Updated October 27, 2026. This article first said the August 1, 2026 changes raised a 1,000 kWh Oncor bill by $2.73. That figure added Rider IS on top of a delivery rate that already included it. The August 1 change was actually a net decrease of about $0.90. The article now covers the larger October 4, 2026 increase.

If you live in Oncor's service area, which covers Dallas-Fort Worth and much of North and Central Texas, your delivery charges went up on October 4, 2026. For bills rendered on or after that date, Oncor's residential delivery charge rose from 6.0295 cents to 6.8673 cents per kWh (as of October 4, 2026). At 1,000 kWh a month, that's about $8.38 more, taking the delivery side of a typical bill to $72.73.

These are temporary rates. The Public Utility Commission of Texas hasn't issued a final order in the case yet, so the amounts can still be reconciled up or down. Here's what changed, why, how to check it on your own bill, and what you can and can't do about it.

Key takeaways

• On October 4, 2026, Oncor's residential delivery charge rose by 0.8378 cents per kWh, from 6.0295 to 6.8673 cents (as of October 4, 2026). That's about $8.38 a month at 1,000 kWh.
• Two riders moved. The Distribution Cost Recovery Factor (DCRF) went from zero to 0.5755 cents per kWh, and the Transmission Cost Recovery Factor (TCRF) rose from 1.9046 to 2.1669 cents per kWh.
• The new rates come from Oncor's Unified Tracker Mechanism case, PUCT Docket 59249. As of October 27, 2026 there's no final order, so they're temporary and subject to reconciliation.
• The fixed charges didn't change. You still pay $1.48 for the customer charge and $2.58 for metering, $4.06 a month combined.
• Every Retail Electric Provider in Oncor's territory bills the same delivery charges. Switching providers won't avoid them. What you can shop is the energy charge and the plan structure.

Did Oncor increase delivery charges in October 2026?

Yes. Oncor put new rates into effect on a temporary basis for bills rendered on and after October 4, 2026, under its August 20, 2026 notice to the PUCT in Docket 59249. Here's what the change does to the Oncor delivery portion of a residential bill.

Delivery charges only, as of October 4, 2026. The earlier column matches the PUCT's monthly Oncor rate report as of October 1, 2026. Rows can be a cent off when you subtract them yourself because each figure is rounded to the cent. Your energy charge from your provider is separate.

If your bill hasn't moved yet, check its date. The new rates apply to bills rendered on or after October 4, 2026, so a bill dated before then still shows the old rate. Your first bill at the new rate is the first one dated October 4 or later.

The Three-Line Reconciliation: how to check the math on your own bill

You only need three numbers to see exactly what the October 4 change costs your household.

1. Oncor's residential delivery charge before October 4: 6.0295 cents ($0.060295) per kWh.
2. Oncor's residential delivery charge from October 4: 6.8673 cents ($0.068673) per kWh.
3. Your monthly kilowatt-hour usage, from the meter read on your bill.

Multiply your usage by both rates and subtract. Or take the shortcut: multiply your usage by 0.8378 cents. At 1,000 kWh that's $8.38. At 1,500 kWh it's about $12.57. At 750 kWh it's about $6.28. The $4.06 in fixed charges is the same before and after.

The key rule when you do this yourself: the new total equals the old published total plus the change. Don't add a rider's full amount on top of a total that already includes it. That's the exact mistake the first version of this article made with Rider IS in August.

What's inside the 6.8673 cents

Oncor's residential delivery charge isn't one rate. It's a base distribution charge plus a stack of riders, each approved separately at the PUCT. Here's the full residential stack from Oncor's Tariff for Retail Delivery Service, before and after October 4, 2026.

Rates as of October 4, 2026. Add the $4.06 in monthly fixed charges to get your delivery total.

Only two lines moved. The DCRF covers Oncor's investment in local distribution wires, poles and transformers between rate cases. It was reset to zero on June 1, 2026, when Oncor's new base rates took effect, and the October 4 update starts it again at 0.5755 cents. The TCRF covers high-voltage transmission lines across the ERCOT grid, and it rose 0.2623 cents.

What is Oncor's Unified Tracker Mechanism?

Texas utilities have typically updated their distribution and transmission cost recovery in separate filings. Under Section 36.216 of the Public Utility Regulatory Act, a utility can now file one annual proceeding that adjusts those trackers together on a system-wide basis. Oncor calls its version the Unified Tracker Mechanism, or UTM.

