re: Texans facing up to 10k electric bill

This is only happening to people who had that particular plan. We looked into it a few years ago. In general, your bill is cheaper on that plan than a fixed rate per KwH (I've heard in the summer $400-500/ month versus $150), but you get screwed when the market price rises. I am sure a lot of people didn't read the fine print. Also, I believe you needed to sign a contract to get the plan and provide a form of automatic payment, which is typically deducted more periodically than a once a month bill. Very glad we opted for the fixed price plan.

When gas prices are low, the energy company likely loses money on those folks or have very slim margins, so even though people are going to bitch and moan about the huge bills, if those bills are somehow let pass or reduced, there is no reason for those companies to have such a plan. This is when it pays off for them.