No clever puns in the blog today. No geeky bits of pop culture. This time, we’re here to talk about electric rates, and that’s something both we and our customers take seriously. 

You may have seen in the news lately that Longmont Power & Communications has asked for a rate increase for 2024 and 2025. If adopted, this would add $5.16/month to electric costs for a typical household in 2024 and $5.62 in 2025. We’re also asking the City to boost the Longmont CAReS elecric rebate so that the cost can be offset for qualifying customers.

So why the change? The answer lies in both the present and the future.

As we continue providing reliable electricity to our community, we face the same realities as the homes and businesses we serve: old things wear out, new things become necessary and everything needs to be maintained to keep it at its best.  In our case, that can mean things like replacing transformers, adding and repairing streetlights, or maintaining our electric capacity to meet the needs of a growing community. Like so much else these days, all of that costs more than it used to.

The “future” part meanwhile, looks to 2030 and beyond. Both Longmont and the wholesale electric provider we co-own, Platte River Power Authority, have been working toward a goal of 100% renewable electricity that the city set several years ago. That’s meant investments in solar and wind energy, battery storage and the infrastructure to support them, all of which affect the wholesale cost of power – and that wholesale cost, in any year, is always the largest expense we have.

You can find out more about the rate proposal on our Rate Changes webpage. That’s also where we have some opportunities for help, such as the increased Longmont CAReS assistance or the ability to save energy through Efficiency Works.

In the end, all of this is about serving you as a community utility should. That’s why we’ll always be direct about things like this with you. It’s why we work hard to keep costs low and offer help however we can.

You deserve the best.

That simple.

That serious.