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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,236
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

If your utilities are on auto pay, stop it for a month or two.  If your heating bill is normally, say $75 a month but sky rockets because of our blackouts and rolling blackouts (and yes, that causes increase in usage), the auto pay will deduct that sky rocketed amount.

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness ~ Dalai Lama XIV

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace ~ Jimi Hendrix
Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,390
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: A TIP FOR MY FELLOW TEXANS

There has got to be something wrong with recent reports of astronomical bills.  People couldn't possibly had their meters read and have gotten their bills that fast.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,114
Registered: ‎08-21-2014

Re: A TIP FOR MY FELLOW TEXANS


@Kachina624 wrote:

There has got to be something wrong with recent reports of astronomical bills.  People couldn't possibly had their meters read and have gotten their bills that fast.


I thought the exact same thing. Something very very wrong about this story. People don't care to find out if things are true they just freak out and go crazy. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,880
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: A TIP FOR MY FELLOW TEXANS

The reason Texans know what their bill will be is because the rate per kilowatt jumped by 9000% so if they take last month's bill, check the kilowatt usage, multiply by 9000% they've got it!( ugh).

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,230
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: A TIP FOR MY FELLOW TEXANS

I am not personally involved but I do have Texas relatives, so I read to begin to understand the issues, but decided to quit because it seems as if there is a political component to this and that’s one more layer I know zilch about.

 

now all I know is what I know from living for years in cold weather and experiencing the horrid discomfort of being without winter power.  So sorry, Texas 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 34,519
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: A TIP FOR MY FELLOW TEXANS

 


@MamaWick wrote:

If your utilities are on auto pay, stop it for a month or two.  If your heating bill is normally, say $75 a month but sky rockets because of our blackouts and rolling blackouts (and yes, that causes increase in usage), the auto pay will deduct that sky rocketed amount.


Thank you for your helpful input!

I'm sure the Texans that read this will appreciate it💛

~Have a Kind Heart, Fierce Mind, Brave Spirit~
Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,752
Registered: ‎03-15-2014

Re: A TIP FOR MY FELLOW TEXANS


@MamaWick wrote:

If your heating bill is normally, say $75 a month but sky rockets because of our blackouts and rolling blackouts (and yes, that causes increase in usage), the auto pay will deduct that sky rocketed amount.


 I understand about rates increasing, but wouldn't your usage be less during blackouts and rolling blackouts?

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,236
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: A TIP FOR MY FELLOW TEXANS

@Kachina624  Warning about auto pay...just in case.  Our bills ARE going to be higher because of the surge...but I don't know how much higher, so why take the chance if one had auto pay?

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness ~ Dalai Lama XIV

When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace ~ Jimi Hendrix
Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,517
Registered: ‎06-17-2015

Re: A TIP FOR MY FELLOW TEXANS


@Kachina624 wrote:

There has got to be something wrong with recent reports of astronomical bills.  People couldn't possibly had their meters read and have gotten their bills that fast.


@Kachina624   You keep asking the same question on all the threads.

 

Most meters are read remotely now.  Many customers are on e-billing so it is very realistic that they received a bill depending upon their billing dates.

 

I cannot verify if all these stories about bills being $17,000 and it is possible that they are receiving ESTIMATED bills before a final bill is issued.

 

Just as the floating stories regarding $999/day hotel fees, many stories are not always true.

 

But it is possible some have already seen their bills.

 

hth

"" Compassion is a verb."-Thich Nhat Hanh
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,992
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: A TIP FOR MY FELLOW TEXANS


@Lali1 wrote:

@Kachina624 wrote:

There has got to be something wrong with recent reports of astronomical bills.  People couldn't possibly had their meters read and have gotten their bills that fast.


I thought the exact same thing. Something very very wrong about this story. People don't care to find out if things are true they just freak out and go crazy. 


Unfortunately, the reports are true. As a Texas living through all this misery, there are many layers to our problems.

 

Texas Electrical Power is deregulated. You must "shop" for the deal you want. This could be a fixed price per killowatt hour or it can be flexible depending on many factors. One of those factors is the price of natural gas. When the power was depleted by demand and equipment break/shut down, more natural gas had to be purchased by the power company but at a "spot" price. This price was many times the lower contracted price. The extra cost was passed onto customers. Spot price= think of price gouging of essentials during any disaster.Texas is not a part of the national grid. They decided to have their own source. 

 

We were able to access our electric account and see our usage since last billing. This must be how some know their bills. Many actual bills are shown by local tv. 

 

Far West Texas and far East Texas opted to not enter this go it alone energy plan that was hatched decades ago by none other than ENRON. Texas citizens will be following the money. This will be the most expensive casulity loss in our history--more than Harvey.

 

Natural gas lines froze. Wind generators were not winterized. Nuclear Power went down. Power plant equipment froze. Transformers blew. 

 

Everything went wrong that could have gone wrong. It was a worst case scenairo.