Is Texas Gas Burning Austinites Money?
By Daniel Mottola Based on a citizen’s complaints, the city is investigating whether Texas Gas Service has effectively overcharged Austin customers by more than $10 million over the past year. Local environmental and energy policy gadfly Paul Robbins (editor of The Austin Environmental Directory) believes that poor, even amateurish business practices at TGS are to blame for the utility’s steep natural gas prices in recent months. After some scrupulous research and a flurry of complaint letters, Robbins eventually got the attention of the city’s Telecommunications and Regulatory Affairs manager, Rondella Hawkins, who has launched an investigation into the claims. “We’ve met with TGS and we’re looking at their purchasing practices and contracts,” Hawkins said. “We are waiting on additional information from the gas company [that will] help us determine if they’re not being prudent in their practices.” TGS dismisses Robbins’ accusations as unfair and unfounded. The money hunt started when
