L feel blind-sided by Dynowatt (and other electricity providers) because before April, I never heard of variable vs. Fixed rate when it came to electricity companies. I received my bill in the mail in April informing me that I could sign up for their fixed rate of $16.8 or something like that. Why in the world would I want to do that when I was paying an average of 12 cents per kwh?
It feels like they actually did this in timing with the receipt of our incentive checks if you are getting one. They got my family's check. My bill was $200 in April. It was $954.46 in June! Yes, we had used twice as much electricity with my son home for the summer. I have always been afraid to open my electricity bill. This one made me stutter for a week.
I called and wrote Dynowatt. They informed me that I had used twice as much (duh) and that no it was not a typo. I asked why they couldn't have sent a warning and the rep said that they would have no idea that was coming. I said that was a lie and in any event they should have done better by their long-term customers.
I wrote the PUC, the state senators, representatives, attorney general, BBB, newspapers, radios. (All I got out of the latter two were increased advertisements for energy conserving services like radeon (or whatever) for the attic and Freeze 22 for the air conditioning units.) There's nothing you can do but attempt to find a new provider offering a FIXED rate. Be careful. It's like the stock market. The best prices are for the longer terms of 2 years but if the prices go back down, you are stuck. Right now that doesn't seem likely but it could happen. It feels like we're being corralled in and there's nothing to do but run with the herd and do the best you can.
I was told by all of the above contacts that Texas electricity is generated by natural gas. I thought Texas was the natural gas, oil, everything from the earth, capital of America. I also thought we used coal. Oh well. It seems we should not be paying this rate. I also discovered that all of Texas was not deregulated. West Texas has not received the rates that we are paying in the upper teens to mid twenties.
I could ramble on and on but I am so furious over the lack of protection consumers are receiving. Nothing and no way to fight. The middle and lower class are being beaten into the dust with nowhere to go.
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