Electricity bills often feel overwhelming, but most of the page is noise.
Understanding which sections matter — and which don’t — can make the bill far less intimidating.
The Main Parts of a Texas Bill
Most Texas electricity bills combine:
Energy charges
Utility delivery fees
Additional adjustments tied to usage or demand
Only the energy portion varies by provider. Delivery fees are regulated and consistent across the utility’s service area.
Why Bills Change Even When Usage Doesn’t
Seasonal demand, weather, and market pricing can affect costs even when consumption stays similar. That’s why comparing bills month-to-month without context can be misleading.
Awareness Over Analysis
You don’t need to dissect every line item. Knowing where flexibility exists — and when decisions matter — is often enough.
This article is part of an ongoing energy education series for Texas Forest Country Living.
About the Author Lee Miller is a Texas-based energy professional and business owner with years of experience helping residential and commercial customers navigate the state’s deregulated electricity market. Through his work with Amerigy Energy, he focuses on education, transparency, and helping Texans understand how timing, contracts, and market conditions impact their power bills.
Cold weather has a way of showing up uninvited in East Texas, and this freeze is no exception. Sometime next week after the temperatures begin to rise, many homeowners will be walking their yards looking for immediate answers. The truth is, freeze damage doesn’t always reveal itself right away. Some plants show injury within days. Others won’t tell the full story for weeks—or even months.
Start with your trees and shrubs. Do not rush to get to pruning. Woody plants are often the biggest question mark after a freeze. Broadleaf evergreens like azaleas, camellias, gardenias, and ligustrum are especially vulnerable when temperatures drop quickly after mild weather. Symptoms may include browned leaves, leaf drop, or blackened shoot tips.
Yet here’s the important part: don’t prune yet. Freeze-damaged tissue often looks worse than it is. Pruning too early can remove wood that might recover—or worse, stimulate new growth that gets hammered by the next cold snap. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension recommends waiting until new growth begins in spring before making major pruning decisions. At that point, dead wood is easy to identify and remove safely.
For the curious minded, lightly scratch the bark with a fingernail. Green tissue underneath means the plant is still alive.
Next is your lawn. Warm-season grasses like bermudagrass, St. Augustine, and zoysia are dormant right now, which gives them some protection. However, freeze injury can still occur—especially if turf was actively growing during recent warm weather or if it experienced repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Discoloration, patchy browning, or slowed spring green-up are common symptoms. The worst thing you can do right now is scalp or aggressively fertilize. Let the lawn rest. Spring recovery practices that occur naturally will take care of most freeze-related damage without intervention.
Now let’s look into your vegetable garden. Tender winter vegetables and herbs likely took a hit. Crops like lettuce, spinach, onions, and brassicas may survive with minor damage, but basil, peppers, tomatoes, and other warm-season plants are finished. Even those that you kept covered with earlier freezes are almost certainly done.
But please resist the urge to immediately replant. East Texas freezes rarely travel alone. Clean up dead material to reduce disease issues, but wait until consistent warming before starting over.
Mulch still matters—even after a freeze. If mulch shifted or blew away during the cold weather, replace it. Mulch helps moderate soil temperature, protects root systems, and conserves moisture as plants recover.
Pine straw remains one of my favorites because it’s less likely to float, blow, or migrate out of place than many other materials.
One of the hardest lessons for gardeners is patience. Freeze-damaged plants may leaf out weakly, unevenly, or not at all come spring. Some limbs may die back slowly as internal tissues fail weeks after the cold event. This delayed response is normal and doesn’t mean you did anything wrong.
So what should we not be doing right now? Don’t prune aggressively. Don’t fertilize stressed plants. Don’t assume brown means dead. And don’t panic. Your landscape has seen worse and this cold weather is part of East Texas gardening. Most landscapes recover just fine with time and restraint.
The best move after a freeze is observation. Give plants time to show you what survived. When spring arrives, you’ll have clear answers—and a much better idea of what actually needs fixing.
Sometimes the smartest gardening decision is knowing when to leave things alone.
Winter lawn damage in East Texas often comes from small, well-intended mistakes rather than severe weather. Because grass is dormant, problems usually go unnoticed until spring reveals thinning turf, weeds, or bare spots.
