Posted on 02/01/2023 7:35:30 AM PST by george76
Energy customers, many of whom say they are being crushed by gas and electricity bills that have doubled, tripled and even quadrupled in the last few months – accepted the Colorado Public Utility Commission’s invitation to comment on skyrocketing energy prices, and it wasn’t pretty.
Dawn Fetzko, a customer, said she learned about the public meeting while watching the news.
“We're working trying to earn a living and now trying to earn a living to pay our utility bill,” she said. “I know my utility bill went from $150 to a shocking $365 in one month.”
“It's no secret that everybody is drowning in Excel bills across Colorado,” added Sabrina Padilla. “I really hope that these stories today are really taken into consideration because there's thousands and thousands of people that do not have the courage to come up here today to express their struggles.”
Commissioners have also been receiving a flood of complaints about soaring bills, commission chair Eric Blank acknowledged.
In response, the commission held a Zoom listening session on Tuesday, where they heard an outpouring of grief and anger – as well as pleas for help – from dozens who signed up for the meeting. Nearly 100 people attended the public comment session.
Padilla, who works with the Chronic Care Collaborative, an organization comprising 50 different voluntary health organizations representing a wide range of chronic diseases that partners with Excel and Black Hills Energy on helping disabled people with their energy bills, described a heartbreaking story of a man who had to choose real discomfort just to get by.
“I just spoke with an older gentleman on SSI who sits in his home all day in a winter jacket and has his heat all the way down to 60 degrees to keep his bill down,” Padilla said. “And he does that so he can wear his oxygen 24/7. He's sacrificing his body temperature to wear his oxygen to keep his bill down.”
Lakewood resident Eva Boyd excoriated the commissioners for what she said is their failure to look after the public’s interests.
...
“I've been living here for about 26 years,” Boyd said. “January 2022’s bill was $124. December 2022 was $194. The next one that I'm going to pay in February is $295, which to me is absolutely mind boggling.”
Boyd added: “You're supposed to be looking out for us. And somebody already said it here – you shouldn't be looking out for corporations.”
Nichole Broach accused the commissioners of disrespecting attendees.
“I have seen you guys smirk, chuckle, laugh and roll your eyes at people describing their issues here today,” Broach said. “This is unacceptable. Ms. Gilman had to tell you that it was not funny. I do not believe that you serve your people, you do not serve your community and you do not serve your state.”
Andrea Rudowicz told the commissioners that she had a gas leak at her home. Xcel repairmen told her that her neighborhood was known to have old gas regulators that leak when it’s cold.
“The Excel Energy employee informed me that our particular neighborhood had faulty old regulators that the employees were very much aware of and had told the supervisors, but nothing was done,” Rudowicz said. “If we're paying the high gas prices, I expect that our equipment is operating correctly. And I want to add that my particular meter wasn't the only one in my neighborhood.”
Blank vowed to “get a handle on this.”
“I just want to end with a personal comment to those of you who think I'm laughing at people's suffering,” said Blank. “I would just say I lost my wife to pancreatic cancer several years ago and I know what it means to experience hardship and I can just assure you I am not laughing at anyone suffering and that we're going to do whatever we can to try and to try and get a handle on this.”
Hilarious.
Dear Colo. voters;
This is the New Watermelon Deal you asked for through your past votes. Have a nice day and quit exhaling so much CO2.
I wonder who these irate customers voted for.
I live in Colorado and I did NOT vote for this :(
Well, at least there are no mean tweets.
Embrace the suck.
Commissioners high fiving each other after the cameras were off. A friend just got a $500 gas/electric bill.
More solar mills and wind panels STAT! Just think how cheap it’ll be once you reach net zero with ALL renewables. Yeah, the dumbasses in state legislature in nevaDUH have saddled us with the same unrealistic 🐎💩. 🙄 fookin’ idjits!
AFP-CO to PUC: No More Rate Increases.. Heating costs are top of mind for Coloradans this time of year and families across the state are feeling the financial pressure of rate hikes, increased gas taxes, and threats from politicians to gut the state’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR).
https://americansforprosperity.org/afp-co-to-puc-no-more-rate-increases/
Vote woke. Get woke. Woke have no clue how to run anything. They simply have agendas and people are the bricks in the wall to build their agenda.
Colorado Ping ( Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)
and Colorado lawmakers might keep using secret ballot system that transparency advocates say is illegal..
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4127668/posts
*** “I have seen you guys smirk, chuckle, laugh and roll your eyes at people describing their issues here today,” Broach said. “This is unacceptable. Ms. Gilman had to tell you that it was not funny. I do not believe that you serve your people, you do not serve your community and you do not serve your state.”***
I’ve been to my town’s Town Council meetings several times, and this is EXACTLY the way several members of our town council treat their constituents and our concerns. They basically mock us, and do whatever they want until the next election cycle, and then so many people who don’t go to the meetings vote these jerks in again. It’s annoying.
Georgia has the highest natural gas rates in the country next to Hawaii.
We got a $213 gas bill yesterday, that’s in addition to a $100 electric bill. Of course the wife keeps the thermostat set at 75 round the clock, and an electric space heater running about 16 hours a day in the back of the house. We’re heating a 2500sf house and we stayed very warm during the last cold snap (even the wife was warm, I was hot). As Joe Walsh would say, I can’t complain, but sometimes I still do.
I feel your pain. I was a victim of gerrymandering last year. I’m now in a district that is 75% Democrat.
Call us when the CO leftist legislature members are afraid to go outside. Nothing will happen until they are.
You may not have voted for high energy bill’s but did you vote demoncrat?
That’s why they like zoom meetings that can roll their eyes at you, Turn your mute on if they don’t like what you’re saying. Because the people aren’t there in person to reach out and touch someone, so they can be as disrespectful as they care to be.
“. “January 2022’s bill was $124. December 2022 was $194. The next one that I’m going to pay in February is $295, which to me is absolutely mind boggling.”
If not for global warming it would have been much worse. :-)
years ago Xcel said spending $190 million by ratepayers - to upgrade existing power plants was in the ratepayers best interest to keep the units running through 2035.
As a regulated monopoly, Xcel is guaranteed Huge profits... Xcel does not care about the rate payers.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3973787/posts
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