Preparing for High Summer Prices

May, 1, 2018 

What Frontier Utilities wants its prepaid electricity customers to know about high prices this summer?

Texas electricity consumers face substantially more risk of high prices this summer as a result of high demand and low power supply. Officials are warning consumers to brace themselves. “We are going into a summer where people are going to be paying a lot, potentially paying a lot more,” said Brandy Marty Marquez, Public Utility Commissioner, as reported in the Houston Chronicle.

Texas summers are typically very hot and so high summer electricity usage and high bills are no new surprise. However, this summer Texas residents should expect higher electricity supply rates than in most past summers and should budget accordingly. Prepaid electricity plans are variable rate plans and the rates for July and August will be higher than you are used to. Frontier Utilities does not wish for you to be surprised by how quickly your account balance is depleted.

For an example, if in past summers it cost a prepaid electricity customer $30 for week’s electricity, then for this summer with much higher prices, that customer will have to pay about $90 for a week’s supply. This is only an estimate; each customer’s usage varies but all customers will experience higher prices; so for a given prepayment amount you will not get as far - the number of days of electricity service will be significantly less than what you are used to.

 What can you do?

• Budget for high electricity costs (put money aside now)
• Regularly check your balance to see how many days you have left
• Reduce your energy consumption. Ensure your air conditioner is turned off (or above 85 degrees) when you are not home and when you are home ensure that your air conditioner thermostat is set to the highest temperature that you can be comfortable with (ideally higher than 75 degrees).

• Electric Bill Payment Assistance resources can be found at Texas Health and Human Services http://www.211texas.org/search, and at the site for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/community-affairs/ceap/index.htm