Common issues include overwatering during cold weather, mowing grass too short before winter, ignoring early weed growth, and compacting soil by walking or driving equipment on wet or frozen lawns. Flowerbeds left unprotected are also vulnerable to erosion and plant stress caused by temperature swings.
Another frequent mistake is pruning plants too early. Cutting back shrubs or perennials in winter can encourage new growth that won’t survive sudden cold snaps.
Avoiding these simple missteps helps protect lawns through winter and sets the stage for healthier growth when warmer weather returns.
AUSTIN — Governor Greg Abbott announced that he directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to activate state emergency response resources ahead of potential winter weather impacts expected across the state beginning Thursday.
“Based on current forecasts, the State of Texas is acting to ensure Texans have the resources they need before severe winter weather impacts communities across Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “As temperatures could drop below freezing and regions of Texas face snow, ice, and freezing rain, it is crucial that Texans remain weather-aware, check DriveTexas.org before traveling, and heed the guidance of state and local officials. I thank emergency management personnel and first responders for working tirelessly to keep Texans safe.”
According to the National Weather Service, an arctic cold front is expected to bring dangerously cold temperatures and wind-chills to the state through the early part of next week. Additionally, a storm system is expected to move through the state, bringing the possibility of freezing rain, sleet, and snow that could create hazardous travel conditions into the weekend and cause impacts to infrastructure. Areas most at risk of wintry weather are northwest, north, and northeast Texas. Freezing rain and sleet are more likely to impact areas across west, central, south-central, east, and southeast Texas. Cold rain is expected for areas in deep south Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.
At the direction of the Governor, TDEM has activated the following state emergency response resources to support weather response operations:
Texas Department of Transportation: Winter weather roadway equipment and crews pre-treating and treating roadways; personnel and equipment to assist with traffic control and road closures
Texas Division of Emergency Management: The State of Texas Incident Management Team; personnel working with local partners to update warming center maps
Texas National Guard: High-profile vehicles and personnel to support stranded motorists
Texas A&M Forest Service (Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System): All-Hazard Strike Teams consisting of firefighters, engines, and equipment such as motor graders to assist with snow/ice clearance; saw crews
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Game Wardens to support local law enforcement; high-profile vehicles to assist stranded motorists
Public Utility Commission of Texas: Power outage monitoring and coordinating with utility providers across the threat area
Railroad Commission of Texas: Monitoring of the state’s natural gas supply and communication with the oil and gas industry
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality: Air/water/wastewater monitoring
Texas Department of Public Safety: Texas Highway Patrol Troopers to patrol Texas roadways
Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (Public Works Response Team): Personnel to assist with public works needs
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Disaster Assessment and Recovery Agents
Texas Department of State Health Services (Emergency Medical Task Force): Winter and Severe Weather Packages including medics and ambulances
Texas Health and Human Services Commission: Personnel to provide information on available services through the 2-1-1 Texas Information Referral Network
Texas Education Agency: Monitoring school district needs across the state
Texas Department of Information Resources: Monitoring technology infrastructure
Texans are urged to stay weather-aware, check road conditions before any necessary travel, and follow instructions from local officials.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will present the webinar “Pond 365: Timing of Pond Practices” on Feb. 17 from 6-7:30 p.m. (Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife)
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program emphasizes appropriate timing for key activities, treatments
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will present the webinar “Pond 365: Timing of Pond Practices” on Feb. 17 from 6-7:30 p.m. The event is a component of the agency’s AquaExtension programming.
The cost is $35, and registration is required. Following registration, an email will be sent with instructions to access the webinar. All registrants will receive a link to the recorded webinar, available for one month, even if they cannot attend live.
The event’s featured speakers are Todd Sink, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension aquaculture specialist and professor, Texas A&M Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, and Brittany Chesser, AgriLife Extension aquatic vegetation program specialist and lead diagnostic scientist at AgriLife Extension’s Aquatic Diagnostics Laboratory. Both Sink and Chesser are located in Bryan-College Station.
Planning for annual pond care
The presenters will cover the appropriate timing of an array of pond and aquatic management practices.
