AFP Turns Down the Temperature on Utility Bills for Colorado Residents
For years, Colorado residents have watched their utility bills skyrocket, forcing households to choose between heat and other basic necessities. What was causing the soaring energy costs? The ideological fixations of a small group of unelected bureaucrats.
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC), composed of a few governor-appointed ideologues, has been rubber-stamping rate hikes at the expense of ratepayers. The Colorado Legislature mandates the utility companies, and the PUC approves rate increases on consumers to cover business costs directly resulting from the mandates. The PUC is working in lockstep with the legislature in an effort to convert Colorado to new and unreliable energy sources.
Americans for Prosperity got chills that a state like Colorado, rich with abundant energy and natural resources, could fail its residents so badly. Action and change were imminent.
Colorado Residents Watch Utility Rates Soar
For residents across the Rocky Mountain region, the winters are not only a time for outdoor recreation, but also potential subzero temperatures. Homes become shelters when whiteouts plague cities and towns, and it’s imperative that residents have the means to stay warm. For many, sacrifices had to be made to keep up with the rising energy costs. At any moment, the next rate increase could be the one that makes heat unattainable.
Since 2019, the average monthly residential electricity bill rose by nearly 40%. Utility bills are one of the most significant recurring hits to a household budget in Colorado.
“I cover the windows with plastic because this house was built in 1907,” asserts Leroy, an elderly Colorado resident. “I’m doing everything [I] can to lower the bills nowadays…We have to somehow correct this and make it reasonable for us.”
This is the unintended consequence of putting politics over people and prioritizing an ideological agenda over reliable and proven energy solutions. The tipping point came when Xcel Energy insisted consumers unhappy with rising costs should just simply turn their thermostats down, despite below-freezing temperatures sweeping the state at the time.
Americans for Prosperity sprang into action educating Colorado residents on the reasons for skyrocketing energy costs. They amplified resident voices, calling out the parties responsible and demanding accountability to rate payers.
AFP Holds Officials Accountable for Rate Increases
In January 2023, AFP launched their “No More Rate Increases” campaign, using their unparalleled volunteer base to mobilize residents and call out the PUC and the legislature for their role in rising costs. Despite the freezing temperatures, AFP’s activist base set out to canvas entire neighborhoods, distributing blankets and engaging with impacted households.
The experience reinforced the crippling realities of Coloradans as they worked to cut back on energy use and redistribute expenses to account for rising costs. Residents brought their energy bills to the door eager to share their stories in hopes of change.
“The stories were truly heartbreaking,” recalls Jesse Mallory, Regional Director for AFP.
When the summer months rolled around, AFP distributed fans to help residents cool off, and went on to connect constituents with their lawmakers directly to apply pressure and spark change.
The pressure proved too much for the PUC to continue business as usual. They went on to slash existing rate increases in half, denied new proposals for rate increases by Xcel Energy, and prioritized rules and implementation plans to avoid future spikes. As a result of the public outcry, there was the creation of the Joint Select Committee of Rising Utility Rates to investigate catalysts for rising rates and enact policy interventions to prevent future unexpected, steep utility spikes.
“AFP is letting Coloradans know there is a better way to govern and that their voices matter,” Jesse emphasizes.
AFP continues to fight for consumers across Colorado, maintaining a close watch on the legislature and PUC practices to hold rates steady.
