Utility disconnections

Houstonian Sandra Edwards, who lost power for four days during the blackout, started getting electric bills this spring that are almost double what they used to be. That’s because electricity has its own supply chain — and everybody needs to get paid.

The San Antonio Water System paused disconnections in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. It's estimated there are now more than 65,000 accounts with overdue bills totaling over $53 million for the city-owned utility company.

“Nobody should be in that kind of heat because their power has been removed,” Betty Gregory said. “That’s violence. That’s spraying me with guns, if you turn off my power and turn your back. I'm serious. I’m very serious. This heat is not playing.”

The Public Utility Commission of Texas has implemented a ban on utility cutoffs for consumers who don’t pay their bills. The move does not apply to cooperatives or to municipality-owned utilities like CPS in San Antonio or Austin Energy.