“Effective implementation of pond treatments and management strategies depends largely on seasonal timing,” Sink said. “More importantly, there are certain times of the year when practices should not be applied, as they may be ineffective or economically impractical.”
Specific topics include:
Fish stocking.
Management of submerged aquatic vegetation.
Pond dye application.
Application of beneficial bacteria or lime treatment.
Sink said at the end of the webinar, attendees will have a well-established calendar of management practices to implement each month throughout the year.
Webinar package available for 2025
This webinar is supported by AUS Dredge and Dive and is part of a 10-month expert series that provides pond owners and managers with up-to-date, scientific information related to maintaining pond health and productivity.
A 2026 Aquatic Webinar Series Bundle is available for $280 for individuals who would like to register for all webinars throughout the year.
Both Angelina College basketball teams were on the road this past week against some tough competition in conference play, and both squads suffered some tough losses. They’ll look to bounce back this next week with even more league play, including a women’s/men’s doubleheader coming up this Wednesday at Shands Gymnasium.
In addition, our softball and baseball teams are preparing for their respective season openers, with the Lady Roadrunner softball team set for its official season opener Friday in Tyler.
We are AC, and we’re ready to Run ‘Em.
Here’s a quick rundown of the past week’s events, along with what’s coming up next:
Roadrunner Basketball Splits Conference Games This Week
Two tough road losses, both by a combined five points.
On Saturday at Kilgore College, the Roadrunners suffered an absolute heartbreaker of a loss after a pair of last-second Ranger free throws.
AC lost 59-57 when the first-place Rangers hit two freebies with 2.7 seconds to play in the game. Julius Crosby led AC with 11 points, with Daemon Ely and Ronald Durham adding nine points each.
The loss followed Wednesday’s 62-59 overtime defeat at Blinn College. Kai’Ree Murray led AC with 15 points, Clarence Payia added 13 and Durham another 10 in the loss.
The Roadrunners (9-8, 3-6) will look to bounce back at home on Wednesday against Lamar State College-Port Arthur. Game time at Shands Gymnasium is 7 p.m.
AC will close the week with another road trip on Saturday at Navarro College in Corsicana. That game tips off at 4 p.m.
Lady Roadrunner Basketball
The Lady ‘Runners pushed a very good Blinn College team for more than three quarters on Wednesday, but AC’s ladies just didn’t have the firepower to keep up in the latter stages of the game as the Lady Bucs pulled away for a 70-59 win in Brenham. The Lady Roadrunners got 22 points and five steals from Timberlyn Washington and 13 points from Aminah Dixon.
On Saturday, AC fell 95-60 at Tyler Junior College.
The Lady Roadrunners (5-9, 1-2) will host Kilgore College at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday before traveling to Paris on Saturday to face Paris Junior College in a game set for a 2 p.m. start.
AC Baseball, Softball Schedules Are Available for Viewing
Both the Roadrunner baseball and Lady Roadrunner softball teams are just days away from opening their Spring 2026 seasons. Both programs feature first-year head coaches (Jon Phillips with baseball and Kassie James with softball), and there’s excitement brewing for what is sure to be some exciting times on the diamonds.
The Roadrunner baseball team opens with a scrimmage at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall on Thursday, Jan. 22 (3 p.m.) before hosting the regular-season opener against Temple College in a doubleheader scheduled for a 1 p.m. start at Poland Stadium on the AC campus.
The Lady ‘Runner softball team will see its first action on Friday, Jan. 23 at Tyler Junior College in Tyler. The doubleheader is set for a 1 p.m. start. AC’s ladies won’t host their home opener until Wednesday, Feb. 4 when the Lady Roadrunners host Northeast Texas Community College in a doubleheader set for a 1 p.m. start at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex on the AC campus.
With their new seasons set to open next week, both the Roadrunner baseball and Lady Roadrunner softball teams have finalized their official rosters (see attachments). Both teams have a mixture of key players returning from last season, along with plenty of new faces ready to make an impact.
Fans will be able to view the rosters, photos and bios on the AC Athletics website (angelinaathletics.com) by the end of this week.
