Texas Electric Complaints at Lowest Levels Since Market Open

The total volume of electric complaints filed by consumers with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) in Calendar Year 2011 was the lowest level recorded since the competitive market opened in 2002, Regulatory Compliance Services said in an annual report.

Regulatory Compliance Services, an Austin, Texas based consulting firm, also said that complaints decreased by 30% from 2010 volumes.

"It is likely that continued low prices coupled with increased customer familiarity with the workings of the competitive electric market are responsible for the drop in complaint volumes," Regulatory Compliance Services said.

According to Regulatory Compliance Services, the PUCT staff informally determined that REPs may have violated commission rules on approximately 11% of the complaints investigated in 2011, which is a slight increase from last year's violation rate.

Billing issues accounted for 2,964 of the REP complaints received related to retail electric service which is a decrease of over 35% from the 2010 volume. Of the 2,964 billing complaints received by the Commission, 2,767 were investigated. Of those billing complaints that were investigated, approximately 13% were closed with the informal finding that a rule violation may have occurred.

Regulatory Compliance Services publishes a year-end report which includes a summary of all electric complaints, and analyzes trends at play in calendar year 2011 as they relate to these complaints, and presents a summary listing of complaints received by complaint category for each REP in calendar year 2011.