Utility Bill Shock?

[SMS]

Heres the email I got from centercvpoint last night.


Thank you for your continued resiliency through the recent unprecedented winter weather event.

We want to send a big thank you to customers like you who helped us conserve natural gas to help the greater community. Your actions helped ensure the integrity of the natural gas system and enabled it to stay strong during a period of high demand.

Throughout this difficult time, CenterPoint Energy’s focus remained on ensuring that our customers had natural gas service by managing the need for natural gas supply in real time. Our natural gas systems performed well. As a result of this severe winter weather driven by the recent storm, you likely used more natural gas for home heating, which could mean a higher bill next month.

We understand the impact this may have, and we’re here to help. Please know, the Company is reviewing all available options and working closely with regulators on a state-by-state basis, as well as natural gas suppliers and pipelines, to lessen the bill impact to customers.

Again, couching it in the context of "we're trying to help YOU".

Centerpoint is a Fortune 500 company and, like OG&E, is a for-profit publicly traded entity that enjoys government protection from competition.

What they mean to say is they are working with regulators to try to lessen the impact on their profit and share prices after this event.

Again, I'm all for companies making profit, it's what keeps the economy moving and keeps people employed, but in the context of regulated essential utilities the goal should not be to protect profit/share prices.

 

[1shott]

Again, couching it in the context of "we're trying to help YOU".

Centerpoint is a Fortune 500 company and, like OG&E, is a for-profit publicly traded entity that enjoys government protection from competition.

What they mean to say is they are working with regulators to try to lessen the impact on their profit and share prices after this event.

Again, I'm all for companies making profit, it's what keeps the economy moving and keeps people employed, but in the context of regulated essential utilities the goal should not be to protect profit/share prices.

I don’t doubt any of that. I was only sharing a email they sent

 

[SlugSlinger]

Well, the estimate was dang close. The fuel cost per dth dropped, not sure how that could happen.

Did a quick check on my usage for the month.

For the month of January, which is the February billing date, there was 18.728 Dekatherms used. Reading my meter, I have used 25.7 Dekatherms so far in February. That equates to $98.15 for the cost of fuel based on the February customer fuel cost/Dth rate.

If the fuel cost remains the same, the variable portion of the bill will go from $71.52 to $98.15. However it's that rate of $3.819 that may be increased substantially due to the spot price of gas going off the charts. I keep hearing, the residential gas companies are going to try to spread out the temporary price increase over the year instead of all the increase hitting in February.

View attachment 194830

View attachment 194829


View attachment 194828

 

[O4L]

It looks like my usage has gone up about 30%. Total electric.

 

[steelfingers]

We may be in for a shock. What have you heard about upcoming increases in utility bills?
The Governor and various state administrators under him gave a presentation assuring everyone that they were doing their utmost to hold the increases down. One administrator was urging utility companies to cancel all automatic bill payment and go back to paper billing...so there would not be a rash of insufficient balance problems at banks.

Is that the same assuring speech I gave every girl I dated in High school.....with a few changes of course.

 

[AKguy1985]

My most recent bill was $178. The new one for the cold snap comes out the 18th. I'm honestly a little worried.

 

[MacFromOK]

We actually came out smellin' like a rose...

We have a 150 gallon propane tank, and I bought 100 gallons at $2.00 gal just before the blizzard arrived. We still have approx 48% in the tank.

We also ran several electric heaters on and off.

The electric bill for 2-1-21 to 3-1-21 is $134.13

And we never lost power, though it did hiccup enough one day to reboot one computer (of two that were running), and made the alarm clock in the bedroom start flashing.

And no frozen pipes.

Am very thankful.

 

[dennishoddy]

It’s concerning that some folks on here are amazed their electric Bill might go up with record cold temperatures.
Others don’t understand the OCC and how they regulate the states utilities, nor understand the difference in regulated utilities and unregulated utilities in the our state, but go ahead and complain.
If our utilities were not regulated your electric bills may have ran $10,000 for the month like some of the unregulated utilities did in Tx during the same period.
I just saw tonight that the courts have said the folks in Tx that chose to go with the unregulated electric will be required to pay. It may be appealed.

 

[BReeves]

How about a $335.00 water bill
My own fault, was hard to tell the difference between water from melting snow and what was running out from the busted line to my shop. Ran for 3 days before we got it shut off.

Electric was cose to normal but we heat mostly with propane. Spent close to $800.00 on propane in February but was both the house and shop plus I like it warm. House stays set at 78 and shop at 65.

 

[ICanFixIt]

I am disappointed that none of the media has done a story telling us exactly WHO is going to have a windfall profit from all of this insanity. ONG says they are estimating an additional $1.5 BILLION in fuel costs. That money is going to go somewhere, and I would like to know exactly where that is.
https://www.news9.com/story/6043050...illion-dollar-bill-from-february-winter-storm