As if last week’s horrific winter weather combined with gas, water, and power outages wasn’t enough, now comes word that sky-high Texas energy bills are bringing more heartache to residents of the lone star state.
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According to The Texas Tribune, many state residents are on “fixed rate” energy plans that provide stability during times of regular usage. However, others pay based on the spot price of wholesale electricity, which skyrocketed during the storm and left residents with unbelievable rate increases and thousands of dollars in energy bills that are due now.
When the bad weather hit, the Texas Public Utility Commission allowed the wholesale market price of electricity to rise to $9 per kilowatt-hour — a 7,400% increase over the usual 12 cents per kilowatt-hour. The rate hike was supposed to force power generators to deliver more juice to the power grid — except, it didn’t. Instead, the astronomical costs were passed along to customers who suddenly found themselves being billed more for electricity in a single day than they’d normally pay in a month.
Karen Knox, a special education teacher from Bedford, TX was among the victims of the high Texas energy bills. Despite losing power during the weather crisis, she now owes more than $7,000 to her power provider in Houston.
When the power company deducted $400 from her bank account to pay just a portion of the bill, the unemployed mother of 3 found herself in a financial bind and unable to pay.
“There’s no way I can and I’m not going to [pay],” Knox said.
“My savings is gone,” said Scott Willoughby, a 63-year-old Army veteran who survives on Social Security benefits in a Dallas suburb. He was forced to empty his savings account just to be able to pay the $16,752 electric bill charged to his credit card — 70 times what he usually pays for all of his utilities combined.
“There’s nothing I can do about it, but it’s broken me.”
Regrettably, their stories are only 2 of many, many more.
To say the Texas power situation, its design, and the incoming Texas energy bills are a hot mess would be a gross understatement.
To say the Texas power situation, its design, and the incoming Texas energy bills are a hot mess would be a gross understatement. […]- DJ
You got that right DJ. And even though my partner hasn’t been hit with any ridicules electric bill she is seething mad about all of the crap that’s come to light since the winter storm hit beginning with this fact:
“Texas regulators and lawmakers knew about the grid’s vulnerabilities FOR YEARS, but time and again they furthered the interests of large electricity providers. ” – Texas Tribune, Feb. 22, 2021
Full read: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/22/texas-power-grid-extreme-weather/