KHOU-TV CH-11 NEWS
HOUSTON, TEXAS (June 6, 2006 Transcript)
Families across our area can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars if they would only switch to anenergy provider that charges less.
But you know what, most people just won’t switch and we’ve wondered why. 11 News reporter Jeremy Diesel shows us what he’s uncovered.
You have the power to choose. Power that can literally save you hundreds of dollars a year on your bill.
But in the four years since electricity deregulation began in Texas only a little more than 25% of people in the Houston area have left Reliant Energy, even though the price it’s forced to charge is generally the highest.
Minnie Lee Coleman is like so many others. ” If it gets unbearable here I will cut it off and just sacrifice something else to pay my electric bill. Because paying half and part I don’t do that.” Last night she told us she’s willing to sacrifice. But not willing to leave Reliant for a cheaper price. “I don’t trust them. And that’s it.” But why?
Houston Mayor Bill White is hoping to educate. “They should not question reliability as far as keeping the lights on or what happens if there is a storm — who is going to turn back on the power.”
Here’s the deal, when deregulation happened five years ago, Reliant Energy divided into two completely separate companies. Reliant which sells power and Centerpoint which delivers it. CenterPoint owns the lines which carry power, maintain them and reads the meter no matter who your power provider is.
Come storm time, its CenterPoint which restores power to those who lose it. Not the power provider you pay. All of the power companies Reliant, TXU, Green Mountain, Commerce and more than a dozen others all put their power on the Texas grid. Its then used by everyone. Your meter read by CenterPoint shows the amount you used. CenterPoint forwards that information to your provider who bills you.
“Who you buy your power from does not affect the reliability of that power. But it can affect your bottom line.
Click here to see the video:
http://www.khou.com/sharedcontent/VideoPlayer/makeASX.php?title=www.khou.com/desel10_060406.wmv
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