Potential Schedule Changes:
As always in East Texas, the potential exists for schedule changes because of inclement weather. We try to put out the word as soon as we get it, but the quickest way to confirm game days and times is to visit the AC Athletics website (angelinaathletics.com) to view the most updated schedules. We’ll also send out word on social media (AC Athletics Facebook and Instagram, etc.), but the on-line schedule will always serve up the most recent updates.
Live Streaming Reminder:
All AC Athletics regular-season home games are live streamed on TSBN Sports (a free streaming service for fans), with most of the conference road games also available for streaming. (This does not include baseball and softball fall games, as those are not considered official games.)
Once TSBN posts its schedules, AC fans simply need to visit the AC Athletics web site, look at the scrolling schedule in the middle of the page and click the blue “Video” link.
TSBN also offers an app great for smart phones, devices and smart TVs. (You’ve GOT to see those matches and games on the big screen.)
Reminder II: Admission to ALL Angelina College Athletics sporting events is free, as is the TSBN live streaming. Any other links offering streaming are scams.
Reminder III: For the most current schedule updates (especially for potential weather issues) visit the official Angelina College Athletics website (angelinaathletics.com). Fans can also receive updates on the AC Athletics Facebook, X/Twitter, and Instagram pages.
Upcoming schedules:
Wednesday, January 21:
Lady Roadrunner Basketball vs. Kilgore College, 5:30 p.m. at Shands Gymnasium
Roadrunner Basketball vs. Lamar State College-Port Arthur, 7:30 p.m. at Shands Gymnasium
Thursday, January 22:
Roadrunner Baseball at East Texas Baptist University (scrimmage), 3 p.m. in Marshall, TX
Friday, Jan. 23:
Lady Roadrunner Softball at Tyler Junior College, doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. in Tyler (season opener)
Saturday, January 24:
Lady Roadrunner Basketball at Paris College, 2 p.m. in Paris, TX
Roadrunner Basketball at Navarro College, 4 p.m. in Corsicana, TX
For any other information, contact Sports Information Director Gary Stallard at gstallard@angelina.edu.
“If you love Jesus, you keep his commandments, and he will give you a helper,” says Vincent, 7,
If you want to make people angry, tell them what to do. Give them some commandments. If you want to make people fighting angry, tell them there’s nothing they can do to earn an eternal home in heaven. Religious people delude themselves by imagining they can earn God’s favor.
If God’s salvation is provided by his free grace through faith alone in Christ alone, what’s with the commandments? Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
Although God’s people are redeemed and forgiven, it doesn’t shield them from self-deception. Our capacity to fool ourselves is greater than we can imagine. God never gave his commandments as a way for us to secure a home in heaven. No one has ever kept them perfectly except Jesus.
Immediately after Jesus said those who love him would keep his commandments, he said he would send a helper who would be with all believers forever (John 14:16). Our helper is God himself in the person of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Bible scholar Warren Wiersbe wrote this: “The Spirit living within the disciples would take the place of the Savior living beside the disciples.”
God wants us to live beyond commandments. Love surpasses commandments, but the commandments give us a starting point to know if we’re living in harmony with Jesus. It’s like flying on an airplane versus a road trip in the car. Flying is a different realm.
God’s commandments keep our feet on the ground. They protect us from self-delusion. Love is like flying! There are no stop signs or traffic lights when flying above the clouds.
What if I woke up tomorrow morning to a list of 10 commandments from my wife? Do I really need commandments to bring her flowers and dark chocolate or to take her out to a restaurant she enjoys?
“If you love Jesus, you will shine to the world,” says Hope, 9. One of the ways you might be a light in this world is very practical, says Audrey, 7: “If someone falls down, you do not laugh and you help them up.”
When someone falls, it’s easy to laugh. It takes compassion to imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes, especially when everyone is laughing.
During Jesus’ ministry, he constantly reached out to undesirables. Touching a leper was at the top of the taboo list. Jesus not only touched lepers, he healed them (Matthew 8:1-4).
“You can tell someone loves Jesus if they read the Bible, pray and obey,” says Josiah, 6.
On Broadway, someone who can sing, dance and act is called a triple threat. Josiah has identified the triple threat in God’s family. Christians who study the Bible, pray and obey God will always be a triple threat. The dark realm of Satanic evil will flee when facing a triple-threat believer.