Oncor filed its UTM application on April 22, 2026, in PUCT Docket 59249. The filing combines updates to the DCRF, interim transmission cost of service and the TCRF, and the DCRF portion includes deferred costs from Oncor's System Resiliency Plan. In its May 7, 2026 first-quarter results release, Oncor said the request covers about $4.4 billion in transmission and distribution investment made during 2025 and would add about $550 million in net revenue.

On August 20, 2026, Oncor told the PUCT it had met the law's notice requirements and would put its requested rates into effect on a temporary basis on October 4, 2026. As of October 27, 2026, no final order has been issued. When one comes, any difference between the temporary rates and the approved ones gets reconciled.

Why Oncor's $3.85 estimate doesn't match the $8.38

If you read news coverage of the filing, you may have seen a smaller number. In that same May 7 release, Oncor estimated the request would add about $3.85 a month for a residential customer using 1,000 kWh, "over current rates."

The two figures start from different places. Oncor's estimate was measured against the rates in effect in spring 2026, before new base rates took effect on June 1 and reset the DCRF to zero, and before the August 1 transmission update. The $8.38 in this article compares the rates on your bills from August 1 to October 3 with the rates in effect since October 4, read straight from Oncor's tariff sheets. If you're comparing your September and October bills, $8.38 at 1,000 kWh is the number that matches what you'll see.

What really happened on August 1, 2026

Two things changed on August 1, and they moved in opposite directions. Effective August 1, 2026, the TCRF fell from 2.3580 to 1.9046 cents per kWh, a cut of 0.4534 cents. On the same day, Rider IS started at 0.3633 cents per kWh. Net, Oncor's residential delivery charge went from 6.1196 cents in July to 6.0295 cents in August.

So at 1,000 kWh, the Oncor side of your bill went down about $0.90, from $65.26 to $64.36. Rider IS was already inside that lower August rate. Against July, the October 4 rates put a 1,000 kWh delivery bill roughly $7.50 higher.

What is Rider IS, and when does it end?

Rider IS, short for Interim Surcharge, came out of Oncor's last full base-rate case, PUCT Docket 58306. Oncor filed that case on June 26, 2025, asking for about $834 million in additional annual revenue, according to Oncor. The PUCT approved a settlement on April 17, 2026 for a $560 million increase, more than 30 percent below the original ask, according to the Texas Coalition for Affordable Power. The new base rates took effect June 1, 2026.

Oncor billed the old rates from January through May while the case was pending. Rider IS recovers the difference between those rates and the newly approved ones. For residential customers it's 0.3633 cents per kWh (as of October 27, 2026), which Oncor's second-quarter 2026 results release put at about $3.63 a month at 1,000 kWh. The tariff sets the approved recovery amount at $168,470,954.

Under Oncor's tariff, Rider IS stays in effect through December 2026. Any over- or under-recovery is reconciled in a later proceeding. Across August through December, it adds about $18 in total at 1,000 kWh a month and about $27 at 1,500 kWh.

One more December item to know about: Oncor's Mobile Generation rider applies only in December each year. In December 2025 it was 0.1027 cents per kWh, about $1.03 at 1,000 kWh. Oncor hadn't published the December 2026 amount as of October 27, 2026.

What changed for small businesses

Commercial rate classes moved too, by different amounts. For secondary service at 10 kW or below, the TCRF fell from 1.6974 to 1.3382 cents per kWh while the new DCRF added 0.6208 cents. Net, that's an increase of 0.2616 cents per kWh, or about $2.62 per 1,000 kWh (as of October 4, 2026).

Above 10 kW, both riders are billed per kW of demand. The new DCRF for secondary service above 10 kW is $1.068522 per billing kW. Rider IS also continues through December at the commercial rates set in the tariff:

• Secondary service at 10 kW or below: $0.002878 per kWh.
• Secondary service above 10 kW: $0.997891 per billing kW.
• Primary service at 10 kW or below: $0.059827 per kWh.
• Primary service above 10 kW: $0.908924 per billing kW.
• Primary substation: $0.130513 per billing kW.
• Lighting service: $0.048697 per kWh.

If you run a small business in Oncor's territory, run your last bill through your rate class to size the change before your next renewal window opens. If you're shopping for that renewal now, you can request plan options for your business.

