Par4QC
we have had the same, especially at the rural cottage and my experience is the same. Bills not impacted, but have almost always been on a fixed rate
ok, I googled it and here is a write up from yeterday that might explain why. seems a few things at play but deregulation being cited as the main reason. I dont understand the 10,000 percent increase , seems excessive based on increased commodity cost alone
""Ahead of the storms, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages about 90 percent of the state’s electric load, underestimated how much power it would need. Because Texas is the only state in the Lower 48 that operates an independent electric grid, it could not receive help from neighboring states. Supply could not keep up with demand, leading the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which regulates Texas utility rates, to raise energy prices in an emergency meeting Monday.
On the same day, the wholesale price of electricity spiked more than 10,000 percent, leaving many Texans with dizzying bills in the wake of the storms — ranging from four digits to one for more than $17,000.""
""The state’s unregulated market allows customers to pick their utility providers, with some offering plans that allow users to pay wholesale prices for power. Variable plans can be attractive to customers in better weather, when the bill may be lower than fixed-rate ones. Customers can shift their usage to the cheapest periods, such as nights. But when the wholesale price increases, the variable plan becomes the worst option.""