San Marcos Utilities: Pay Bill, Login & Phone 2026
SMTX Utilities • San Marcos, Texas
Need to pay a City of San Marcos utilities bill, sign in to Customer Connect, start or stop service, deal with a past-due account or report an electric or water emergency? This page focuses on the current San Marcos, Texas utility system and the steps customers actually need.
A City utility account can include electric, water, wastewater, residential garbage and recycling, plus other applicable City charges. One local detail matters before you begin: not every San Marcos address receives electricity from the City because Pedernales Electric Cooperative and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative also serve portions of San Marcos.
San Marcos Utilities Quick Answers
San Marcos says online and automated-phone payments cannot be used to restore utilities after a nonpayment interruption. Contact Utility Customer Services.
The City says start, move and stop requests cannot be completed by phone. Use Customer Connect or visit the Utility Billing office.
San Marcos Electric Utility, Pedernales Electric Cooperative and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative all serve areas within the city.
How to Pay a City of San Marcos Utility Bill
The City accepts several payment methods. Choose based on urgency: online and phone are useful for ordinary bills, while a disconnected account requires direct contact with Utility Customer Services.
Make a one-time payment or sign in for AutoPay, electronic billing and account management.
Automated payment by electronic check, Visa, MasterCard or Discover.
Walk-in lobby and drive-through are open Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
Use when the payment is not urgent and allow mailing time.
Two after-hours drop boxes are listed by the City. Do not leave cash.
Bring the billing statement. The City lists a $1 service fee, and payments credit the account the next business day.
After opening the official payment page
- Choose online, phone, in-person, mail, drop box or Western Union based on how soon the payment must post.
- For online payment, follow the Customer Connect link supplied by the City.
- Confirm the account and payment amount before submitting.
- If using AutoPay, make sure the saved card or bank information is current before the due date.
- Keep the payment confirmation until the transaction appears on the account.
H-E-B Convenience Pay Locations
San Marcos, TX 78666
Bring the utility billing statement. The City’s current payment page lists a $1 service fee and next-business-day account credit.
San Marcos, TX 78666
The City lists this as another Western Union Convenience Pay location for utility payments.
San Marcos Utilities Login: Customer Connect
Customer Connect is the City’s utility-account portal. It is more useful than a one-time payment page because it can show billing history, utility usage, electronic bills and configurable usage alerts.
San Marcos says these are needed to open online access. A new customer’s account number appears on the first bill.
Customer Connect can email your username or password-reset instructions using the email associated with the account.
After opening Customer Connect
- Returning users can enter their username and password.
- New users should select the registration option and provide the required account information.
- Use the activation email sent by Customer Connect to finish registration.
- After login, review the service address, balance and billing history before making a payment.
- Use usage-history tools if you are investigating a high electric or water bill.
Useful Customer Connect Feature: Usage Alerts
San Marcos customers can set daily or monthly water and electric usage thresholds. The portal can then send a notification when consumption reaches the threshold you selected.
This is especially useful for catching unusual water use before the next bill arrives or noticing a sudden rise in electricity consumption during very hot or cold weather.
Official Customer Connect InstructionsAfter opening the Customer Connect instructions
- Review the City’s first-time registration instructions if you have not created online access.
- After signing in, open the account tools for utility usage and service requests.
- Choose daily, monthly or both types of usage threshold notifications where available.
- If registration or recovery fails, call Utility Customer Services at 512-393-8383, option 3.
San Marcos Utility Due Dates, Late Fee & Disconnection
San Marcos does not use one billing date for the entire city. Accounts are assigned to one of four weekly billing cycles based on the service address, and the cycle normally stays the same.
Need More Time? Ask Before the Disconnection Date
Utility Customer Services can discuss extended payment arrangements. San Marcos says an extension request must be received no later than one day before the account’s disconnection date.
An approved extension delays disconnection; it does not change the original due date or remove the late penalty. If the extension is not honored, the account becomes subject to disconnection on the agreed extension date.
Official San Marcos Payment Arrangements & AssistanceAfter opening the payment-assistance page
- Check your billing cycle and exact disconnection date.
- If you need an extension, contact Utility Customer Services at least one day before that date.
- Ask what amount and payment schedule must be met under the arrangement.
- Remember that the normal 5% delinquent fee still applies after a missed original due date.
- Keep a record of the agreed extension date and terms.
If Utilities Have Already Been Disconnected
The City’s current rate information lists a $20 residential electric reconnect fee and a $40 water reconnect fee. The amount that applies depends on which services were interrupted.
