As cold weather arrives each winter, electricity usage increases.  When these higher electric bills arrive, many folks begin to ask, “Is there something wrong?  Did Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative raise its rate?  Did I just use too much energy?” 

 

High bills are the direct result of high energy usage.  DETEC Member Service Representatives are always happy to assist you with your billing questions, but you may start by considering these factors to better understand your energy usage:

 

Review the Billing Period covered -

Think back to the month in questioning.  Member bills dated February 1^st covered the billing period of December 21^st – January 21^st.  If you will recall, these dates cover the Christmas and New Year’s holidays - Did you have extra guests in your home over the holidays?  Did you have a few extra days home while off work during the holiday?  In addition during this period, the Deep East Texas area experienced 20 days that recorded below average temperatures, with 10 of these days being at or below freezing. 

 

This bitter cold, accompanied by the holidays and more guests in the home, likely prompted families to remain home during periods when they might otherwise adjust their thermostats downward.  It is important to remember that unlike many of your other needs - electricity is paid for after it is consumed. 

 

Compare your energy usage to the prior year’s usage for that month –

No two households use energy the same way, so comparing your energy bill to your neighbor’s is like comparing apples to oranges.  In addition, comparing your bill to the prior month does not reflect the changes in season and weather.  Instead, compare your usage to the prior year’s usage for that month.  This 13-month history is provided to you each month and is shown as bar chart on your bill. 

 

Is my bill a true electric bill?

Check to be sure that your bill is a true higher than average electric bill.  Are there other charges or fees beyond just my energy usage on this bill - such as deposits, connection or disconnect fees, returned check fees, etc.? 

 

Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative bills consist of three parts:  your kilowatt usage, energy charge and the power cost adjustment.

1.       Your kilowatt usage - On your bill you will see a space that indicates your total "Kilowatt Usage."  This is the present meter reading minus the previous meter reading to equal total kilowatts used during the billing period.  Your kilowatt usage is controlled solely by you, the consumer.

 

2.       Energy Charge - To calculate the "Energy Charge," your Kilowatt Usage is multiplied by our Residential Rate of 8.25 cents per kilowatt.  After you multiple the rate by your Kilowatt Usage, a flat $15 is added as a "Customer Charge."  The Customer Charge covers all costs associated with bringing power to your home such as expenses to maintain and read the meter, poles, electric lines, etc. - everything that must be in place for you to have electricity.  Unlike your kilowatt usage, DETEC does control the Residential Rate.  Because DETEC’s primary goal is to provide power at the lowest cost possible, the Residential Rate has been in effect and has remained unchanged since 2009. 

 

3.       Power Cost Adjustment - Below the "Energy Charge," you will see "PCA" followed by a rate.  The PCA is the Power Cost Adjustment.  Like DETEC members, the cooperative also receives a power bill.  The PCA factor is an adjustment to the wholesale power cost DETEC pays for their power supply.  When the power supplier's costs increase due to items such as fuel, renewable energy, environmental (EPA) and regulatory issues, the costs are passed to DETEC. DETEC then must pass those costs through to members on a per kWh basis as the power cost adjustment.  The PCA only collects costs associated with purchased or generated power.  It does not contain any costs associated with supplying the power to your meter or DETEC’s operating costs.  With this in mind, it is important to understand that the PCA is a charge that DETEC has no direct control over.

 

High bills are troubling even at the best of times – we too are members and also must pay our bills – thus we do truly understand the frustration and stress a high bill can cause.  Member Service representatives are always available to discuss your bill and payment options with you, but in order to assist you as best as possible, please call the office once you realize that you may need to make payment arrangements prior to your bill due date.

 

Although there are many things that co-op members can do to reduce their electricity usage during cold weather and save money on their power bill, we’ve tried to list the most helpful -

 

·         Use Space Heaters Sparingly

-          Space heaters are great to warm one portion of a room, but they do not have circulating fans to accommodate entire rooms (or homes) efficiently.  Using a space heater for 12 hours in a day can increase your electric bill by as much as $2 - $3 per day (or $60 to $90 per month).

 

·         Turn down your thermostat

-          Keeping your thermostat setting around 68 degrees during the winter time and using more blankets and clothing can make a very large difference in your electric bill.

-          On cold nights, even though your house temperature is constant, your heater has to make up the difference between a low or dropping outside temperature.

-          Turning down your thermostat can save you up to 3-5% per degree on your heating bill.

-          Even if you are gone from your home for extended periods of time, your furnace continues to run and will run more often during periods of cold weather.  This can significantly increase your monthly heating bill, even in your absence.

 

·         Keep shades and curtains open during the day on the south side of your home to allow solar heating. Close them at night to retain heat.

 

·         Close the fireplace damper when not in use.

 

·         Install an insulating water heater jacket

-          The water coming into your pipes is much colder and requires more energy to warm it to the proper temperature.

-          The amount of insulation in the sides of a water heater is insufficient during the winter months.  If you don’t add insulation, the heating element has to run much more often to maintain the water temperature.

 

You may also check out www.TogetherWeSave.com for more information on what you can do to keep your monthly electric bills affordable.

 

For questions about your bill or if you are having difficulty making a payment, call and discuss it with one of Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative’s  Member Service Representatives.

 

Local: 936-229-4000

Toll-Free: 1-866-392-2547