In addition to the usual rise in summer power bills as it takes more juice to keep cool, a rate increase by the company that delivers the electricity likely will add a little more.
The Public Utility Commission this week granted CenterPoint Energy a $14.7 million rate increase, which the utility estimates will add $1.32, or about 1 percent, to the monthly bill for customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month and paying 10 cents per kilowatt-hour.
The rates would go into effect in July unless opponents can get another hearing.
CenterPoint operates the poles and lines that transmit electricity to more than 2 million Houston-area customers, regardless of what retail company sells them their electricity. The regulated monopoly charges retailers for transmitting power, and the providers, which compete in a deregulated market, decide how much to pass along to customers.
CenterPoint’s charges usually amount to about 30 percent of a bill.
Full article – No shock here: Your electric bill’s going up