EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) —The El Paso City Council unanimously approved a motion on Tuesday, Nov. 12 to authorize the City manager and City attorney to conduct an analysis to identify safeguards that El Paso Electric can implement to help El Pasoans not fall behind on their electric bills.
City Rep. Cassandra Hernandez said that the analysis will also take a look at what other Texas cities are doing and what safeguards they have in place.
The idea is to help low-income El Pasoans and the elderly who are having trouble with their electric bills, Hernandez said.
“I’m hearing from ratepayers in El Paso Electric. They are being overwhelmed by their deposits. They’re being overwhelmed by the disconnections of El Paso Electric. And as a consequence, they’re unable to pay their bills,” Hernandez said.
EL Paso Electric sent this statement to KTSM:
“We are aware of the City Council of El Paso’s request for an analysis to ensure that our service and existing programs are meeting customer needs and will provide the information requested in the next 30 days while also highlighting the many resources we already have in place to assist our customers.
“We are committed to providing reliable service to all customers while following disconnection guidelines set by our regulator, the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Service may be disconnected after proper notice for reasons such as non-payment, failure to meet payment arrangements or non-compliance with deposit requirements. Customers receive a minimum 10-day notice before disconnection, during which time they may contact us to discuss available assistance or alternative payment options. We do not conduct disconnections on Fridays, weekends or holidays. We encourage all customers to read Your Rights as a Customer available at epelectric.com“
The analysis will be presented to City Council sometime in December.
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