Key Accounts FAQs
Our Customer Service Office and Payment Center are located at 1425 Robinhood Drive.
We are open for walk-in customers Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Our drive-thru windows are open Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
You can send mail to the following address:
Brownsville Public Utilities Board
P.O. Box 3270
Brownsville, TX 78523-3270
For a commercial account to request connection, we need the following:
- Service Address
- Name of Company and Contact Information
- Corporate Documents (Operating Agreement, Partnership Agreement, etc.
- Warranty Deed
- Federal Tax ID Number
- Address Letter
- If new connection, Electrical permit
Commercial and residential customers should call the Customer Service Department at (956) 983-6121. A member of our team will look into the problem and respond in a prompt manner.
Electric service boundaries are established by the Public Utilities Commission of Texas. The PUCT has certified BPUB to provide electric service to most parts of the city. However, small pockets do exist on the north side of the city where BPUB cannot legally provide electricity.
To learn if your business is within BPUB’s service territory, contact the Business Development Representative at (956) 983-6287.
Brownsville has been divided into several different electric certification areas by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. There are many areas of Brownsville that are certified for more than one utility, which gives some customers the opportunity to choose their electric provider. So, although BPUB has not opted into deregulation, competition exists. To learn if your area is open to choice, please contact a Business Development Representative at (956) 983-6287.
In the event of a power outage, commercial customers can contact a Key Account Representative. Key Accounts team members are on-call, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are in constant contact with our Energy Control Operators and can dispatch someone immediately.
Residential customers can contact our Energy Control Operators 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling (956) 983-6300.
Once the power goes out, shut down motor operated and electronic equipment, but leave an incandescent light on to indicate when the power is back on. Carefully start equipment after the power has returned. This will help prevent damaging power supplies and other components.
Using a surge protector can also prevent the possibility of damage. If possible, unplug equipment to ensure protection.
Month-to-month changes in your electric bill are the result of changes in your consumption and variations in fuel costs. BPUB, like all utilities, collects its fuel expenses via a fuel charge on customer’s bills. The fuel charge changes every month depending on market prices for natural gas and coal. To minimize the impact on your bottom line, BPUB manages its portfolio of energy sources to keep fuel expenses as low as possible.
A power factor is a way of measuring the percentage of reactive power in an electrical system. Reactive power represents wasted energy – electricity that does no work. Reactive power is the result of electrical current interaction with inductive loads like motors, transformers, fluorescent lights, arc welders and induction furnaces. Electric systems with many motors exhibit a low power factor and increased conductor and transformer losses. A power factor can be improved by the addition of capacitors.
Improving your power factor can reduce power losses and free up the capacity of the existing transmission and distribution equipment for both utilities and end-users. Raising power factor to 90 percent and above is a proven way of increasing the efficient use of electricity. End-users enjoy reduced power bills and improved voltage conditions. The utility benefits from lower line and transformer losses, released system capacity and an improved power factor.