TCAP Says Texas Electric Complaints Fall for Second Straight Year

The Texas Coalition for Affordable Power released an analysis of electric complaints to the Public Utility Commission of Texas showing that the FY 2012 total was the lowest number of electric complaints in Texas in seven years.

Link to TCAP Report

"Complaints are down this year, which suggests Texans are becoming more comfortable with their electric service — but this doesn’t suggest that there’s not more to be done," said Dr. Randy Moravec, TCAP executive director. "This new analysis shows that contract confusion, billing disputes and other problems remain common. We urge PUC commissioners and state lawmakers to do all they can to ensure that consumers come first in this market."

All told, the PUC received 8,558 electric complaints during the 2012 fiscal year, which is about 10 percent fewer than those received in FY 2011. The downward trend is a continuation of one that began in 2010, and parallels a drop in energy prices associated with changes in the natural gas commodity market, TCAP said.

The PUC in FY 2012 received the third fewest number of electricity related complaints since electric deregulation began roughly 10 years ago, TCAP said.

TCAP noted an increase in complaints relating to switch holds. The PUC recorded a nearly six-fold increase in such complaints, from 44 in FY 2011 to 303 in FY 2012. The PUC fiscal year is the 12 months ending August 31, and switch holds were only introduced in June 2011, and thus were in place for only a limited time during FY 2011.

Switch hold complaints also outstripped those relating to the installation of advanced meters, TCAP said.