Can you avoid Oncor delivery charges by switching providers?

No. It's the most misunderstood part of the Texas deregulated market, so it's worth saying plainly. Every Retail Electric Provider in Oncor's territory bills the exact same delivery charges, including the October 4 DCRF and TCRF and Rider IS. Switching doesn't remove them, hide them or discount them. A provider can show them line by line, roll them into an all-in rate or fold them into a bill message. The dollars are the same either way.

What you can shop is the energy charge, the plan structure and how monthly base fees fit your usage. If you use a lot, a lower per-kWh energy charge can outweigh a slightly higher base fee. If you use less, the opposite often holds. Compare plans by reading the Electricity Facts Label at your typical usage, not the marketing headline. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see How to Read Your Texas Electricity Facts Label. For every TDU line item on a Texas bill, see TDU Delivery Charges Explained, and for how Houston's utility compares, see CenterPoint delivery charges and your Houston bill.

What Texas households can actually control this fall

Because the delivery change is fixed and universal, the parts of your bill worth your attention are the parts you choose.

• Your usage. Delivery is mostly billed per kWh, so every kWh you don't use saves about 6.87 cents in Oncor delivery alone (as of October 4, 2026), before your energy charge.
• Your plan type. Fixed-rate plans lock the energy charge for a term. Variable-rate plans move with the market. For the forward-curve read, see Should Texans Lock In a Fixed-Rate Electricity Plan This August.
• Your contract length. Longer terms usually price lower per kWh but cost flexibility, and early termination fees vary by plan.
• Your usage pattern. If your household runs heavy loads in specific windows, a free-nights or free-weekends plan can win the math, but only when the daytime rate is competitive. See TXU Free Nights and Weekends vs Ambit Free and Clear Nights for the break-even work.
• Your Electricity Facts Label. Read all six numbers at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 kWh. A plan that looks good at 2,000 kWh can look bad at 500 kWh, and the reverse.

Ambit Energy plan details, availability, and pricing vary. Rates and terms shown are as of publication and subject to change. See the current Electricity Facts Label for full terms and check pricing as of your enrollment date. Enrollment is subject to credit approval and plan availability. Earnings vary and are not guaranteed. Average earnings and savings depend on individual usage, plan selection, and market conditions.

Frequently asked questions

Did Oncor increase delivery charges in 2026?

Yes. On October 4, 2026, Oncor's residential delivery charge rose from 6.0295 to 6.8673 cents per kWh on a temporary basis (as of October 4, 2026). At 1,000 kWh, that's about $8.38 more a month, for a delivery total of $72.73.

Why did Oncor delivery charges go up on October 4, 2026?

Oncor's Unified Tracker Mechanism case, PUCT Docket 59249, updates the riders that recover its distribution and transmission investment. The DCRF went from zero to 0.5755 cents per kWh and the TCRF rose from 1.9046 to 2.1669 cents per kWh.

Are the October 4 Oncor rates final?

No. As of October 27, 2026, the PUCT hasn't issued a final order in Docket 59249. The rates are temporary, and any difference from the final approved rates will be reconciled.

Did Oncor's delivery charge go up or down on August 1, 2026?

Down, slightly. Effective August 1, 2026, the TCRF dropped by 0.4534 cents per kWh and Rider IS added 0.3633 cents, so the residential rate fell from 6.1196 to 6.0295 cents. That's about $0.90 less at 1,000 kWh.

When does the Oncor interim surcharge end?

Rider IS stays in effect through December 2026, according to Oncor's tariff. Any over- or under-recovery is reconciled in a later proceeding.

Can I avoid Oncor delivery charges?

Not by switching providers. Every Retail Electric Provider in Oncor's territory passes through the same delivery charges. You can lower them only by using fewer kWh, and you can shop the energy charge, base fees and plan terms.

Does this apply to small businesses too?

Yes, with different amounts by rate class. For secondary service at 10 kW or below, the net change is about 0.2616 cents per kWh (as of October 4, 2026). Above 10 kW, the riders are billed per kW of demand.

Where can I read the source documents?

The UTM case is Docket 59249 on the PUCT Interchange, and the temporary tariff sheets are in item 105. The base-rate case is Docket 58306. The PUCT publishes a monthly TDU rate report, and Oncor posts its retail delivery tariff on its regulatory page.