Official San Marcos Service Interruption InstructionsAfter opening the service-interruption page
- Determine whether the issue is an outage or a nonpayment disconnection.
- If disconnected for nonpayment, do not rely on Customer Connect or the automated phone-payment system for restoration.
- Call Utility Customer Services or visit the billing office during business hours.
- Ask for the total amount required and which reconnect fee applies.
- Keep your receipt or payment confirmation until service is restored.
Start, Stop or Transfer San Marcos Utility Service
San Marcos service requests can be submitted online through Customer Connect or in person. The City’s FAQ specifically says start, move and stop requests cannot be completed by phone.
Starting a Residential Utility Account
- Requested business date for connection
- Government ID or driver’s-license number
- Phone number
- Social Security Number under the City’s privacy policy
- Applicable utility deposits
- Payment method for deposits when applying online
Current Residential Deposit Rules
The City lists a minimum electric deposit of $50.
The current Utility Customer Services FAQ lists a $50 water deposit and $50 sewer deposit.
The City’s current utility FAQ lists a $35 garbage-service deposit.
New-Account Fees Are Separate From Deposits
San Marcos’ current rate tables list a $110 new customer account fee for an existing residential water/wastewater service or meter. If a residential account receives both City electric and water/wastewater service, that $110 charge covers both and the separate electric new-account fee is waived.
For an electric-only residential account, the current electric rate schedule lists a $40 new customer account fee.
Official San Marcos Start, Stop & Transfer ServiceAfter opening the start/stop service page
- Choose whether you are opening, transferring or closing service.
- For a new account, prepare ID information, contact details, requested start date and applicable deposit.
- If transferring online, sign in to Customer Connect and provide both the old and new service information requested.
- For account closure, provide the requested stop date and forwarding address.
- Keep confirmation of the requested connection, transfer or disconnection date.
Deposit Refund Timing
Customers can request a deposit refund after 12 months of good payment history with no delinquencies, NSF payments or nonpayment disconnections. When an account is closed, the deposit is first applied against any remaining balance.
San Marcos says a refund check normally takes about 2 to 4 weeks after the final bill is generated. During the June-August peak moving season, it can take approximately 4 to 6 weeks.
San Marcos Electric Outage & Water/Wastewater Emergency
The City lists 512-393-8300 for electric and water/wastewater emergencies. The SMTX Utilities outage system also shows known electric interruptions and accepts outage reports.
After opening the service-interruption page
- Use the City’s outage system to check known City electric interruptions.
- Confirm that San Marcos Electric Utility is actually your electric provider.
- Report a City electric outage through the official outage route when needed.
- For an electric or water/wastewater emergency, use 512-393-8300.
- Stay away from downed lines, damaged electrical equipment and unsafe water infrastructure.
What Changed on San Marcos Utility Bills in June 2026?
Customers began seeing a separate Community Benefit section on utility bills in June 2026. The City says this was a presentation change—not a new or additional charge. Costs that had been built into base rates were separated to make them more visible.
Residential Electric Example
The October 2025 residential electric schedule showed the fixed minimum as one combined amount.
The bill separately shows $0.12 customer assistance, $0.59 roadway lighting, $0.35 conservation and $0.75 franchise fee. Together, those fixed pieces still total $14.31.
The residential energy component is similarly separated: the current base is $0.038009 per kWh, plus a 6% franchise-fee component. A separate Power Cost Recovery Factor (PCRF) can also appear because the City uses it to recover wholesale power and grid-related costs.
Standard Inside-City Water Example
For a typical 5/8-inch to 3/4-inch inside-city meter, the June 2026 display shows a $30.19 base minimum, plus $0.06 for customer assistance, $0.70 for conservation and $1.81 for the franchise-fee component. Those fixed pieces total the previous $32.76 minimum.
After opening the utility-rate page
- Select Electric, Water, Wastewater, Drainage or Resource Recovery based on the charge you are checking.
- Make sure you are looking at the currently effective rate rather than a proposed future rate.
- For water, confirm whether the account is inside or outside the city and check the meter size.
- For electricity, remember that the PCRF can affect the final bill in addition to the base energy rate.
2026 Residential Garbage & Stormwater Examples
The FY2026 residential resource-recovery rate includes trash, recycling and green-waste cart service plus listed City recycling and disposal programs.
Stormwater rates vary by the property’s impervious-cover classification; small and large residential tiers differ.
High Bill, Budget Billing & San Marcos Utility Assistance
If the Bill Is Higher Than Expected
Start with Customer Connect rather than comparing dollar totals alone. Review daily, weekly or monthly consumption and check whether the increase came from electricity, water or another line item.
