Coloradans who are distressed with their skyrocketing energy bills have a chance to grab the Colorado Public Utilities Commission’s ear next week.

The office, which regulates energy rates in Colorado, scheduled an hours-long virtual public comment period on “utility bill affordability” on Jan. 31.

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PUC chief economist Erin O’Neill earlier gave the commission a presentation on high utility rates and bills. At that meeting, which occurred on Wednesday, commissioners expressed alarm about the number of complaints the PUC has received about soaring bills.

The commission approves energy rates, which utilities then apply. Under commission rules, utilities are allowed to recover higher, unexpected costs of energy, such as when Colorado’s regulators allowed Xcel to charge their customers $500 million for the extraordinary fuel costs incurred during a four-day winter freeze in 2021. The regulators approved the request even as they expressed misgivings at how Colorado’s biggest utility company handled the cold snap.

Commissioner Eric Blank, who chair’s the agency, started the Wednesday meeting by acknowledging that Coloradans have been experiencing high utility bills, which he said have doubled since last winter.

“Our volume of comments and complaints has also risen the levels we haven’t seen in recent history,” Blank said. “And as I read the comments, it seems clear that energy affordability is a crisis for many in Colorado right now, creating substantial hardship for utility customers during a time when other non-energy costs have also been increasing.”

Blank added: “Individual comments talk about how high energy costs are forcing impossible choices about paying energy bills, making rent, and putting food on the table.”

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“This is unprecedented,” said Commissioner John Gavin in the meeting. “I can’t remember seeing this level of pain in the consumer community since the 1970s and the gas crisis, which I’m old enough to remember.”

O’Neill’s presentation included information on typical utility bills, this winter’s higher rates, as well as the drivers for the increased costs, most of which O’Neill attributed to the rising cost of natural gas.

Next week’s meeting begins at 3 p.m., will be held virtually and will be available through a live webcast on the PUC website in Hearing Room A, which can be accessed at http://www.dora.state.co.us/pacific/Webcasts/a.html.

Comments cannot be given through the webcast however and registration is required to join the Zoom meeting, where comments may be offered.

Anyone interested in commenting should sign up here.

Register here to comment between 3-4:30 p.m.: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeOhxetINdxtvcG_DUmevR9oVp8bu9X64tyXol77UkbI_j8vQ/viewform

Register here to comment between 5-6:30 p.m.: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfla5bOVi7zhrKgHcHUyHNzXGYXMPRugVfeeBTaJ2s0ln-hUg/viewform

Written comments may be submitted at any time using the PUC’s online form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSclWDeNS2FCh0NdEijNU4igpUKqRZvTIYwZ8XSA2YYx3LF6qA/viewform

The PUC will also accept written comments by submitting them via the Commission’s Electronic Filing System or by emailing dora_puc_website@state.co.us.

In addition, written comments can be sent to the Commission’s offices at Colorado Public Utilities Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80202 or by calling (303) 869-3490 to leave oral comments.

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