The language used when talking about the electricity market can be puzzling, and it’s easy to confuse your electric company with your electricity provider — they sound like the same thing, right?
This article will help you sort out light companies from utility companies so you can understand where your hard-earned dollars go when you pay your electric bill.
TNMP (Texas-New Mexico Power) is one of the many players in Texas’ deregulated energy market. Also known as Texas-New Mexico Power, TNMP is an integral part of Texas’ power grid. Let’s shine a light on their role.
What Is TNMP (Texas-New Mexico Power)?
What’s in a name? Plenty, when it comes to TNMP or Texas-New Mexico Power Co., which is the company’s formal name.
TNMP is based in Lewisville and employs more than 400 people over 20 sites in the state. The company started life in 1934 as the Community Public Service Co., producing, distributing, and billing customers for electricity across Texas and New Mexico. It also dipped its toes into natural gas, ice, telephones, sewers, and creameries. Still, it left all of these other industries by the 1970s.
Then, in 1981, Community Public Service changed its name to Texas-New Mexico Power. As the name suggests, they provided power to Texas and New Mexico residents.
Then, in 2002, Texas’ energy market was deregulated. That meant that around 85% of Texas’ electricity sector was opened to the free market. Private businesses and municipal operators could compete to produce, distribute, and supply electricity to homes and companies, with state regulators overseeing it all.
TNMP was an integral player as the Lone Star state embraced deregulation. Since then, it has been constructing and maintaining power lines and substations, sorting out power outages, and adding meter services to its Texas portfolio.
Within three years of Texan deregulation, PNM Resources Inc. bought Texas-New Mexico Power. In 2006, PNM split the business into independent New Mexico-only and Texas-only operations, and by 2008 TNMP had shifted its headquarters from Fort Worth to Lewisville.
Fast forward to the 2020s, and TNMP now provides electricity to more than 260,000 homes and businesses across Texas — and also offers a lot of other services.
What Services Does TNMP (Texas-New Mexico Power) Offer?
Texas-New Mexico Power is known colloquially as a utility and technically as a Transmission and Distribution Utility (TDU).
You won’t get an electricity bill from these utility companies or TDUs; instead, TDUs manage and maintain power grid services and electricity distribution. They also restore power after an outage.
Customers pay their electric companies for their electricity usage. If you check an energy bill, you will see a “TDU charge,” sometimes listed as a TDSP (Transmission/Distribution Service Provider) charge. This amount covers the services that the utility company provides.
TNMP is one of these distribution service providers, and its work areas include:
- Building and maintaining power lines and wires
- Restoring power after power outages
- Sending meter readings to electric companies so they can calculate energy bills
- Connecting properties to electricity on behalf of electric companies — for example, when people move or switch suppliers
- Delivering electricity to homes and businesses through the power grid
- Maintaining street lights in many Texas communities
TDUs know how much electricity a Texas property uses, thanks to having a unique 17- or 22-digit Electric Service Identifier (ESI ID) number assigned to every meter. This number appears on your electric bill, too.
What’s the Difference Between a Utility and an Energy Provider?
All operators in Texas’ deregulated electricity market must be approved to operate in Texas by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC or PUCT).
An electric utility or TDU is responsible for maintaining the power grid, poles, and electricity transmission to homes and businesses, and restoring power after outages. You cannot choose or switch your utility company in Texas.
Electric companies, also known as energy providers and light companies, administer the electricity supply to properties. When you turn a light on, in most cases, the utility company or TDU is calculating how much energy you’re using — but you’ll pay the electric company. The energy provider will collect payments from customers, pay TDUs their share, and advertise various electricity plans and tariffs to attract new business.
The official name for a Texas electric company is a retail electric provider or REP. You can’t get electricity without dealing with an electric company or a REP. An electric company has the final say on whether your electric supply is on or off — Texas residents with unsettled electric bills can’t sign up with a new provider until the debt with the first light company is cleared.
The 85% of Texans who live in deregulated areas of Texas can choose and switch their electric company and search for competitive electricity rates. For the remaining 15% of Texans who live in the regulated part of Texas’ energy market, the Public Utility Commission of Texas determines the electric company (and there is no opportunity to choose or switch).
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Is Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP) Part of ERCOT?
ERCOT — the Electric Reliability Council of Texas — oversees around 90% of Texas’ electricity grid. It’s a nonprofit operation that ensures open and fair competition between electricity producers — that is, the utility companies/TDUs — and wholesalers. ERCOT also monitors grid reliability, making sure supply meets demand.
As a result, Texas-New Mexico Power works alongside ERCOT but is not part of its business. For example, TNMP talks to ERCOT about the state of the electric grid and notifies it of any demand surges or shortages to help maintain electricity supplies across its service areas.
What Service Areas Does Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP) Cover?
Texas-New Mexico Power’s service areas cover North Central Texas, parts of West Texas, and the areas near the Gulf Coast.
North Central Texas cities covered by TNMP include Lewisville, Detroit, Bryson, Glen Rose, Hamilton, Gatesville, Clifton, Princeton, Whitney, and Nocona. TNMP doesn’t cover the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolis area.
TNMP delivers power in West Texas, with service areas in Kermit, Sanderson, Fort Stockton, Pecos, and more.
The company’s Gulf Coast territory consists of Brazoria, Angleton, Alvin, Dickinson, Texas City, and League City, among others.
How Can I Find Out My Utility Company in Texas?
