Texans say energy companies are on an energy journey.
Electricity bills at Lone Star State soared to $ 17,000 a month after a historic storm and a power outage sparked high heat demand, according to reports Friday.
Dallas area resident Ty Williams was hit by a sticker when the monthly bill rose from $ 600 last month to nearly $ 17,000 so far this month, according to local broadcaster WFAA.
“How in the world can anyone afford this? I mean it goes from two hundred dollars a month … there’s absolutely no way, it doesn’t make any sense, ”said Williams, who received the bill from energy company Griddy.
According to the station, the price of power in Texas rose from $ 50 to $ 9,000 per megawatt in some cases due to the supply and demand disaster.
Customers with so-called “variable or indexed” electricity plans in Texas (the only state that manages its own single autonomous power grid) are partially controlled by market demand.
That caused prices to rise as non-energy-losing jeans rose in the heat amid brutally cold temperatures this week, an expert told NBC.
“The last thing a lot of people need right now is a higher electricity bill, and unfortunately that’s what a lot of people will stay with,” said Matt Schulz, chief analyst at the industry.
Royce Pierce, who lives in the Willow Park neighborhood of Dallas, said the light bill for his three-bedroom home has risen to $ 10,000 in recent days.
“Hopefully there will be relief,” Royce said. “It’s something we may be able to skate and tackle as time goes on, but how many people can’t? A lot.”
Veronica Garcia, a Reliant Energy client in Mansfield, Texas, said the electricity bill for her one-bedroom apartment nearly doubled to $ 114 for her one-bedroom apartment.
“Hopefully, if they’re worthy, they won’t charge people for it, because we had no control over the situation,” said Garcia, who is an administrative member at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “I hope I can beat the charges and do the right thing.”
A Reliant Energy spokeswoman told NBC that it offers flexible bill payment options to support customers affected by the storm.
Griddy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.