BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC: NO HIKE IN RATES DUE TO WINTER STORM
MEMBERS SHOULD EXPECT ELECTRIC BILLS SIMILAR TO 'HOT SUMMER MONTHS'
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative says its electric rates will not increase as a result of last week’s historic winter weather.
The cooperative said in an online Question and Answer post that while some Texans are experiencing an increase in rates due to the storm, Bluebonnet has power supply contracts in place that are meant to protect members from price volatility in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) wholesale power market.
Members’ electric bills are made up by the price per kilowatt hour and how much electricity they use. Bluebonnet said the price for electricity rarely changes, but the cold spell caused members to use more electricity than they would during a normal February. Therefore, it said members should expect to see bills “similar to ones they normally see during hot summer months,” such as July and August.
Bluebonnet’s electric distribution rate is used to calculate about half of a residential member’s bill, with the other half being the power supply portion. At this time, according to Bluebonnet, the rate for the power supply portion will not increase. However, it will likely be several months before ERCOT and the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), Bluebonnet’s wholesale power provider, finalize wholesale market payments. As such, Bluebonnet said it “will not know the final impact of this event for some time.”
Bluebonnet said it is available to help members who need assistance with their electric bills. Members are invited to visit www.bluebonnet.coop/assistance or call Bluebonnet’s Member Services at 800-842-7708, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.