According to an opinion issued by ERCOT on Friday, Griddy Energy must cease operations in accordance with ERCOT protocols due to the breach.
After the unusual ice weather left millions of Texans without energy, some reported seeing high electricity bills. Many of those who reported receiving large bills are customers of Griddy, which operates only in Texas.
A Chambers County resident recently filed a class action lawsuit against Griddy, accusing the provider of prices that took customers out during last week’s freeze. She is seeking $ 1 billion in aid for affected customers.
Lisa Khoury’s lawyers said in the lawsuit that her bill rose to $ 9,340 the week of the storm, compared to her average monthly bills, which range from $ 200 to $ 250. Griddy has repeatedly made payments from Khoury’s bank account, according to the lawsuit, withdrawing $ 1,200 before blocking other fees from his bank. He still owes thousands.
Watch the full interview with Khoury in the video player above.
Griddy, which was launched in 2017, charges $ 10 a month to give people a way to pay wholesale prices for electricity instead of a flat rate. He warned customers about rising prices and urged them to change suppliers. The company said wholesale prices had returned to normal since February 20.
Griddy said it has 29,000 members. It is not clear how many other Texans also pay wholesale prices from other companies.
“We’re not going to get the full picture of the financial devastation for 30 to 90 days,” said Ed Hirs, an energy colleague at the University of Houston.
SEE ALSO: Some Texans could be hit with high power bills
The electricity distributor recently addressed concerns about falling prices on its website and strongly blamed the Public Utilities Commission. The company says it has not benefited from rising prices.
SEE ALSO: Houston griddy customer paid $ 5,500 in energy bills this week
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2021 KTRK-TV. All rights reserved.