TEXAS, USA — It's no secret that most people can use more energy in extreme temperatures.
This past summer, the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) continuously shared peak-demand records for homeowners.
Last week, 6 News received an email from a customer of Oncor, an electric delivery service, saying the following:
"Oncor just raised their delivery charge 1.2 cents during energy crisis over last month... And it doesn't seem like a lot, but with over three million customers, they just made millions from Texas residents who are already struggling, and doing it during the hottest part of the year is a tactic to make a lot of money."
So, lets verify!
THE QUESTION
Did Oncor raise rates for customers?
OUR SOURCE
THE ANSWER
Yes, Oncor did raise their rates for customers after Sept. 1, but the company says this is pretty routine.
WHAT WE FOUND
Oncor says that for residential customers, the charge is a fixed amount of $4.23 and an additional charge of the amount of electricity used each month.
However, seasonal use and demand do play a factor.
According to Oncor, the rates usually increase in September and decrease the following March.
"Texas transmission and distribution utilities, including Oncor, have routine rate adjustments to recover investments in infrastructure and equipment," Oncor says.
Right now, the company says that average residential customers will see about a $15 increase on the Oncor portion of their bill.
Their services are only a portion of your monthly electric bill. Oncor's job is to provide transmission and distribution services to utility companies.
The company makes it clear as it states, "Oncor doesn't generate power or bill retail customers directly. Customers buy electricity from their Retail Electric Provider, or REP, and receive their bill from that REP."
Oncor says it is committed to meeting the ongoing needs of customers across in its service area. Oncor also says it recognizes the impact of rising expenses for its customers and remains focused on making appropriate and necessary investments in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
To view more on Oncor, visit here.
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