Texas Electricity Customer Benefits Grow, Low Income Discount increases

The Public Utility Commission (PUC) alerts customers to price offers below 10 cents a kilowatt hour and an increase in the low-income discount this summer in which Texas electricity demand is at record high levels.

“I urge Texans to take advantage of every opportunity to reduce their electricity bill this summer,” said Barry Smitherman, Chairman of the Public Utility Commission (PUC). “Customers need to be aware of these programs at a time when we’re using more electricity than ever.”

A reduction in Texas electricity prices over the past year is reflected in current price offers by retail electric providers. Most of the competitive areas, including the DFW Metroplex, have several offers below 10 cents a kilowatt hour (kWh). That’s less than $100 a month for customers using 1,000 kWh, a benchmark for monthly residential use. Rate offers in the CenterPoint service area serving Houston currently begin at slightly more than 10 cents per kWh.

For low income customers who qualify for the LITE-UP Texas Program, the PUC has increased the discount effective Aug. 1 to approximately three cents per kWh. This provides a minimum 17 percent rate cut for customers paying the highest available price but can top 30 percent for customers paying below 10 cents per kWh.

More information including applications for LITE-UP Texas is available toll-free at 1-866-454-8387. Additional help for low-income electricity customers may be available through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (1-877-399-8939).

In addition to these pricing and cost-saving opportunities, PUC rules include certain disconnection prohibitions. Disconnections are prohibited on the day of and the following two business days when the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory. Disconnections also are prohibited on weekends unless a retail provider has available staff to handle payment and reconnection orders.

Customers who would become seriously ill without electricity, known as critical care customers, can avoid disconnection if their provider has documentation from an attending physician.

The information above does not apply to customers served by municipal electric utilities or electric cooperatives, which are regulated by city councils or a coop board of directors.

http://www.puc.state.tx.us/nrelease/2009/071509.pdf

Texas Electricity