Texans are being slapped with five-figure energy bills after millions lost power over the course of the week due to frigid temperatures and record-breaking cold.
The spot price of wholesale electricity on the Texas power grid spiked more than 10,000% on Monday, and many users have been taking to social media to post pictures of their bills.
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Royce Pierce and his wife, Danielle, who live west of Dallas, use the provider Griddy. Though the couple never lost power during the winter storm, their electricity also skyrocketed in the past few days for their three-bedroom home.
“We are hoping there will be relief,” Royce said. “This is something maybe we can skate by and tackle as time goes on, but how many people can’t? A lot.”
On Twitter, Pierce said he and his wife owed more than $4,000 in just two days. A screenshot Pierce posted of his electric bill from Feb. 1-17 was marked as over $5,100. If that rate stays the same, he will owe upward of $10,000 by the end of February.
In response to a user who asked what Pierce was using 3 megawatts on in two weeks, Pierce jokingly responded, “I’m warming the house with the sun apparently.”
We are over 4K in just the last 2 days alone
— Royce Pierce (@RoyceAP) February 17, 2021
Here you go pic.twitter.com/X7iY3G6BF5
— Royce Pierce (@RoyceAP) February 17, 2021
The Washington Examiner reached out to Pierce for comment.
Jose Del Rio, who lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, said his electricity bill, which usually comes in at about $125 a month, was about $630 this month and that he owes an additional $2,600.
His provider, also Griddy, is susceptible to changes in demand since it is controlled by the market, he told NBC News.
Most consumers who called their electric companies said they were told to switch providers temporarily, but some say there’s been a hold on switching since the storm battered the Lone Star State.
When your electric company tells you to switch but there has been a hold on switching for over a week now. Using as little as possible 1300 sq ft house and this is my bill. . How is this fair. I only paid $1200 for the whole 2020 year @FoxNews @wfaa @tedcruz @GovAbbott pic.twitter.com/AylTS4m0j4
— kat and tony (@katandtonyT) February 18, 2021
OMFG. I just checked my electric Bill! Eff You @ERCOT_ISO #texaselectricbill #texaselectricitybill
My heart is racing. https://t.co/LODmZDtnZb pic.twitter.com/x1LBhvZlXc
— 和子晴 (@atxBlackMamba) February 19, 2021
Yes the pandemic is scary. But this is what’s going on during the pandemic in Texas. I’m about to get a 3-4K electricity bill. I’m all for a green grid. But @GoGriddy wants me to pay for it all myself. $9.00 per kWh. How is this not price gauging? pic.twitter.com/V7yvVFRl00
— jose del rio (@jdelriojr) February 17, 2021
Ty Williams said the three electric bills for his home, his guest house, and his office added up to more than $17,000.
“How in the world can anyone pay that? I mean, you go from a couple hundred dollars a month … there’s absolutely no way … it makes no sense,” Williams told KHOU 11 of Dallas.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages about 90% of Texas’s electric load, was hit hard with the demand for power as Texans tried to heat their homes to stay warm and to prevent their pipes from freezing.
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Gov. Greg Abbott and other state and local officials have called for an investigation into ERCOT after the state suffered days of blackouts and outages from the provider’s unpreparedness to handle the extreme cold.
By Friday, many Texans regained power, but many were still left without clean drinking water and in search of bottled water and food at grocery stores, many of which remain bare-shelved.
President Biden is set to authorize a major disaster declaration at the request of the state on Friday, giving broader federal aid to help rebuild public infrastructure and provide help to individual needs. He is expected to visit Texas next wee
