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City Council approves rate changes requested by Colorado Springs Utilities

Starting on October 1st, your natural gas bill will go up, and your electricity bill will go down
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Posted at 6:25 PM, Sep 27, 2022
and last updated 2022-09-27 20:25:27-04

COLORADO SPRINGS — In a unanimous vote, city council approved a resolution from Colorado Springs Utilities to change the rates of natural gas and electricity starting on October 1st.

According to Tristain Gearhart, Chief Financial and Planning Officer of CSU, natural gas prices will rise by about $3.95 on average per month, while electricity prices will lower by $4.90.

In total, CSU says that monthly billing will go up by around $5 in total.

"Prices this time this year are looking like are looking like they're 50% higher this year than what we saw last year," said Gearhart.

CSU attributes the high cost of natural gas to several things like inflation, the war in Ukraine, and global instability.

Jayme Johnson attended the city council meeting on Tuesday to critique the move by city council.

"I'm not always thrilled about the hikes, but that's the market that we're in," said Johnson.

Johnson approved of the measures by the utility company and commended city council for keeping up with costs.

"Under our current system, I think the utilities is doing quite a remarkable job at adjusting as we go," said Johnson.

However, he's still upset about paying an extra $5 every month with all of his other expenses.

"That's not to say I'm thrilled with my utilities bills, of course I'm not," he continued.

CSU has programs to help if you are struggling with paying your bill. You can visit their website to learn more.
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