"Switch and save" does not apply to Bluebonnet members.
Most Texas energy guides tell you to shop suppliers on Power to Choose. That works for the roughly 85% of Texans inside the deregulated retail market.
Bluebonnet members are not in that market. When the Texas Legislature passed the Public Utility Regulatory Act in 1999, electric cooperatives were given the option to opt in to retail competition. Bluebonnet, like most of the roughly 76 cooperatives in Texas, opted to stay regulated by its own member-elected board.
So your rate is not set by a REP competing for your business. It is set by the cooperative's board of directors, approved at the annual meeting, and applied to every member equally. There is no plan to switch to.
How a Bluebonnet bill is built.
Three buckets. All three are set by the board, not by an outside supplier. Together they form your monthly bill.
Bucket 1
Energy charge
Covers the cooperative's wires, poles, transformers, billing and crew. Currently 3.3047¢/kWh. Set by the board.
Bucket 2
Wholesale power
The bulk power the cooperative buys from generators. Currently 5.8936¢/kWh, plus a Power Cost Recovery Factor (about 0.40¢/kWh) that adjusts monthly.
Bucket 3
Customer charge
A flat $22.50/month service availability fee. It covers the meter, the line to your house and account servicing. You pay it even if you use zero kWh.
All three buckets are voted on by member-elected directors at the cooperative's annual meeting. Members can attend, vote and run for the board.
Every Bluebonnet line item, decoded.
The names on a cooperative bill differ from a Power to Choose plan. Here is what each line really means and who sets it.
| Line on your bill | Current rate | What it really is | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluebonnet energy charge | 3.3047¢/kWh | Distribution and operating cost | Member-elected board |
| Wholesale power cost | 5.8936¢/kWh | Bulk power bought from generators | Wholesale supply contract |
| Power Cost Recovery Factor (PCRF) | ~0.40¢/kWh | Monthly true-up for wholesale swings | Wholesale market + board |
| Service availability charge | $22.50/month | Meter, service drop, billing | Member-elected board |
| Optional renewable energy | +0.50¢/kWh | Adder for green-power option | Voluntary opt-in |
| City franchise fee | Varies | Local municipal fee where applicable | Municipality |
All rates per the cooperative's June 2023 tariff filing. PCRF is a moving number and is the most volatile line item on the bill.
Texas coop members pay ~23% less per kWh than the TX average.
The Texas residential average runs 14.92¢/kWh (EIA Electric Power Monthly, March 2026 YTD). Most Texas cooperatives average around 11-12¢/kWh.
At 1,176 kWh per month, a Bluebonnet bill works out to roughly 11.49¢/kWh all-in (energy + wholesale + PCRF + customer charge, divided by usage).
There is also a hidden second discount: capital credits. Because the cooperative has no shareholders, any revenue above costs gets credited back to members in proportion to bills paid. Bluebonnet has returned capital credits to members in past years, paid out as a check or bill credit.
Bluebonnet, all-in, at typical TX usage
How your Bluebonnet rate is actually set.
A cooperative does not file with the Texas PUCT the way an IOU does. Four moving parts decide your bill.
Member-elected board
Seven directors elected by members from defined districts. They vote on the rate, the budget and the capital-credit retirement schedule each year.
General manager and staff
The general manager runs day-to-day operations. Staff prepares the budget the board votes on, including the energy charge that funds wires, trucks and crew.
Annual budget and capital plan
Set every year, with hearings open to members. Big-ticket items like substation upgrades or wildfire hardening can move the energy charge in either direction.
Wholesale supplier + ERCOT
Bluebonnet buys bulk power through long-term contracts and the ERCOT market. The PCRF passes those swings through monthly. ERCOT's System-Wide Offer Cap is $5,000/MWh, which is why the PCRF can move sharply after a scarcity event.
Annual meetings are open to all members. The bylaws, board agenda and audited financials are all member-visible documents.
How Bluebonnet members quietly overpay.
Five patterns we see often. Each costs real money. Each is fixable inside the cooperative model.
Reporting a Bluebonnet outage.
Bluebonnet runs a 24/7 outage line at 800-949-4414. The automated system locates you by phone number on file, so call from the line you registered with the cooperative.
You can also report online at bluebonnet.coop/Report-Outage, through the MyBluebonnet app, or by logging in to SmartHub.
For storm prep: keep a battery-powered radio, sign up for outage text alerts in SmartHub, and report downed lines immediately. Never approach a downed line.
What to actually do as a Bluebonnet member.
Register for SmartHub
Free account at bluebonnet.smarthub.coop. Auto-pay, paperless billing, usage graphs and outage alerts.
Confirm your service area
Use the Bluebonnet service area map to check whether your address is inside the cooperative footprint.
Sign up to start service
Need name, date of birth, driver's license, SSN, meter or pole number, and a copy of your lease if you rent.
Apply for assistance
Federal LIHEAP in Texas runs through CEAP at TDHCA.
Vote at the annual meeting
It is the only direct say members have in setting the rate. Watch your mail for the notice each spring.
Update your contact info
Outage detection routes by the phone number on file. Email [email protected] or call 800-842-7708.
Common questions about Bluebonnet Electric.
Customer service: 800-842-7708, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central. After hours an automated system can take outage reports and routine payments. The outage line at 800-949-4414 is staffed 24/7. Email: [email protected].
Because Bluebonnet is a member-owned cooperative that opted out of retail electric competition in 1999. About 85% of Texans live in deregulated areas served by IOUs and can use Power to Choose. Bluebonnet, like most Texas cooperatives and municipal utilities, is exempt under the Public Utility Regulatory Act. Your rate is set by the cooperative board, voted on annually by members.
14 Central Texas counties: Austin, Bastrop, Burleson, Caldwell, Colorado, Fayette, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hays, Lavaca, Lee, Travis, Washington and Williamson. Member service centers are in Bastrop, Brenham (2401 U.S. 290 W., 77833), Giddings, Lockhart and Manor.
Three ways. Call 800-949-4414 (24/7 automated). Use the online form at bluebonnet.coop/Report-Outage. Or report from the MyBluebonnet app or SmartHub. For downed lines or a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.
Five options. Auto-pay through SmartHub. One-time online payment in SmartHub. MyBluebonnet app on iOS or Android. Phone at 800-842-7708. By mail to Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, P.O. Box 240, Giddings, TX 78942 (send at least 5 days before the due date).
The seven-member board, elected by Bluebonnet members from defined districts, votes on the rate each year. Current components: 3.3047¢/kWh energy charge, 5.8936¢/kWh wholesale power, a Power Cost Recovery Factor that varies each month (around 0.40¢/kWh), and a $22.50 monthly customer charge. The board approves the budget, the energy charge and the capital-credit retirement schedule annually.
More U.S. states with energy choice
Same playbook, different utility. Pick another deregulated state to compare utilities, suppliers and switching rules.
