As if freezing for days and living with power outrages weren’t bad enough, some Texans now have to deal with the steep financial consequences from the storm. The latest blow came via the electricity bills, some of which have reached outrageous sums that can reach $US5,000 ($6,353) or even $US17,000 ($21,600) for just a few days.
Customers of the power supplier Griddy have expressed despair and frustration over these bills in the aftermath of one of the worst winter storms to hit the state in recent years. Griddy offers its customers wholesale variable plans with rates per kilowatt-hour tied to market prices, which rose to their maximum state-imposed cap of $US9,000 ($11,435) a megawatt-hour for five days this week. At times, plans like those offered by Griddy mean that customers save money when the cost of energy is low. However, when prices go up, it can mean trouble.
These types of plans are not the norm; most Texans have fixed-rate energy plans. In comparison, Griddy has 29,000 customers.
Ty Williams, a Griddy customer from Arlington, told a local Fox affiliate that he and his family were lucky because they never lost power during the storm. Apparently, that luck did not come cheap: Griddy charged him $US17,000 ($21,600) for five days of use.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, another Griddy customer said she got a bill of $US5,000 ($6,353) for usage since last Saturday for her 2,700-square-foot house, according to the Dallas Morning News. The outlet reported that another Griddy customer was also stuck with a $US5,000 ($6,353) bill for his 900-square-foot, two-story townhouse.
Social media was also full of screenshots and accounts of astronomical Griddy bills.
Updated Griddy bill! 1300 sq ft. Heat set at 60, no laundry, no running dishwasher, no stove/oven cooking, only used air fryer , lights off during the day candles at night most of the time , Tv on some. Some how they say I used 1772 khw. $5,000 @wfaa @FOX4 pic.twitter.com/r1eidadyur
— kat and tony (@katandtonyT) February 20, 2021
.@GoGriddy has hiked my mother’s electric bill from $2,047 up to $6,088. I don’t know how we are going to get through this. Griddy needs to take responsibility for their failure and forgive this bill. They are putting people’s lives in danger. #Griddy #GriddyGreed pic.twitter.com/dRCGkdJk1P
— Eva Allyn Taylor (@evaallyntaylor) February 19, 2021
It’s nice too see that my old electric company is trending. My Griddy bill for this month is $1,750. I work retail. I can’t afford this. pic.twitter.com/Ew9VpgJ6h2
— WOW????NO????COW (@nathanpolk) February 20, 2021
Last weekend, Griddy warned its customers that it was expecting significantly higher prices in the near future. It even told all of them that they should switch to another provider.
But that was easier said than done. Williams, the Griddy customer from Arlington, stated that he tried to switch providers but that he was told making the change would take at least a week. Griddy customers who spoke the Morning News reported similar experiences. Fox reported that Williams was finally able to switch at the end of this week.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called an emergency meeting on Saturday with other state officials to discuss the spike in energy bills.
“It is unacceptable for Texans who suffered through days in the freezing cold without electricity or heat to now be hit with skyrocketing energy costs,” Abbott said in a statement. “To protect families, I am actively working with the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House and members of the Legislature to develop solutions to ensure that Texans are not on the hook for unreasonable spikes in their energy bills.”
At the moment, it’s unclear whether Texans will be able to get help for their sky-high electric bills. There is one option on the table: a federal block grant that the state recently received that includes relief for utility bills. We tried to learn more about the grant from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs website, which Texans should check, but it was down on Saturday.
Griddy on Friday said it was seeking relief from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the entity that operates the state’s electrical grid and manages the deregulated energy market.
“On Tuesday, Griddy began engaging with ERCOT and the [Public Utility Commission of Texas] seeking customer relief. Griddy is continuing these efforts and is committed to crediting customers for any relief received, dollar-for-dollar,” the company said.
It also claimed, strangely, that “customers who had left to avoid the non-market prices quickly requested to re-enroll and return to our platform.” Considering the prices seen this week, that’s kind of hard to believe. Yet, if it is true, it is even more alarming that Texans are still being allowed to sign up for plans like those offered by Griddy.
Gizmodo reached out to Griddy for comment, but we did not receive a response from the company. We did receive an automated response that informed us that Griddy has a deferred payment plan option to help members pay off negative balances over time in installments and ensure their power doesn’t get cut off. It wasn’t comforting.