AUSTIN, Texas — Starting this month, Austin Energy customers will start paying a bit more on their bills.
It's part of the rollout of cost changes put in place by the Austin City Council. The first was rolled out in March, when Austin Energy mandated a $13 base charge per month. In 2024, that will increase to $14, then go up another dollar in 2025.
As of Oct. 1, there is another change, but this one is a little smaller.
Customers will now pay 5% more for their power supply adjustment, or how much energy they use in their homes. For most users, that's about $1.88 per month, or about $22.50 per year.
This newest adjustment is called a pass through charge and the money goes back to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to cover other costs.
It's a small change, but in other regions across Texas, it can get to be in the hundreds.
"It is a lot of money. Never in any house I've lived in have I ever had a bill anywhere near that," Houston resident Dewayne Gossett said. "I feel sorry for us, I feel sorry for everybody. Some people can't afford it."
KVUE's news partners in southeast Texas report their pass through charges from Center Pointer Energy were raised on Sept. 1. Some of the people they spoke with saw their bill change by hundreds of dollars.
Now experts say the only thing those customers can do is use less energy or wait for the temperatures to drop.