Oncor, CenterPoint TDU Report Millions Remain Available For Retail Provider Reimbursement Under Texas Low-Income Smart Device Program

Oncor and CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric filed interim updates concerning the program under which Texas retail electric providers are reimbursed for providing no-cost programmable communicating thermostats (PCT) and in-home displays (IHD) to eligible low-income customers.

Under the program launched in January 2015, for providing an eligible low-income customer with an eligible programmable communicating thermostat (PCT) or in-home display (IHD) at no cost to the customer, a TDU reimburses the REP for the cost of a device up to a cap of $250, with an additional 25% for administrative costs, for a total reimbursement cap of $300 per device. For PCTs only, an additional $125 is reimbursed to cover the cost of installation.

Oncor reported that over $6 million remains available under the program to reimburse REPs. Oncor reported that from January 2015 to February 2016, REPs were reimbursed for some 11,000 devices (4,200 IHDs and 7,000 PCTs) provided to 8,300 customers.

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric reported that over $2.4 million remains available under the program to reimburse REPs. CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric reported that for the most recent reporting period only, from November 2015 to February 2016, REPs were reimbursed for some 4,800 devices (650 IHDs and 4,150 PCTs) provided to 4,000 customers.