Fort Collins Electric Bills Shockingly High

As temperatures in Northern Colorado start to fall one would probably think that the number on the on bill from the electric bill would shrink as well. That is not the case for many Fort Collins residents this year. Instead, Fort Collins residents are seeing electric bills that have doubled or even tripled from earlier this year.

City leaders raised rates to help discourage people from using lots of electricity. Unfortunately the temperatures have not dipped enough to discourage people from turning the air conditioner off yet, and with smoke in the air for much of the summer residents hid inside as well. Now, they’re paying the price.

A few things have added to the price increases we see on our bills. First, the city as a whole is paying more for electricity from its provider, Platte River Power Authority. That means the base rate for everyone went up. At the same time, Fort Collins officials created a new “tiered” system that forces heavy residential power consumers to pay significantly more than light users. That sliding scale went into effect in February.

City electric utility workers predicted those price increases would raise the average bill by 6 percent over the course of the year, with a spike of almost 17 percent for the summer months.

Despite the high bills, Fort Collins residents should note that their electricity costs significantly less than in most Colorado cities. Excel customers, for instance, pay $10 more for the same amount of power, and some residents on the eastern plains pay double.