These days, every little penny adds up. So when yet another utility company hikes up fees, even just a little, it can make a difference. I’ll explain what you can expect from the latest fee. Plus, utility work is causing frustration in one neighborhood. I’ll look into what you should know before a utility company starts digging in your backyard.
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New fee will soon be added to gas bills
You may have gotten the notice that a new fee is being considered for your gas bill. This is just the latest utility bill you can expect to pay more on. I’m looking into what this will mean for your money.
A viewer sent us an email she got from CenterPoint Energy about an “Interim Rate Adjustment.” We asked CenterPoint what this means for your bill.
CenterPoint Energy told us they filed a “Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program” (GRIP) application with the Railroad Commission of Texas.
This fee recovers money CenterPoint invested in the natural gas distribution system.
- If approved, customer bills will increase by $2.47 a month.
- That’s about $30 a year you’ll be paying.
- The proposed effective date is May 1.
- Customers in Houston and 35 surrounding cities will be impacted.
We asked CenterPoint how long this rate will be increased and does the fee ever go back down if CenterPoint recoups the money.
A spokesperson said the adjusted customer charge will be in effect until it is updated in a future filing or base rate proceeding with the Railroad Commission. You can check out the FAQ about this fee here.
Another series of rate hikes for the Houston water department kicked in this month. You can expect an average of about a 15% increase on your next bill. Learn more about the Houston water department rate hikes here.
What can I do about the mess a utility company left behind?
One of the most common complaints we hear is utility companies working in neighborhoods and leaving damage or messes behind. Even identifying which company is responsible can be a challenge, much less trying to get them to clean up after themselves.
Our KPRC 2 Investigates team has some information to try and make it easier.
In this week’s Ask Amy episode, we dive into the top questions you’ve been asking about neighborhood utility work.