Watchdog: This week is Legislature's last chance for Texas electricity reform | Watchdog Column | DFW Investigations | Dave Lieber | Problem Solver
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Watchdog
Watchdog: This week is Legislature's last chance for Texas
electricity reform
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Dave Lieber
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Watchdog
Published: 07 March 2015 10:48 PM
Updated: 07 March 2015 11:08 PM
In five days, Texas electricity companies will win. Again.
Friday is the deadline for state lawmakers to introduce bills for 2015 passage. Only one lawmaker last week
introduced anything resembling my idea for a Retail Electricity Reform Act of 2015.
Without the rest of the package, electric companies will get to jerk Texans around for another two years with
marketing campaigns that are often deceptive when it comes to price comparisons and costs.
All is not lost. Four of my five bills are introduced, and you can help get them passed by taking a moment to
show your support. Here’s an update.
Electricity reform
My proposal would eliminate minimum usage penalties and force all companies to advertise their full
kilowatt-hour price and delivery charge when marketing. Let’s tighten rules for door-to-door salesmen and
also regulate disconnection fees, cancellation fees and other fees that are often too high.
These are not my ideas. They are actually yours — based on complaint letters received by The Watchdog in
recent years.
“The current system is awful,” Jack P. writes. “It’s difficult, confusing and misleading.”
“All of these hidden costs keep the retired, the elderly, the less fortunate paying more than they should,” Linda
B. says. “The game playing with rates posted on the state website (powertochoose.org) makes me crazy.”
“What happens is one company sees how to make more money and the others copy,” Steven says.
http://www.dallasnews.com/investigations/watchdog/20150307-watchdog-last-week-for-electricity-reform-in-texas.ece[3/9/2015 8:44:26 AM]
Watchdog: This week is Legislature's last chance for Texas electricity reform | Watchdog Column | DFW Investigations | Dave Lieber | Problem Solver
“I have always tried to conserve electricity, and then was amazed when I was charged more per kilowatt hour,”
Deborah says.
Fortunately, Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, considered a state expert on consumer electricity issues,
introduced House Bill 2254. This beauty bans electricity companies from forcing customers to pay cash
penalties if they don’t use a certain amount of power each month. For everyone who has complained about
this, here’s your chance to give Turner your support.
Email: Sylvester.Turner@house.state.tx.us.
Address: P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768
Roofer’s license
Rep. Kenneth Sheets, R-Dallas, filed the Roofing Contractor Consumer Protection Act. HB 1488 creates a
voluntary registration system operated by the Texas Department of Insurance.
Roofers could call themselves registered roofing contractors. They would be listed on a state website with
their contact information and any disciplinary actions against them.
Although I sought a state license in my original proposal, I realize that this compromise gives consumers an
added layer of protection before they hire a roofer. The bill would make it a crime to disclose in writing
whether they carry liability insurance.
Contact Rep. Sheets and let him know what you think about his bill.
Email: Kenneth.Sheets@house.state.tx.us.
Address: P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768
Fingerprinting
After The Watchdog’s revelations about the Texas Department of Public Safety’s illegal fingerprinting of
Texans applying for a driver’s license or state ID card, legislative pressure last month shut down the practice.
Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, told a legislative committee last week: “Quite simply, members, this
is government overreach and intrusion into the personal privacy of Texans. The state should not be taking a
full set of fingerprints of citizens who are not suspected of committing a crime.”
Now lawmakers are trying to make it clear in state law that fingerprints and other biometric measurements
should not be taken from innocent people.
Schwertner filed SB 398 which states that DPS can only take a thumbprint or, if not possible, one index finger.
Email: Charles.Schwertner@senate.state.tx.us.
Address: P.O. Box 12068, Austin, TX 78711
State Rep. Jodie Laubenberg, R-Parker, filed HB 1983, which prohibits governments from taking blood, hair
and skin samples, DNA samples or body scans from people not under investigation. Sen. Van Taylor, RPlano, introduced a similar bill on the Senate side, SB 628.
Email: Jodie.Laubenberg@house.state.tx.us.
Address: P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768
Email: Van.Taylor@senate.state.tx.us.
