The Republican economic model at work. Notice the common theme of big talk about savings before it becomes law and then higher costs when rubber hits the road. This is precisely the kind of economics that McCain and his lobbyist friend Phil Gramm want to expand in Washington. Corporate profits increase and the once-promised customer savings disappear.
Average monthly bills for summertime usage have made a steady climb and are now at about $220 in Houston.
Compare that to the national average for the same usage: about $160.
That means electricity in Houston is 38 percent more expensive. Consumer advocates call the difference startling.
“And that is to us is why deregulation is a failure and we ought to think about ending this experiment,” Slocum said.
A failure for consumers but for the electricity industry?
“The industry looks at Texas as a success story,” Platts Energy News reporter Tom Tiernan said. “If you’re a generating company, Texas is a good market to be in.”
