Electricity

BY MATTHEW YBARRA

Managing editor

Record-setting temperatures in Texas has the community searching for relief by cranking down the air-conditioning. Electricity costs are anticipated to rise in the summer, but electric bills doubling, and in some instances tripling, have Texans scrambling for answers. It isn’t just one electric company sending out higher bills, multiple electric companies throughout the state are having to charge their customers higher rates. Reasoning provided by electric companies is the WPCA, Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment, which refl ects the cost of fuel needed to produce electricity in Texas.

The power market in Texas is controlled by the Texas Public Utility Commission (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The PUCT is the regulating authority and ERCOT ensures there is enough power being generated to meet the demand of Texan consumers.

Electric companies such as MidSouth said they have absorbed the increased fuel charges, based on market projections indicating natural gas prices would drop before June, the start of summer. As the natural gas price continued to rise in June, Mid-South determined they could no longer absorb the cost. MIdSouth issued a release that described several contributing factors for the WPCAspike.

• The Texas Power Market began operating much more conservatively after the electricity shortage during Winter Storm Uri. ERCOT now holds more electricity in reserve to aid during times of disaster. Holding onto this extra power has a cost associated with it. However, the hope is it will be more stable for all of us in the future.

• European countries are currently banning the importation of natural gas from Russia, due to its invasion of Ukraine. As the largest natural gas-producing state in the U.S., Texas has been exporting natural gas to other countries at a higher price than what it would sell for here. This contributes to the decreased supply while in high demand.

• Due to Federal Regulations, drilling for natural gas has slowed down. While unable to harvest more natural gas, the shortage drives the price higher.

Although the current WPCA charges are not permanent, no one is predicting how long the effects will last and how many more high electricity bills the community will have to endure.

An internet search can reveal money saving tips, ways to conserve electricity etc. But what about immediate relief from high-electric bills? A lot of people simply don’t have the budget to compensate the electricity spike – but the alternative is dark and doesn’t allow for relief from the heat.

Electric companies are offering ways to ease the burden – including payment assistance programs. There are various programs available, but they likely have qualifying factors.

Entergy Texas released the following statement on their website: To ease the pain of higher energy bills, Entergy Texas is implementing a series of measures to help our residential customers and communities through the high usage summer months, including:

• Entergy Texas is crediting all residential customers any credit card fees assessed for the months of July, August and September.

• No late payment fees are charged for Texas residential customers.

• Organizing employee volunteers to conduct energy efficiency and weatherization events in select neighborhoods.

Entergy Texas is also offering payment extensions, deferred payment arrangements and other options. For more information visit https://www. entergy-texas.com/bill-help/ or call 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-- 368-3749). MidSouth has a link on their website that lists agencies that may be able to assist with electric bill payments, https://midsouthelectric.com/ financial-assistance-notice/. For more information call 936-- 825-5100.