Your electric utility’s name is often on your electric bill. Call your electric company or contact the Public Utility Commission of Texas if you cannot find it. Have your 17- or 22-digit ESI ID number on hand — you can find this on your electric bill.
The primary TDUs in Texas and their primary service areas are:
- Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP): Lewisville, Pilot Point, Leonard, and Glen Rose
- Oncor: Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington
- AEP Texas: Abilene and Corpus Christi
- CenterPoint: Houston
Does Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP) Send Electric Bills?
Texas-New Mexico Power doesn’t send customers electric bills. It’s the electric companies that send energy bills to customers; these electric companies then pay electric utilities like Texas-New Mexico Power for their services.
How Does Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP) Make Money?
Texas-New Mexico Power is a subsidiary of PNM Resources, meaning it is a private, investor-owned utility. These types of utilities look to make a profit from the money they charge customers for their grid maintenance services, via electric companies.
TNMP has two primary costs, and they can profit from one of these.
First, operating expenses like salaries and office rent are included in their charges. But whatever happens, TNMP and other utilities cannot make a profit from these expenses.
Instead, utilities like TNMP can profit from capital expenses — repair and maintenance of power lines, buildings, and poles. TDUs look to make money by covering their costs and keeping any profits.
How Much Do I Pay TNMP (Texas-New Mexico Power) for Utility Services?
People make two payments to their utility company via their electric company. These payments are listed on utility bills as a TDU or TDSP charge.
The first payment covers flat charges for maintaining and recording meter readings plus a general tariff. These costs remain fixed until the utility changes them.
The second payment, called a distribution system charge, is variable because it’s based on how much electricity someone uses. This charge is calculated in kilowatt-hours (kWh), and the more electricity you use, the more you will pay.
As of March 1, Texas-New Mexico Power’s service rates were:
- A customer charge of $1.13 per month
- A metering charge of $6.72 per month
- A distribution system charge of $0.025670 per kWh used
Which Electric Companies Operate in TNMP Areas?
There are multiple electric providers in the Texas-New Mexico Power areas. These include Amigo Energy, Reliant, Tara Energy, Constellation, and Just Energy. Be aware that not all electric providers offer electricity plans in every area. Availability depends on where you live, the type of tariff you seek, and many other variables.
The 85% of Texans who can choose their electric company have a slew of ways to look for electricity plans. We recommend comparing electricity rates and tariffs on the independent and PUCT-run website PowertoChoose.org.
First, pop your ZIP code into the finder to ascertain if you are in a deregulated area. If yes, we recommend using our Power To Choose guide to steer you through the options.
People in regulated areas cannot get cheaper power by shopping around, but you can still save dollars and energy thanks to some quick and easy-to-adopt energy efficiency tips.
How Should You Deal With Power Outages in Texas?
Power outages happen across power grids from time to time. Thankfully, most are relatively short, however, depending on your circumstances, a power outage can be serious.
The winter storm that hit Texas in February 2021 left more than 200 dead. Millions of people were without power and water for days during freezing temperatures.
This is just one example of why it’s vital to be informed about power outages and blackouts — and to be prepared for them. This includes knowing your electric utility company and how to contact them.
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How Do I Check the Status of My Power Outage in Texas?
It’s essential to know your utility company so you know who to contact in the event of a power outage or blackout. The principal utilities and their power outage maps are:
The TNMP map allows you to search outages by ZIP code and town/city names, alongside estimated power restoration times. There are also road maps and satellite images to view.
It’s a good idea to save these links to your smartphone because home Wi-Fi and routers won’t work during blackouts for tablets, laptops, and computers.
What Information Does Texas-New Mexico Power’s Map Contain?
TNMP advises people to check their homes for potential localized issues like a blown fuse before reporting a power outage. Fees are charged for misreporting an outage.
Examine breakers to see if any have tripped and check if your neighbors’ power is out, too. To report a Texas-New Mexico Power outage:
- Call 888-866-7456 and select option 1. The outage line is open 24/7.
- Use TNMP’s automated system or wait and talk to an agent.
- Listen for restoration estimates — please wait at least 30 minutes between calls to allow for recent updates to upload to the system.
You can also follow the outage via Texas-New Mexico Power’s online system.
Top Tips for When There Is a Power Outage
We’ve got a fantastic guide to preparing for power outages. The immediate essentials are:
- Make sure everyone in the home is okay; check on neighbors if possible.
- Unplug electrical devices.
- Keep your freezer and refrigerator closed at all times to conserve their cool internal temperatures.
- Consider moving location if your shelter is not safe.
- Contact your utility company.
How Do I Contact Texas-New Mexico Power?
Texas-New Mexico Power has several communication channels you can use to contact them.
For general inquiries, call 888-866-7456, Mondays-Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
TNMP also has a Facebook page and a Twitter account.
Getting to Know TNMP (Texas-New Mexico Power)
We’ve examined the principal role of this electric utility of many names: Texas-New Mexico Power, TNMP (Texas TNMP Central), and its official title, Texas-New Mexico Power Co.
Whatever you call the company, its role in Texas is maintaining the power grid that serves electricity customers. Power lines, wires, and even street lights come under the TNMP services provision, as does the delivery of electricity, collating meter readings, and restoring power after outages.
ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas keep watch to ensure utilities are performing correctly. And remember, whether you can change your utility company in Texas or not, you can always find new ways to offset rising energy prices.
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