High electric bills are taking a toll on New Mexicans amid hot July weather, driving up air conditioning usage. Customers of electric companies like PNM and Xcel Energy are witnessing unusually high bills, with air conditioners accounting for up to 50% of summer bills. PNM customer Peggy Abby expressed her shock at the substantial increase in her bill, telling KOAT 7 News, “I have never seen one this high! $453, it’s never even been $100.”
The high temperatures have led to increased electricity consumption, resulting in elevated bills for many households. Wes Reeves, a spokesperson for Xcel Energy, acknowledged the challenges faced by customers, emphasizing that despite efforts to reduce prices to $0.11 per kilowatt hour, usage spikes can still lead to higher costs.
Xcel Energy has introduced flexible payment options, such as “Flex Pay,” which allows large bills to be spread out over six months.
PNM and Xcel Energy have both established resources to support customers struggling to manage their bills. Options like “Average Billing” enable even distribution of costs throughout the year, and PNM’s newly introduced “PNM Summer Heat Bill Fund” offers assistance to customers, regardless of whether they are currently behind on payments. Eric Chavez, a PNM spokesperson, emphasized the company’s proactive approach to providing aid to customers, with the goal of helping as many people as possible.
To further assist customers, PNM has launched the “Gift of Power,” allowing individuals to pay the bills of others in need. Additionally, PNM has created a fund named the “PNM Summer Heat Bill Fund,” designed to offer aid to customers even if they are not currently behind on their payments. Income restrictions do apply for those planning to apply for PNM’s funds.
In light of the financial burden caused by the high bills, both electric companies encourage customers to seek assistance rather than attempting to manage the situation on their own. PNM directs customers to their website, pnm.com/assistance, and Xcel Energy emphasizes the importance of communication, urging customers to reach out if they face difficulties.
In the coming winter months, New Mexicans can also expect high costs, with anti-energy leftist policies passed at the Roundhouse and dictated by the Joe Biden administration, forcing the cost of gas to skyrocket. As we previously reported, the New Mexico Gas Company requested another rate hike from the state Public Regulation Commission not even one year after the last one.
We are still paying for the folks who did not have to pay for their utilities during the lockdowns. The utilities did receive some relief from the feds but not enough to compensate them entirely. Also, the insane PNM commitment to be carbon free by 2035 comes at a huge cost for wind solar and unproven battery storage.
PNM is in bed with the Governor who has sold her soul to the Billionaire pushing the Climate Alarmism Scam
The relief from the feds was still tax payer money. We have to stop referring to taxpayers money as feds money. It is not!!!
100% agree!!!!
Congratulations to the useful idiots who continue voting for criminals aka democrats and then wonder why everything is falling apart.
You are so right! People need to wake up.
It’s bad now–vote Democrat it will get a lot worse!
We. The. People. don’t have to put up with this…unless They. The. Morons. keep voting for democrats. The grifters need to be voted out but it will never happen because stupid people keep voting for MLG (why oh why??) and idiots like her. What a scam they have going; MLG’s Raises-to-Idiots program is just reinforcing it. Democrats: why we can’t have nice things.
My Girlfriends co-worker seen her PNM bill skyrocket. You know I hate demoncrats but this is all to do with crazy temps and customers blasting their A/C units for hours and hours. You don’t think doing that raises your electric bill. I’m not big on solar or green and people shouldn’t be forced to do something they don’t want. I pretty sure that’s a civil right. As far as raising the natural gas prices that’s probably because the demoncrats have stopped production. I’m on propane and it’s more expensive but last twice as long as natural gas.
Why people in NM insist on refrigerated air is beyond me. I have two small swamp coolers in a 2800 sq ft home and my electric bill last month was $106. Yes. The reliance on solar and wind power for commercial electricity is nuts. But, the propaganda fed democrats keep believing the nonsense so here we are.
We are lucky…our winter is not as bad as other places
.look at what the buffoon in office is doing to the hardest hit
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/08/how_is_the_government_preparing_for_a_cold_winter.html?fbclid=IwAR0qD-3GqqnxNYNW_e81e9tbooI-eM-vsO5zgzLe8i72UA5msdqucsgx65g
Spoken from the people who think it is just a coincidence that we went through weeks triple digit heat, compared to the 3 days per year norm, and have had only one monsoon rain producing measurable precipitation, coming off of a very dry winter in Central NM…. probably same people wondering why they are having to cancel their vacation to Maui right now…. and the same people that think its cool that NM has one of the worst air qualities in the country due to the oil & gas industry, and dated farming practices.
Do you care what the world looks like in 10 or 20 or 30 years? Or for your grandkids to raise their kids in? Do you wonder why you know so many people with cancer these days, or why youve got it? Wake up people! Nobody likes paying higher utility bills, or being gouged by big corporations. And of course they are in bed with politicians, whether republicans or democrats are in charge. But unless youve got a productive solution that doesnt involve robbing future generations of their health, and doesnt continue to poison those of us that want to live and want to have a blue sky to look out to and cleaner water to drink and a lake to visit instead of the oncology hospital, than shut up. Your nonstop picking and bickering at the growing majority isnt going to lower your utility bill or save your job at the steel factory and coal mine.
There is no “man made climate change”. Just like “COVID” was a pandemic? COVID is a Chinese bio-weapon unleashed on the world, spread by terrorists in WHO and Fauci and used to illegally rob Donald Trump of another term. If you want to be controlled by a Global Elite fine. But there are millions of us who want nothing to do with it. So, half the country does not believe any of this garbage and you have no proof any of it is true. I do not believe weather records that are no older than me when we are in a warming period between 2 ice ages. And while you are calming down, ask why china is building 100 more coal fired generating plants. Have a nice one.
“1) “There is no “man made climate change”.
2) Just like “COVID” was a pandemic? COVID is a Chinese bio-weapon unleashed on the world, spread by terrorists in WHO and Fauci and
3) used to illegally rob Donald Trump of another term.
4) If you want to be controlled by a Global Elite fine. But there are millions of us who want nothing to do with it.
5) So, half the country does not believe any of this garbage and you have no proof any of it is true.
6) I do not believe weather records that are no older than me when we are in a warming period between 2 ice ages.”
7) why china is building 100 more coal fired generating plants ”
7 Reasons the Republican Party is Shrinking and Fails in National Elections.
Yesterday we received a 497 bill, with a bill of over 300 tacked on from when we moved out of our other home 2 1/2 years ago. It took them 2 1/2 years to bill us and then they billed us with our highest ever electric bill AND threatened disconnect. It’s insanity.
We have to pay for the “latest and greatest” OVER PRICED windmills! Most of which are sitting idle.. Again we say thank you to the piglet in the roundhouse and the idiots who voted her in!