Address: P.O. Box 12068, Austin, TX 78711
Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, filed HB 871 which requires DPS to destroy fingerprints it captured for the
http://www.dallasnews.com/investigations/watchdog/20150307-watchdog-last-week-for-electricity-reform-in-texas.ece[3/9/2015 8:44:26 AM]
Watchdog: This week is Legislature's last chance for Texas electricity reform | Watchdog Column | DFW Investigations | Dave Lieber | Problem Solver
past year.
Email: Tony.Tinderholt@house.state.tx.us.
Address: P.O. Box 2910, Austin, TX 78768
Card surcharges
Schwertner filed a second Watchdog bill. (Thank you, senator!) HB 642 penalizes vendors who add illegal
surcharges to payments with a debit or credit card. The penalty is a $1,000 fine for each violation. Currently,
the practice is illegal but regulators have no real enforcement powers.
Auto insurance questions
Under current law, an auto insurance company can raise your premiums for up to five years if you merely ask
a question about your policy but never file a claim. Insurers claim that asking questions shows a company
that a driver may be more accident-prone.
Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, filed SB 188 and SB 189 to make this illegal.
Email: Kirk.Watson@senate.state.tx.us.
Address: P.O. Box 12068, Austin, TX 78711.
Let these lawmakers know they are not alone as they battle lobbyists paid big bucks to thwart these efforts.
This week is our last chance to jolt lawmakers on electricity reform. Please help charge them up. I’ve put light
on the subject. But it’s still very dark.
Staff writer Marina Trahan Martinez contributed to this report.
Follow Dave Lieber on Twitter at @Dave Lieber.
Check out The Watchdog Mondays on NBC5 at 11:20 a.m. talking about matters important to you.
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6 Comments
Henry
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35 minutes ago
The Texas Legislature is bought and paid for by lobbyists. There won't be any consumer protection
legislation passed on anything.
Reply Share
Scott K
0
0
16 hours ago
What is so hard about doing simple mathematics? All the info is there. Reply Share
Larri
1
0
16 hours ago
The article is full of reasons to NEVER vote for republicons, who are out to protect Big Business at any
costs to consumers and to line their own pockets.
We needed Governor Wendy Davis, instead we have "tree fell on me and I sue" guy.
Reply Share
William
3
2
17 hours ago
My city DeSoto, Texas charges a $60.00 fee to have a residential electric service reconnected. Having
worked in the electrical industry I thought this is extremely excessive. Your REP will not send an order to
ONCOR to reconnect without the City’s approval.
I spoke with a City Utility supervisor to see what an electric customer gets for the $60.00. He says they
inspect to see if the meter is still mounted securely to the residence and if the service drop is OK. Then I
started to ask questions which he had no adequate answers. Do they have authority to break the meter
seal and inspect connectors, what do they inspect if the service is underground. Do they inspect inside of
the residence. When I suggested this fee has more to do with revenue than safety the conversation ended
very quickly.
This was probably an easy sell to the City Council because the City can collect $60.00 per reconnect with
absolutely no liability. It would be interesting to see the data they used to warrant this fee. It should show
something like the number of instances of property damage vs reconnects and if the property damage
could have been prevented due to the City’s inspection. http://www.dallasnews.com/investigations/watchdog/20150307-watchdog-last-week-for-electricity-reform-in-texas.ece[3/9/2015 8:44:26 AM]
Watchdog: This week is Legislature's last chance for Texas electricity reform | Watchdog Column | DFW Investigations | Dave Lieber | Problem Solver
Maybe other cities charge a similar fee. I just feel an All American City could come up with a legitimate
means to increase revenue.
Reply Share
Michael Kaufman
3
0
1 day ago
You can have your premiums raised for merely asking a question about your automobile policy? This is the
kind of scheet you get, when there is "0" regulation of any industry. They are free to (F) their customers
every way they can. With insurance that is required by law, that means everybody is open to being
screwed.
Reply Share 1 reply
Rich74
7
2
24 hours ago
I don't recall ever having that problem Michael. The right question to ask might be "why do you
have that insurance company"? (Learned that from insurance advertising)
Reply Share
2
3
http://www.dallasnews.com/investigations/watchdog/20150307-watchdog-last-week-for-electricity-reform-in-texas.ece[3/9/2015 8:44:26 AM]