 x 6.5333 cents = $83.30. The gap is $6.89 for the month, and it comes entirely from where the house is. No choice of provider changes it.
The table also shows why average prices fall as use rises. At 500 kWh the Oncor delivery bill of $34.21 is 6.8 cents per kWh; at 2,000 kWh it is $124.65, or 6.2 cents per kWh. The flat customer and metering charges are spread over more kilowatt-hours, and the per-kWh charge of 6.0295 cents becomes a larger share of the total.
How much of a plan's price is delivery
At 1,000 kWh, delivery in the Oncor area is $64.36, or 6.4 cents per kWh. If a plan's Electricity Facts Label in that area showed an average price of 13.0 cents at 1,000 kWh, which is a made-up figure for the arithmetic, then about 6.6 cents of it would be everything that is not TDU delivery: the energy itself and the provider's own charges. That split is the part you are actually shopping for. It also explains why two plans in the same delivery area can differ by a cent or two per kWh while the delivery component stays identical.
Using the table
- Find your delivery area on a recent bill. It names the TDU.
- Take the per-kWh charge, multiply by your monthly kWh, and add the customer and metering charges. That is your delivery cost before surcharges and taxes.
- Subtract nothing from it for choosing a different provider: it does not change.
- To compare plans, do not add the provider's energy charge on top of this sum blindly: the average prices on an Electricity Facts Label already include recurring delivery charges at the label's usage levels. Use the delivery figure to see how much of a plan's price is not up for negotiation, and use the bill estimation guide for the whole bill.
Questions
Is the delivery charge a fee my provider adds?
No. The PUCT describes TDU delivery charges as the charge to cover the cost of moving electricity from the generation plant to your home. The TDU bills the provider and the provider passes it through, either itemized or folded into the per-kWh price.
Which delivery area am I in?
The company name on your bill's delivery line tells you. The table covers the five residential delivery areas the PUCT lists; areas served by city utilities and cooperatives are outside it.
Do these rates change?
Yes. The PUCT page is dated, and this guide uses the rates published as of 2026-10-01. When a new tariff takes effect the table changes, and a fixed-rate plan may pass the change through.
This page is general information, not advice for your situation. Rates shown are the PUCT's published figures for 2026-10-01; confirm on the PUCT page and your bill.