How Will La Niña Affect Texas?
Much of this year’s warm winter temperatures were due to strong a El Niño pattern in the Pacific Ocean. The warm weather not only kept heating bills throughout the US low this winter, it also created a surplus of natural gas that helped push gas prices to lows not seen since 2020. And since Texas generates over half of its power with natural gas, electricity rates have been falling. But that could all change later this summer. NOAA recently announced that the current El Niño pattern will likely begin fading in April and change into a La Niña pattern in August. And this La Niña pattern could affect your Texas electricity rates.
How ENSO Affects Electric Bills
El Niño is part of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) system in the mid-Pacific Ocean at the equator. The ENSO system shows how water temperature changes in the Pacific Ocean can affect the circulation of Earth’s atmosphere. An El Niño brings warm water to eastern Pacific which warms the atmosphere. But, a La Niña brings cold water which cools the atmosphere. So, all that cold can change the kind of weather we see in North America this coming winter.
Neither El Niño nor La Niña exert much of an influence on summer weather in Texas. However, there’s some good news because La Niñas usually mean warmer and drier winter weather. But, northern states tend to see colder than average winters during a La Nina. This is because the jet stream tends to shift north into Canada and funnels stormier and colder weather into the midwest, Ohio Valley, and northeast.
And though Texans might enjoy a warmer winter, the colder weather up north usually brings a higher demand for heat. This would help increase natural gas prices. Plus, natural gas producers have been losing money so they are expected to cut production this summer. So, even with nice weather, Texas could see higher generator fuel costs and rising electricity prices. And while the EIA’s March STEO forecasts these possible cost increases might not be huge, every home feels the pinch of higher rates when the economy is running rough.
La Niña is On Her Way! Shop Now!
Electricity rate in Texas have been falling since a big January storm brought freezing temperatures and snow to much of the state. True, average 12 month plan rates are still hovering at around 16 cents per kWh. But, consumers who shop smart can find lower rates at about 11 cents per kwh. For an average home using 1000 kWh per month, that’s $50 less.
The best way to prepare for these likely rising prices is to shop long term electricity plans. Long term is key because La Niñas can last from 9 months to 3 years. The four most recent La Niñas included strong ones that lasted from 2010–2012 and 2020–2023. Keep in mind that locking in a lower rate for a longer term not only shields you from rising natural gas and electricity rates but also from volatility as prices rebalance.
The best place to find the cheapest rates is to shop long term plans at https://www.texaselectricityratings.com. Not only can you compare prices but you can also read real customer reviews, check rankings, and find ways to reduce your energy usage to save more.
Compare the cheapest long term plans that work best for your usage and then lock in the best one now!
