You might have noticed an increase in your energy bills this past month. If you have, you are not alone.
I spoke with Amber Sparks, who said when she got her most recent energy bill from Colorado Springs Utilities, she about fell out her chair. That’s because she couldn’t believe the amount she was being charged.
Amber tells me her family typically budgets between $200 and $274 and her most recent bill was $474. She says the biggest increase she sees on her bill is her electricity usage. But she says her home is pretty energy efficient.
That's why she is looking for answers on why the bill has jumped so high. She says in today’s economy, receiving an energy bill that has doubled is especially hard.
“It’s an overall increase and financial burden for us, especially coming out of the holidays. As everything has gone up, it’s become less and less expendable income and more and more in being tied up in the like general living expenses which is frustrating to say the least,” said Sparks.
“They’re saying our usage from last year to this year tripled. We went from 700 kilowatts to 1900, but we’ve done nothing differently. I feel like I’m doing tons of work and not necessarily reaping the benefits that I should have because so much of my income is tied up in my day-to-day essential expenses.”
I reached out to Colorado Springs Utilities to see what could be causing the increase in usage for Amber. They tell me we have seen especially cold days over the past few months and when the temperatures are that cold, your furnace must work harder.
So, even though you feel like you’re keeping your thermostat at the same temperature as you did a year ago, your usage will be higher. That’s because your furnace is using more usage to get to that same temperature.
Amber has reached out to Colorado Springs Utilities to get her meter re-read. There is a lot of good information on theColorado Springs Utilities websitethat explains usage rates, flexible payment plans and ways to be more energy efficient to save money.
Furthermore, the fall rates were based on the big spike in the cost of natural gas. Since then, Colorado Springs Utilities voted for a rate decrease. This rate decrease started on Dec. 1. So, you will see the difference in your next energy bill from the company. It is estimated your bill will be about $30 less.
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