"While I'm trying to get gas and groceries and make sure that my pipes don't explode, the last thing I'm thinking about is a $7,000 bill from my utility company," Upshaw told CNN's Fredricka Whitfield on Saturday.
Local officials in the state, meanwhile, are suggesting Texas should pay for the high bills, with Houston's Democratic mayor and Fort Worth's Republican mayor urging the state to lift the burden off of affected residents.
"For these exorbitant costs, it's not the consumers who should assume that costs ... the bill should go to the state of Texas," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner told CBS on Sunday.
Yes, that's the current plan with the federal assistance -- be able to help the homeowners both repair, because we have a lot of water leaks, a lot of water damage, pipes bursting, but also their electricity bills as well," Texas Rep. Michael McCaul told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" when asked if some of the disaster funds would be used to help residents pay the bills.
Texas congressman says emergency aid will help Texans pay high energy bills charged after deep freeze - CNNPolitics
Seems real shitty to use disaster relief funds to pay off the insane rates the utility companies have been charging people. That $7000 bill should be ripped the fuck up, not paid in full.