It’s time to get a little more serious again. And just like the last time that I abandoned the world of squirrel wisecracks and Superman references, it’s about the utility bill.

Specifically, it’s about our LPC electric rates. And how in 2022 and 2023, they’re likely to be a little higher.

This isn’t something we do lightly. We’re proud to have the second-lowest residential electric rates in the state of Colorado, out of nearly 60 utilities in the state. And as we’ve kept the costs down, we’ve also worked hard to keep the quality of your electric service high. That’s why we’ve been recognized repeatedly by the American Public Power Association for reliability and overall excellence – and more importantly, why all of you in our community have known you can depend on us over and over again, whether in blazing heat or driving snow.

We want to keep meeting your expectations. And so we’re asking to adjust our rates – about 2.5% in 2022 and 2023 for most residential customers – to make sure we can. Those rates help us maintain, operate and replace our equipment, as well as continue to buy wholesale power from Platte River Power Authority (at the lowest wholesale rates in Colorado) and even make some improvements, such as an upgrade to our meters and a new billing system. You can find the details of what we’re proposing on the City’s Rate Changes Page, which also includes information about a proposed update to the storm drainage rates by Public Works & Natural Resources.

There’s one other thing this proposal includes as well. Namely, a bit of help.

Some of this will be familiar to you, such as the Efficiency Works offerings to save money and energy or even the CARE program that allows income-qualified households to get efficiency improvements for free. But there’s also a link to Longmont CAReS, which allows qualifying residents to get a rebate on part of their last year’s utility bills. As part of this proposal, the City would give a greater electric rebate and include a storm drainage rebate for the first time ever.

After all, if we’re going to ask a little more, we want to give a little more, too.

That’s part of what it means to be a community-owned utility. And it’s why we make sure you get the best service we can give – this year, next year and always.

That’s something we’ll always be serious about.