More than summer heat driving up latest energy bills
Houston - Did you get a really high power bill recently? Many Texans are wondering why it's so high.
It was a record-hot summer, but there are other factors driving up bills as well.
"Last month my bill was $167 and this month when I got my bill the other day it was like $277, and I was like whoa! I expected it to be higher like $200, $220, but not almost three hundred dollars," said Laura Bradley.
David Kinchen at Energy Ogre explains that it was extremely hot, both day and night.
"So your AC is kicking on at 9:00 a.m. instead of maybe 11 or noon. And then by noon or one, it's running all day," said Kinchen.
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Plus, Kinchen explains in the Houston area, CenterPoint can add a transmission and distribution utility charge, or TDU, to cover the cost of managing power lines, meters, and poles, starting September 1. The rate for this winter season increased 1.7 cents to 5.4 cents per kilowatt-hour.
"We moved into the winter rate on September 1, or for bills that were issued after September 1, and the summer rate's a lot lower than the winter rate," said Kinchen.
And Kinchen says many consumers are also locked into contracts that started last summer when electricity rates were twice as high as they were this summer.
"If they're still in this two or three-year deal, they need to really spend some time shopping around or have a service that takes care of that," said Kinchen.
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Energy Ogre offers a free calculator on its website that can help people determine how much money they might save by switching to a lower-rate plan, and if that overall savings is more than paying their contract break fee.
"If you're coming from a 14-cent plan down to an 8-cent plan, you can, for just a small amount of usage, you could overcome that termination fee by switching," he explained.
You can switch plans on your own, or there are several businesses, including Energy Ogre, that can help you make a switch.
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If your electric bill is more than you can afford to pay, you can ask your provider for a payment plan. Many providers also offer balance billing, which evens out monthly bills over the course of the year.
Some utility assistance has recently dried up, but there is still some available. Call the United Way Helpline at 211.