HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – After nearly 1 million people in Southeast Texas lost power due to last week’s storms, energy experts said restoration costs won’t be cheap, and even if you never lose your lights, they could pay for it.
Some Houstonians continue to wait for authority
CenterPoint Energy said 7,000 utility crews are racing to restore power to more than 100,000 in Southeast Texas. One place still in the dark is a north Houston neighborhood.
Despite the crew, CenterPoint maps show neighbors may not get power until Wednesday.
“I expect the worst and hope for the best,” Jack Taylor said. “I don’t expect it at the moment, but who knows?”
Taylor is one of the remaining CenterPoint customers without power — a resource he can’t wait to get started.
“The weather in Houston feels stale and wet,” Taylor explained. “The weather is coming inside.”
How a massive restoration effort might hit your bill
Taylor is one of 920,000 customers who lost power due to last week’s storms. Even if you never lose your lights, you could be affected.
Here’s how.
CenterPoint will evaluate the costs of the storm, which could impact future bills, said David Kinchen, Energy Ogre’s chief operating officer.
“This was a pretty big storm,” Kenshin said. “We still have a significant number of people without power. So, I assume there will be some level of improvement, but depending on the timing and the amount of money, we’re not sure what the impact it will be for us.” Our bills so far.”
The good news, experts say, is that the company is already weathering these storms, and you’re already paying for it.
“If you go to your bill, you’ll either have an all-in price, where it’s kind of built-in, or you’ll have a line item,” Kinchen explained. “You’ll see your energy charge, and you’ll see another item called ‘Scroll.’
RELATED: CenterPoint Energy launches interactive map to check estimated day of restoration in your area
The interactive, color-coded map allows users to zoom in to areas throughout the city and even enter specific addresses to see the estimated power restoration date for each area.
Why don’t we put power lines underground?
Taylor’s neighborhood has power distributed from above. That’s why crews were working to cut down trees and replace lines.
It’s a problem some neighborhoods don’t have because their lines are underground. If your level is higher, Kinchen said he doesn’t expect to switch anytime soon.
“Any time you need to move it a little farther, it’s always better to have it above ground,” Kinchin said. “Even if it means traffic, rehabilitation, tree trimming and all those other costs, it will be cheaper.”
That doesn’t mean it’s better either. Underground issues can be difficult to find, while aboveground issues are more obvious, Kinchen said.
Why energy experts say the storm may have a silver lining
In the air, this means trees could be a problem. ABC13 meteorologists said last week’s storm was the worst wind event for the Houston area since Hurricane Ike more than 15 years ago.
It was an event that could help before hurricane season begins.
“The trees that fell can’t fall again, and the trees that didn’t fall, hopefully they’ll be healthy, and maybe their impact will be a little less,” Kenshin explained.
As for this event, nearly all CenterPoint customers who lost power last week should have it back by Wednesday night.
Some are very excited to see crews on their streets because they spent six days without air conditioning, lights or appliances.
“He’s a bit sweaty and exhausted,” Taylor said. “So far, we’re doing our best.”
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