COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado Springs City Council approved a seasonal electric and natural gas rate increase from Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU). So what does this rate change mean for your bill, along with another rate change proposed by Springs Utilities.
News5 spoke with people across Downtown Colorado Springs to ask them how this hike is going to impact their wallet. The consensus, people are upset.
“Yeah that's way too high,” Jeanne Braun said.
“An additional fee is going to hurt working families,” Shana Black said.
“It's a hard thing to swallow,” Eric Aragon, Assistant Manager at Bread and Butter, a local grocery store in Downtown Colorado Springs said.
Frustrations rise as CSU customers prepare for their utility bill to climb.
“Saving money and pinching pennies to make up for those additional charges,” Aragon said.
He said everything including utilities is getting too expensive.
Colorado Springs City Council approved the rate increase for gas and electric. This increase will cost the average customer about $8.71 per month.
“$8 is substantial for a lot of people,” Braun said.
Braun said throughout her 50 years of living in Colorado Springs, she has had a good experience with utilities.
“But I wouldn't want it to go more than $8,” Braun said.
Also, last month, CSU proposed a base rate increase starting in 2025 to pay for infrastructure and to comply with state regulations. If that increase is approved, starting in January, customers would pay around $25 more a month than they do now.
“Yeah that's too big of a hike and what is the justification for it,” Braun said.
Where is that $25 going to come from in your budget?
“It's just going to have to come from somewhere, because otherwise you get your power turned off. I mean, you just have to take it from somewhere else,” Black said.
“Good question, I don't know. I'm not sure. It's too much,” Braun said.
“Cutting back on anything that might not be necessarily needed. I wish it wouldn't increase, because we could use that towards other things that we find important. But our utilities are important as well,” Aragon said.
Black has lived in Colorado Springs since 2016. She said utilities rates are cheaper than California, but she is worried about how this rate hike is going to impact daughter and grandchildren.
“They're on a very limited income and I would say seniors are also on a fixed income, and it's gonna hurt,” Black said.
“Including me, I'm on a fixed income, so, you know... it's hard when you're a senior and you know, you have a fixed income, and you don't get much of a cost of living increase,” Braun said.
Braun said it comes down to being smart to save money.
“I mean, I try to keep my lights off whenever I can and try not to use much in the way of electricity,” Braun said.
The last time springs utilities increased the seasonal fuel rate was two years ago, October 2022.
To help with the cost increase, CSU is offering some tips for the colder months, which include the following:
- Weather stripping your doors and windows
- Change your furnace filter every 30 days
- Keep your thermostat around 68° during the winter
This year's seasonal utility rate increase for gas and electricity starts October 1. CSU adjusts these rates, up or down, four times a year.
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