AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, the Public Utility Commission of Texas approved rule changes that reduced the number of days an electric service provider has to respond to consumer complaints.
Beginning Sept. 1, electric service providers must respond within 15 days, according to PUC. Under the current rules, electric utilities and retail electric providers have up to 21 days to respond after being notified of a consumer complaint.
“This rule change will speed up the complaint resolution process for electricity consumers in Texas and allow CPD to help more customers resolve issues with their electric service providers,” the PUC said.
In December 2021, PUC voted to move forward with more changes to improve the reliability of Texas’ power grid. The vote came after thousands of Texans were without power for days following the deadly winter storm in February 2021.
According to the Texas Tribune, in March, a Texas appellate court ruled PUC overstepped its authority during the 2021 winter storm when it raised the price of electricity to the maximum $9,000 per megawatt-hour.
In January, PUC approved a redesign of the state’s electric market, which recommended a new model it said would improve grid reliability. PUC Chairman Peter Lake and Gov. Greg Abbott were some of the most powerful state officials in support of the design.