We realize you may have seen the news about horrific electric bills issued across the state. Consumers with home electric bills that normally averaged $100 or $200 received bills for more than $5,000. We want to reassure you that that will not happen at Houston County Electric Cooperative. Our mission to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable electric service remains unchanged, and we are not going anywhere. Your electric bill is tied directly to the amount of electricity you use—usage that may have increased at your home as your heater worked overtime during February’s bitterly cold weather. Rest assured, we did not raise our rates in February, and we never charge members for electricity when their power is off. Most importantly, Houston County EC does not anticipate a significant increase to the overall cost of the power we provide. Electric cooperatives have a long history of working with Texas’ leaders to ensure your electricity remains safe, reliable, and affordable. We don’t yet know all the impacts of February’s extreme weather, but we remain focused on developments at the Legislature as we work with our statewide association, Texas Electric Cooperatives, to protect our members and employees from any potential effects. Throughout this assessment and learning process, we pledge to keep our members informed every step of the way.