Think about this: Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another. If a believer says he loves God, but hates his Christian brother, he’s deluded.
Memorize this truth: “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also,” (I John 4:20-21).
Ask this question: Are you living the life of love for God and your brothers and sisters in Christ?
Kids Talk About God is designed for families to study the Bible together. Research shows that parents who study the Bible with their children give their character, faith and spiritual life a powerful boost. To receive Kids Talk About God twice a week in a free, email subscription, visit www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org/email.
Front row from left to right: Vivian Montes, Miranda Paulin, Georgia Conrad, Nathalie Jacobo, Rachel Modisette, Kristi Skillern, Addyson Franklin, Samantha Saulsbury, and Reagan Strother.
Second row from left to right: Je’Mya Coulter, Brooklyn Hernandez, Allison Montero, Lauren Woodward, Hailei Fontenot, Abby Baker, Dana Duran Solis, Rhyla Jacildo, Za’Nyia Johnson, Joey Riccio, and Celeste Cruz
Third row from left to right: Officer Chris McClurg, Madison Hamilton, Angel Concha, Ja’Marcus Nieves, Barret Price, Charla Raines, Alondra Cura, Rhett Merrel, Luke Murrell, Parker Tanksley, Savannah Bergman, Taelor Riley, Rebekah Sapp, Marlee Jones, Presli Flowers, Gavin Bowman, Marti Allen, Savanna Soverns,
Back row from left to right: Natalie Purvis, John Oliphant, and Carson McDaniel
For the Drug-Free All Star January meeting, the All Stars visited the City of Lufkin’s Teen Court to see how the court functions to prevent juvenile repeat offenders and recognize lessons learned through the judicial process. The Drug-Free All Stars of Angelina County are a group of high school seniors who serve as role models for the community by living an alcohol, tobacco, and drug-free life. The Drug-Free All Star program, in partnership with TxDOT, aims to reduce crashes, injuries, and deaths on Texas roadways. Teen Court was launched to give juveniles with Class-C misdemeanors a chance for accountability and redemption. The Drug-Free All Stars heard from volunteer Teen Court Judge Kristi Skillern about why Teen Court exists and how the program benefits student volunteers and participants. Throughout the hearings in the cases, students saw how small mistakes can lead to major consequences. The Coalition, Inc. expresses thanks to Kristi Skillern, City of Lufkin Attorney and Teen Court Judge; Nancy Zamarripa, Teen Court Coordinator; and Teen Court youth volunteers and participants. The Drug-Free All Stars appreciated seeing how Teen Court works to improve the choices of teens in our community.
Since 1988, The Coalition has focused on eliminating harmful substances by affecting public policy, laws, attitudes, and behaviors to foster healthy life-long choices for the local community. For more information about the Drug-Free All-Star program, contact Abby Baker at The Coalition at 936-634-9308.
When electricity demand peaks in Texas, headlines tend to follow.
Heat waves, grid stress, and record usage often dominate the conversation—especially during summer. Unfortunately, that’s also when many Texans make long-term electricity decisions.
Why Peak Seasons Can Be Costly
During high-demand periods, electricity prices tend to rise. Locking a long-term rate at the height of demand can mean paying a premium long after conditions normalize.
That doesn’t mean summer contracts are always wrong—but they should be entered carefully and with context.
Planning Beats Panic
Experienced energy users understand that timing matters. Monitoring the market outside peak stress periods often provides more flexibility and better pricing options.
Planning ahead removes urgency from the equation—and urgency is usually what drives costly decisions.
What Texans Can Do Instead
Rather than reacting to headlines, consumers can:
Track contract expiration dates
Review usage patterns
Monitor pricing trends ahead of renewal
Even basic awareness can make a meaningful difference over time.
This article is part of an ongoing energy education series provided by Amerigy Energy.
About the Author Lee Miller is a Texas-based energy professional and business owner with years of experience helping residential and commercial customers navigate the state’s deregulated electricity market. Through his work with Amerigy Energy, he focuses on education, transparency, and helping Texans understand how timing, contracts, and market conditions impact their power bills.
