FAQ Category: Rates

Your rates help keep the lights on and water flowing. They fund the operational costs and work that prevents outages, improves water pressure and quality, keeps power steady during storms, and ensures we meet important environmental standards—so your home stays comfortable and safe today and for years to come.

To ensure community values were honored, input from the NBU’s citizen-led Community Advisory Panel helped identify priorities that represented the community. Their feedback influenced how NBU rates are structured, ensuring they reflect what matters most to our customers: Read the CAP’s Final Report and Response to The NBU Rate Study.

NBU’s service territory includes over 161 square miles. NBU is legally obligated to provide continuous and adequate utility service to the area within the Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) boundary. NBU does not determine growth. Click here for our service territory map.

No. NBU is a nonprofit, community-owned utility. Every dollar collected through customer payments goes directly toward the costs of providing electricity, water and wastewater services – not to shareholders or profits.

When your systems aren’t maintained or upgraded, problems don’t stay hidden for long – and they always cost more later. For the average person, that could mean:

Following industry best practices, a rate study was conducted by an independent third party which ensures NBU remains financially responsible, with rates reflecting the true cost of providing water, wastewater and electric services and carefully examines future costs.

Yes. We offer tools and programs designed to help customers better understand and manage their utility costs. These include bill explanations, usage insights, and programs that support budgeting, conservation, and efficiency. Our customer service team is also available to help answer questions and connect customers with available resources.

An impact fee is a one-time charge paid by developers to help offset the cost of expanding water and wastewater infrastructure needed to serve new development. These fees are required by law and are designed to reduce the financial impact of growth on existing customers. We charge the maximum amount allowed to help ensure growth…

Rate increases help cover the rising cost of providing reliable electric, water, and wastewater services. These costs include maintaining and upgrading infrastructure, meeting state and federal regulatory requirements, addressing inflation in materials and labor, and planning for future growth and extreme weather. Adjustments ensure we can continue delivering safe, dependable service while protecting public health…