LP&L answers questions about switch to retail electric competition at town hall meeting
Lubbock Power & Light is ramping up its public information campaign around the upcoming transition to retail electric competition in the Hub City, holding the first in a series of town hall meetings this week to share details and field questions on the big switch.
If the two-hour meeting Monday night at Mae Simmons Community Center revealed anything, it's that anticipation — and anxiety — for the forthcoming change is building among Lubbockites.
"For some of us, this whole process is kind of new to us, like to even have this decision to pick something," one commenter, who did not give his name, said.
"We live in a society where people are skeptical about change. There's a lot of questions that are going to come about with regards to this transition to ERCOT utilizing new service providers," another added.
Matt Rose, public affairs and government relations manager for LP&L, spoke for most of the meeting, covering the content of a 16-page shopping guide distributed to attendees. The guide covers many facets of the transition, like how to shop for a new provider and regulations and consumer protections in the competitive market.
Rose also gave an update on infrastructure upgrades and laid out a timeline for the transition. Following a move of the final 30% of LP&L's meters from the Southwest Power Pool to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid in late spring, LP&L will open a shopping window where customers can begin to peruse and purchase electricity plans from retail providers. Rose expects that window to begin on Aug. 2 and last for a few weeks.
Then, in October, electric customers can expect to receive their last bill from Lubbock Power & Light for electric utilities, Rose said. Water, sewer, solid waste and storm water will still be billed from City of Lubbock Utilities.
One of the main takeaways from the meeting? LP&L will not be an option for electricity after the switch happens, Rose said. All of the utility's more than 100,000 customers will have to choose a new retail electric provider.
More: LP&L will no longer be an electricity provider in Lubbock beginning fall 2023
Most of this shopping will take place at PowerToChoose.org, the Public Utility Commission of Texas' retail website. Rose said he expects Lubbockites to have a choice between dozens of companies with more than 100 plans collectively, with varying rates, contract lengths, termination fees and other features. He compared it to shopping for a cell phone plan.
One of the larger questions lingering from the meeting is how senior citizens and others without access to a computer will be able to navigate the change.
"The generation may be computer savvy, but there will be some senior citizens who may not own a laptop. Is there going to be some help for those individuals, especially senior citizens who live by themselves? Is there going to be somewhere where somebody can help them?" one man asked.
The simple answer: no - at least not from public sector. LP&L, the city's longtime municipal power provider, and the City of Lubbock are legally prohibited from helping consumers choose a retail electric provider.
"When you call the customer service call center, our folks cannot choose for you. We cannot cross that line legally," Rose said. But, he said he hopes several shopping fairs planned closer to the shopping window, as well as information posted in public places like libraries, will help bridge the gap.
"If you do not have internet access, you don't have the ability to do this at your house, go to your local library, and you can pick up one of these packets. You can use their computers if you want to," Rose said.
Those who do not proactively choose a new electric provider will not be out of luck.
In February, the Lubbock City Council designated Reliant Energy, TXU Energy and Octopus Energy as Lubbock's safety-net providers who will serve customers in a default capacity if they miss the initial shopping window or their chosen provider cannot continue service once LP&L makes the switch to customer choice later this year. The city's Electric Utility Board recommended these providers earlier that month.
City of Lubbock officials also said video from the meeting will be available on the city's website (mylubbock.us) and Optimum channel 2.
The City Council is also planning several future informational meetings meetings:
Districts 3 and 6 community meeting — Monday, May 1, 5:30 - 7 p.m. — Lubbock Christian University’s Cardwell Welcome Center, 5601 19th St.
District 1 community meeting — Monday, May 8, 5:30 - 7 p.m. — Maggie Trejo Supercenter, 3200 Amherst St.
Districts 4 and 5 community meeting — Monday, May 15, 5:30 - 7 p.m. — Lubbock-Cooper West Elementary, 10101 Fulton Ave.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: LP&L answers questions about switch to retail electric competition at town hall meeting
