The 100-year snowstorm caused millions of households in Texas to lose power, Governor Greg Abbott (Greg Abbott) said on the 21st, local power regulators will temporarily prohibit power companies from charging customers, or stopping power supply because of unpaid bills.
Reuters reported that Abbott held an emergency meeting with state lawmakers on the 20th to deal with many people’s reactions to the thousands of dollars in electricity bills received from power companies in just a few days, Abbott told reporters after the meeting: “Texans have been facing biting cold winds and no electricity available for days, and should not be burdened with sky-high electricity bills.”
Abbott said the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) will ask the power companies to hold off sending electric bills to people and implement a temporary ban to prevent people from being disconnected because of unpaid bills. He added that the authorities will take advantage of this gap to find ways to protect consumers, and pointed out that dealing with electricity bills and soaring rates is a top priority for the Texas legislative authorities.
Texas’ electricity market is highly open, and people can choose their own power companies. Some power companies provide electricity at wholesale prices, and electricity rates are adjusted according to demand, so electricity rates soared during the snowstorm; some Texans had electricity bills as high as $5,000 in just five days, and there were even rumors of people receiving bills of $7,800.
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