Texans are falling behind on their light bills — especially during extreme heat

Texans are falling behind on their light bills — especially during extreme heat By Carlos Nogueras Ramos, The Texas TribuneMay 23, 2024 “Texans are falling behind on their light bills — especially during extreme heat” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Subscribe to The Y’all — a weekly dispatch about the people, places and policies defining Texas, produced by Texas Tribune journalists living in communities across the state. MIDLAND — Mary Ann Estrella sat on a rented couch last November and ate, by candlelight, her Thanksgiving Dinner: a bologna sandwich. The lit candles were not for ambiance. They were, for the time being, her only source of light. She was four months behind on her electricity bill, owing $450. With little money left over from her income — a combined $2,000 among Social Security, medical and disability benefits — the 65-year-old veteran had to choose between paying for groceries and the electric bill. “I just didn’t have the money to pay for it,” Estrella said. This has been Estrella’s reality since moving to Midland, the capital of...