The top local stories this morning from KERA News:A new study on electricity prices found Texans who shopped around in 2014 paid more on average than people who had only one power option.
The Texas Coalition for Affordable Power analyzed federal data on residential prices dating back to 2002. That was the first year most Texans could choose their electricity provider under deregulation.
The study found residential prices in deregulated markets averaged about 15 percent higher than in markets where consumers can’t choose their providers.
The coalition attributed that to customer confusion. Also, to high costs from legacy electric providers who locked into natural gas contracts before prices dropped and took years to recover.
However, the Coalition noted the price gap has been shrinking since 2011. The report suggests Texans who shop around increasingly find better deals.
Statewide, power prices remain below the national average.
Other stories this morning:
- Fewer people illegally cook drugs in Texas, but it still happens. The University of North Texas is developing a new tool to track down illegal chemicals.
You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:22 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.
