NM PRC hears pushback on El Paso Electric rate hike that could add $40 a month

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. – (KFOX14/CBS4) — Some El Paso Electric customers in New Mexico are speaking out against a proposed rate increase that could raise the average monthly household bill by more than $40 by late next year.

The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, which will decide whether to approve the proposal, held a public comment hearing earlier this week in Las Cruces.

During the meeting, customers and community members questioned the size of the request and whether the utility is doing enough to serve customers in southern New Mexico.

“This is a border town. It is a college town. It is a retiree town. It’s a military town. We’re not rich like Santa Fe, and the rates just keep going up and up and up,” said Kathy Lucero, a Las Cruces resident.

“We ratepayers and energy consumers should not be asked to subsidize these excessive profits,” said Lynn Moore, a Dona Ana County resident.

El Paso Electric is asking for a $70.4 million increase to its base rates for customers in New Mexico.

El Paso Electric seeks $70.4M hike; average NM bills could rise nearly $42 a month

The utility says the request is needed to recover costs from more than $400 million in New Mexico system investments, including upgrades, reliability improvements and rising costs.

After the hearing, Israel Chavez, a local civil rights attorney, said accessibility is also a concern as the utility asks customers to pay more.

“El Paso Electric closed its office on Water Street. There is no physical office to go to if you live with a disability, if you don’t have the technology to access your utility bill or to talk to somebody, there is no place to go unless you go to El Paso. And I think it’s wrong for El Paso Electric to cut services and then increase rates,” Chavez said.

In a statement addressing concerns about access, El Paso Electric said, “El Paso Electric continues to provide reliable service, along with a range of customer support resources to meet diverse needs, including assistance with account access, bill understanding, and payments.”

The utility added, “We recognize that changes like this can have its challenges, particularly for customers who may face barriers to technology or prefer in-person support. However, we remain committed to ensuring our customers feel supported and have access to the help they need when they need it.”

El Paso Electric said customers can still manage their accounts online, call customer care, or use authorized payment kiosks throughout its service area.

The New Mexico PRC has not made a final decision on the rate request.

If approved, the increase would start taking effect next year in two phases.

FULL PUBLIC COMMENT HEARING

Final community meeting on proposed EPE rate hike in New Mexico draws mixed reactions

Sign up to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.