Texas TDU Delivery Rates

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Live TDU delivery rates from Light’s plan rate sheets. These charges appear on every Texas electricity bill regardless of which retailer you choose.

Frequently asked questions

What is a TDU delivery charge?

The TDU delivery charge is what your local utility company (Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP, TNMP, or Lubbock P&L) bills for using their poles, wires, transformers, and meter to deliver electricity to your home. It has two components: a variable rate measured in cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), applied to every kWh you import from the grid, and a fixed monthly base fee charged regardless of usage. The rates are set by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and are the same regardless of which retail electricity provider you choose.

Why am I charged twice on my Texas electricity bill?

Every Texas electricity bill in the deregulated market has two separate charges by design: energy charges from your retail electricity provider (the company you signed up with, like TXU, Reliant, or Meter) and delivery charges from your TDU (Oncor, CenterPoint, etc.). The retailer charges you for the electricity itself; the TDU charges for delivering it through their wires. The retailer collects both and remits the delivery portion to the TDU. Some retailers bundle the two into one rate to make it look simpler, but the underlying charge structure is the same.

Are TDU delivery rates the same for every retailer?

Yes. TDU rates are set by the PUCT and apply uniformly to every customer in a given TDU territory regardless of which retailer they chose. This is why tools comparing electricity plans must include TDU rates: a plan that quotes only the energy rate without delivery is missing $30 to $50 a month of real cost.

Can I avoid TDU charges by switching providers?

No. TDU charges are unavoidable as long as you have grid-connected electricity service at your address; they pay for the physical infrastructure delivering power to your home. Switching retailers changes only the energy charge component. The only way to reduce TDU charges is to import less from the grid (e.g., with rooftop solar plus a battery), since the variable rate is per kWh.

Why do TDU delivery rates change?

TDU rates change when the PUCT approves a new tariff filing, typically driven by infrastructure investment, weather-related repairs, or fuel-cost adjustments. Rates are reviewed periodically and updated through formal regulatory proceedings. Major events like Winter Storm Uri in February 2021 can trigger one-time charges that get recovered through the delivery rate over a multi-year period.

Who sets TDU rates in Texas?

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) sets TDU delivery rates through a formal regulatory process. TDUs file rate cases with the PUCT, which then reviews the proposed rates, holds hearings, and issues a final order setting the approved tariff. The full delivery rate book for each TDU is published by the PUCT and applies uniformly to all customers in that TDU territory.

What's the difference between energy charges and delivery charges?

Energy charges are what your retailer bills you for the electricity itself (¢ per kWh × kWh used). That rate varies between retailers and plans. Delivery charges are what the TDU bills for getting the electricity from the grid to your meter (a different ¢ per kWh + a fixed monthly base fee). That rate is set by the PUCT and is identical for every customer in the same TDU territory.

Use it from your app

Same data, available as a JSON API. Omit utilityCode to return all six TDUs.

curl -X POST https://meterplan.com/api/v1/get-tdu-delivery-rates \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"utilityCode": "ONCOR"}'

MCP tool name: get_tdu_delivery_rates

Inputs

• utilityCodeenum<ONCOR | CNP | AEP_CENTRAL | AEP_NORTH | TNMP | LPPL>

  Optional utility code to filter to a single TDU. Omit to return rates for all six. Use `get_utility_for_zip` if you have a ZIP and need the code.

Outputs

• fetchedAtstring

  ISO 8601 timestamp when the rates were fetched from Light.

• ratesarray<object>

  Per-TDU delivery rates. One entry per utility, ordered ONCOR → CNP → AEP_CENTRAL → AEP_NORTH → TNMP → LPPL. Filtered to the requested utility if `utilityCode` was provided.

Related tools

• Texas TDU Lookup by ZIP

  Resolve any Texas residential ZIP code to its Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU): Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas Central, AEP Texas North, TNMP, or Lubbock Power & Light. Returns the canonical utility code, full display name, short name, and whether the ZIP is in a deregulated retail electric market. Backed by Light API's eligibility check (private API made public via this tool).

• Texas ESI ID Lookup by Address

  Find the Texas Electric Service Identifier (ESI ID) for any residential address. Required for solar enrollment, plan switching, Smart Meter Texas data access, and TDU coordination. Returns ESI ID, formatted address, serving utility (Oncor / CenterPoint / AEP / TNMP / LPPL), and a confidence indicator. Backed by Light API's address-search endpoint (private API made public via this tool).

• Plan Cost Calculator

  Low-level Texas electricity bill calculator. Computes the exact monthly and annual bill given a fully-specified plan rate sheet (energy rate, solar buyback, base fee, TDU delivery rate, TDU monthly fee) and a home's usage profile. For ZIP-based lookups that fetch plan rates and TDU charges automatically, use `quote-meter-plan`.