If you’ve noticed your electric bill creeping higher, you’re not alone — and it’s not just about using more power or rising energy prices. A big chunk of your bill is tied to transmission costs (the wires and infrastructure that carry electricity across Texas), and those costs have been skyrocketing.

Since 2013, the cost of building and maintaining these power lines in ERCOT has jumped by 116%. Even more staggering: Texas is considering up to $50 billion in new projects. That means higher monthly bills for all of us — without much say in the matter.

Here’s the catch: while residential customers like you and me can’t really avoid these charges, large companies can. The current system (called 4CP) lets big businesses lower their share of transmission costs by reducing usage during four short peak periods each summer. They get to save millions, while residential customers end up covering more of the tab. In fact, recent data shows that households used about 33% of electricity in some areas but were charged nearly 50% of the transmission costs.

If nothing changes, the average Texas household could be paying an extra $200 or more every year. That’s real money out of your pocket — going to pay for projects that mostly benefit big business.

Texas is proud of its competitive electricity market, but the rules around transmission costs aren’t working for everyday consumers. It’s time for state regulators to rethink how these costs are shared before we all end up paying even more.