It appears that families who have seen their bills grow have been part of variable-rate plans, along with Griddy, a state-owned electricity supplier.
Griddy advised customers to switch to another supplier this week, warning them to find fixed-rate plans instead, as it predicted the rising cost of electricity due to rising demand. But many customers who have tried to pass said that other companies will not accept new customers until weeks in the future, leaving them stuck with their large bills.
Ty Williams told the Dallas WFAA that he normally spends $ 660 on home, boarding and office electricity bills each month. His new bill after the rate increase exceeded $ 17,000.
He told the media that he had finally managed to switch to another supplier and hoped to find a way to pay his massive bill. But Williams described the situation as “hostage and there is nothing you can do about it.”
Some groups, such as Reliant Energy, say they are willing to work with customers and offer flexible options for paying bills after the storm.
The increase in population bills was due to rising demand for energy in freezing conditions, which overburdened the unprepared Texas Electric Reliability Council, which manages about 90 percent of the state’s energy. This demand has raised the price of electricity, but only those with variable rates have seen their bills directly affected.
This meant that while millions of people lacked electricity, floating-rate electricity customers who still had electricity saw their bills rise. The WFAA noted that floating rate plans are rarer than state fixed rate plans.
Texas news adds to the aftermath of snowstorms, which have left at least 47 people dead, left millions without power and even damaged thousands of sea turtles.