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Updated February 22nd, 2021 at 17:53 IST

'Prevent this injustice': Ted Cruz denounces sky-high electricity bills sent to Texans

United States (US) Senator for Texas Ted Cruz on February 22 voiced disagreement over some Texans receiving large bills from the electricity provider Griddy.

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
Texas
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United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz on February 22 voiced disagreement over some Texans receiving large bills from the electricity provider Griddy, which only operates in the state that was recently struck by unusually icy weather. While millions of Texans were left without power for several days, the sky-high electricity bills have added to the misery. As per the Associated Press report, the surge in pricing is impacting the people who have chosen to pay wholesale prices for their power, which is traditionally cheaper than paying fixed rates during good weather but can surge when the demand for electricity is high. 

While Cruz asked for state regulators to take action against the ‘injustice’, the wholesale electricity prices are doomed to fluctuate according to demand. As the natural as pipelines and wind turbines froze up in Texas, the available power became scarce opposing the demand for electricity. 

According to Joshua Rhodes, an energy research associate at the University of Texas, this caused the wholesale prices to shoot up. The media outlet gave an example of Susan Hosford of Denison, Texas who pays Griddy on a typical February day less than $2.50 for power. However, the one-day cost spiked to hundreds of dollars after the storm, charging her $1,346.17 for the first two weeks of February.

“This whole thing has been a nightmare,” she said.

Read - 'I Was Like Wow': Texas Shopkeeper Finds Cash Left By Customers Who Took Water Bottles

Read - Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Donate To Texas Women's Shelter Damaged In Winter Storm

Texas crisis

Meanwhile, Texas is known for its sprawling deserts and excruciating heatwaves, however, right now, the US state is blanketed in a thick layer of ice. Power outages, caused by a combination of high demand, power plants crippled by the weather, and a grid that is cut off from the rest of the country, have left millions of people shivering in the dark.

The state is seeing some of its coldest temperatures in more than 30 years, with some areas even breaking records that are more than a century old. Water problems have impacted about 14.3 million residents out of a total population of around 29 million, as officials distribute fresh water and food to thousands of people. 

Read - Pizza Delivered To Storm Impacted Texas Residents

Read - Texas: Shutdowns Led To Oil Refineries Release Tons Of Air Pollutants
 

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Published February 22nd, 2021 at 17:56 IST

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