Utilities want to shut off Texas residents who can't pay astronomical energy bills

[turbinetree]

By Sarah K. Burris
Published February 21, 2021

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First came astronomical bills, and next comes the shut-off for those who can't pay those bills.

On Thursday, Raw Story reported that one woman was sent a bill for over $202,000. While she was lucky to have her energy company tell her that it was a mistake, other Texans haven't been as lucky.

Power supplier Griddy told their 29,000 customers that they needed to stop using their services because they expected a spike. Some weren't able to handle it in time. Texan Royce Pierce said that he owed $7,000 for two days. A few days later, that grew to $10,434. Last year, at this time, he paid just $330 a month.

https://www.rawstory.com/utilities-texas-bills-shutoffs-storm/

Hey, Abbott, if you can take away ballot box drop off locations, why can't you stop this............

[LeftInTX]

1. All utility invoices have been suspended for the entire state

All autopay was stopped
Abbott says no disconnects for people who don't pay their bill.

[AllaN01Bear]

3. i posted my reaction before i saw your post . guess the gov got a earfull eh?

[ZonkerHarris]

11. he doesn't want a revolution in the streets.

[MustLoveBeagles]

4. I hope that the customers

Last edited Mon Feb 22, 2021, 09:56 PM - Edit history (1)

Who had their savings drained because of this get refunds.

[area51]

6. +1 n/t

[Hortensis]

17. Yes, or worst case that they're able to sue the state and utilities

for gross negligence and more and get reimbursed for these charges that way. In spite of the various shields protecting the state and providers from their victims. Guessing Abbott and the rest of those without a bottom to hit wouldn't want this in the courts and press for months. For self protection. But maybe they won't all feel they need protection?

Under the contracts customers agreed to and benefited from until this disaster, fluctuating and possibly soaring prices for electricity were the always-understood risk they assumed. AND Griddy did rush to warn them to switch utilities immediately. Unless released or amounts argued down, or the government assumes agreed-on costs as suggested, it would seem customers must fulfill their contracts. But, it also seems this situation must exceed all the reasonably foreseeable losses those agreements were based on and it directly results from extreme willful negligence by the state and utilities. And what else? Fraud?, ?, ?.

[Chicago1980]

5. It just insulting.

On the other hand, I wonder if all this mismanagement but the Republicans will help flip the state faster?

[Dopers_Greed]

7. This is by design

Build a rickety electrical grid on the cheap to maximize profits.

Then when it fails, price gouge.

[Politicub]

16. Cheap is the highest price of all.

I don’t remember who said that... Oscar Wilde, maybe.

[justgamma]

8. Do they have a choice of providers?

We are told who provides our energy. There are no alternatives here. No competition. I'm in Iowa.

[obamanut2012]

13. Yes, it's an unregulatd free-for-all

I have friends and relatives who live in Texas, and it's very used car saleman tactics.

[monkeyman1]

9. lived there ,couldn't fix a damn extension cord .

[AZ8theist]

10. As I said in a previous post, Biden needs to nationalize the Texas power companies.

And strip them of all billing ability until the crisis is solved.

Texas REPUKE Nazis are calling us SOCIALISTS anyway, so what's to lose?

MILLIONES of Texas citizens can be saved....

[smirkymonkey]

12. K&R

[JI7]

14. Would it destroy them if they just didn't charge people during these days of extreme cold weather

when things were not working ?

[Vinca]

15. I wonder what the benefits of this unregulated electric grid are supposed to be.

$330 a month is more than we pay in the northeast in our drafty, old, 18th century house. The whole thing sounds like something Vlad Putin would think up. Put one guy in control of power, make him rich and scoop up the cash because you know he'll keep his mouth shut because he likes his fat salary.