Customers can also set usage thresholds in Customer Connect. A sudden water-use notification may help identify a leak sooner, while an electric threshold can show when HVAC or other usage is unusually high.
Budget Billing
San Marcos offers Budget Billing, sometimes called equal payment billing. The monthly amount is based on the account’s previous 12-month history and is reconciled annually in April.
The program requires a good payment history. At reconciliation, an amount due must be paid or a credit is handled according to the City’s current program rules.
City Utility Payment Assistance
San Marcos’ current assistance program can help qualifying residents with City utility bills. Qualified customers may receive assistance up to four times per fiscal year, October 1 through September 30.
Assistance may cover the current bill and up to 60 days of past-due charges and late fees. It does not cover deposits, connection fees, tampering fees or after-hours connection fees.
A customer must have an active SMTX Utilities account and meet at least one qualifying condition listed by the City, such as household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, age 60 or older, disability, veteran status or having a child under age five.
Official San Marcos Utility Payment AssistanceAfter opening the assistance page
- Review the current eligibility categories and confirm that the SMTX Utilities account is active.
- Check which community partner currently has funding available; partner availability can change during the year.
- Contact the listed partner for its application and document requirements.
- Continue monitoring the utility account while an application is being processed because submitting an application does not automatically stop billing or disconnection.
- For help understanding the City program, use the Utility Billing Assistance contact information on the official page.
San Marcos Utility Billing Office
San Marcos, TX 78666
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
Related Texas Utility Guides
If you are moving within Texas or also manage another municipal utility account, these published guides cover similar city-run billing, service and outage systems.
San Marcos Utilities FAQs
1. What is the City of San Marcos Utility Customer Service phone number?
Call 512-393-8383 and select option 3 for Utility Customer Services. The billing office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
2. How do I pay my San Marcos utility bill online?
Use the City’s official Customer Connect portal. You can make a one-time payment or register for online account access and AutoPay. Customer Connect accepts eligible card and bank-account payment methods shown by the City.
3. What number do I call to pay a San Marcos utility bill by phone?
The City lists 512-393-8333 for automated utility payments by electronic check, Visa, MasterCard or Discover. If service has already been interrupted for nonpayment, do not use the automated system to restore service; contact Customer Services instead.
4. What information do I need to register for Customer Connect?
San Marcos says first-time online users need the utility account number and the mailing-address ZIP code listed on the account. New customers receive their account number on the first bill.
5. How much is the late fee on a San Marcos utility bill?
The City currently states that a 5% delinquent fee applies when payment is not made by the due date. A payment extension may delay disconnection, but it does not waive the 5% delinquent fee.
6. Can I pay online after San Marcos disconnects my utilities for nonpayment?
Not for restoration. San Marcos says online and automated-phone payments cannot be used to restore service after a nonpayment interruption. Contact Utility Customer Services at 512-393-8383 or visit 1040 Highway 123.
7. How much are the San Marcos residential utility deposits?
The City’s current FAQ lists electric at one-sixth of the previous 12-month history with a $50 minimum, plus $50 for water, $50 for sewer and $35 for garbage where those services apply. A qualifying letter of credit may waive deposits.
8. Can I start or stop San Marcos utility service by phone?
No. The City says start, move and stop service requests must be submitted through Customer Connect or in person at 1040 Highway 123. Closing an account also requires the account holder’s request and a forwarding address.
9. Why did a Community Benefit section appear on my 2026 San Marcos utility bill?
The City says the June 2026 Community Benefit section is not a new additional charge. Existing costs for customer assistance, roadway lighting, conservation and franchise fees were separated from base utility rates so customers can see them more clearly.
10. Who do I call for a San Marcos electric or water emergency?
The City lists 512-393-8300 for electric and water/wastewater emergencies. Before reporting an electric outage to the City, verify that San Marcos Electric Utility is your provider because PEC and Bluebonnet also serve parts of San Marcos.
Accuracy & Official-Source Note
This independent guide was reviewed against current City of San Marcos Utility Customer Services, Customer Connect, payment, billing-cycle, service-interruption, start/stop, assistance, electric-rate, water-rate, resource-recovery and stormwater information available for 2026.
San Marcos is also developing its Fiscal Year 2027 budget, which includes proposed utility-rate changes. Proposed figures are not treated on this page as current rates unless they are adopted and effective.
Rates, assistance funding, billing rules, portal screens and service fees can change. For a payment deadline, disconnection, restoration or account-specific balance, follow the current information shown on your actual City bill and official San Marcos utility account.
Editorial verification: September 2026.