Houston man charged for electricity usage during power outage – here's how to avoid common utility bill pitfalls

After a series of storms and tornadoes hit Houston in late May, more than 900,000 people were without power for several days.

Yet one resident, Craig Wolcott, received messages from Smart Meter Texas indicating he used 22.23 kilowatts of electricity on the Friday he lost power, and an additional 17 kilowatts on Saturday when he was still without electricity.

“The meters were dead,” he told KPRC 2 Click2Houston. “Nothing had power here.”

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As of March 2024, the cost of electricity has increased 3.6% over the past 12 months, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Additionally, Americans spend an average of $117 per month on electricity, not to mention $45 on water and about $62 on natural gas.

Here’s what went wrong in Wolcott’s case — and tips for avoiding skyrocketing utility bills in the future.

What exactly happened?

During its investigation, KPRC found that usage rates recorded by CenterPoint Texas, which owns Houston’s lines and meters, can take a few days to be recalibrated with real-time measurements. This likely explains why Wolcott saw inaccurate energy readings during a citywide power outage.

However, if Wolcott hadn’t signed up to receive notifications from Smart Meter Texas, the company that runs his power meter, there’s a good chance he would never have realized he was being billed in the first place.

The reporter who investigated this story, Amy Davis, said that she had not initially signed up for digital notifications herself. But after speaking with Wolcott, she turned hers on and was surprised by what she discovered.

“I was shocked on Saturday – when no one was home – at how much electricity I use just to keep my house at 78 degrees,” she said during her report.

When Wolcott first noticed the usage disparity, he called his electricity provider, Gexa Energy.

“(They) said, ‘We had nothing to do with this. We just charge for what we’re told to use,” he told KPRC 2. The outlet reported that CenterPoint is the one that informs Gexa what to charge its customers.

CenterPoint representative Alyssia Oshodi appeared on the KRPC show to tell viewers not to worry if they see usage disparities for a few days. The system uses automatic reporting and sometimes it only takes a few days to calibrate actual usage.

“The system will go back and basically query the data and be able to get the correct — in this case — no usage that actually occurred,” she explained.

She added that customers should call their utility company if the numbers are still off after a week.

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How to Avoid Paying More on Your Utility Bills

Keeping tabs on how you use utilities can not only make you aware of possible mishaps, as in Wolcott’s case, but it can also inspire you to limit your usage and reduce your bills.

For example, finding other ways to keep your home cool during the summer months – without requiring turning on your air conditioner – can help you save money.

Furnaces can heat a home quickly. As a solution, consider cooking with appliances such as slow cookers, microwaves, and toaster ovens for energy-saving options. If possible, preparing the majority of your meals in the evening when cooler temperatures arrive will also help.

A ceiling fan can also make a room cooler and only uses about 10% of the energy of an air conditioner.

Additionally, CNN reported that drinking water, even lukewarm water, is an easy and cost-effective way to stay cool without having to turn on the air conditioner.

For laundry, use cold water and wash full loads instead of several small loads to save energy.

New windows and doors will also go a long way in helping you reduce costs. Having properly sealed doors and windows reduces energy loss. In fact, heat gain or loss can account for 25-30% of your home’s heating and cooling costs.

Although replacing these items can be a costly endeavor, it could be worth the price in the long run. Otherwise, consider checking for broken seals around doors or windows that can be easily repaired after a quick trip to the hardware store.