Texas State Officials Halt Electric Bills and Disconnects
Over the weekend, Governor Greg Abbott met with other state leaders to find solutions for homeowners and renters facing steep electricity bills after a winter storm left many Texans without power for days. Two orders were signed during the course of this weekend's emergency meeting.
Abbott and lawmakers alongside the Public Utility Commission signed an order that directs energy providers to temporarily stop disconnecting costumers from power or water because they have not paid. A second-order was also signed that will also stop companies from sending invoices or bill estimates to customers. The Texas Public Utility Commission's chair, DeAnn Walker stated "Disconnect for non-pays cannot occur on a Sunday and that’s why we're acting today at this hour... trying to stop any from occurring tomorrow” as reported by texastribune.org.
While not all Texas Residents will see a spike in their electric bill, some will see massive increases. Reports are already starting to surface about extremely high electric bills. One Texas resident is reporting an electric bill of $16,752 as reported by the New York Times. Abbott and the PUC will continue their meetings to address extremely high electric bills despite customers not having power during the storm.
The state’s energy grid, which is managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, is operating at full capacity again. Abbott said he expects power to be fully restored by the end of the day. Abbott also added “We will not end this session until ERCOT is fully winterized so we do not go through this again,”