DENVER — Some Coloradans are facing tough decisions as they try to stay cool during this week's heat wave, especially those on fixed incomes.
Jimmy Cano and his wife, who live in Aurora, received a free portable air conditioning unit Tuesday night thanks to local nonprofit Bright Leaf, an organization that provides food assistance and other resources for seniors in the City and County of Denver.
"Usually right at this time, I would probably be sitting here dripping sweat," Cano said.
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He said the portable AC unit has been a game changer for them as their home does not have a central AC system. But Cano's wife said their Xcel Energy bill has also climbed over the years, adding pressure to a budget already stretched by Cano's fixed income.
"It just barely gets me by," Cano said.
Marjorie and Harry Buschman, who were sitting on the shaded front porch of their Commerce City home Wednesday afternoon, said Xcel Energy's most recent proposed rate hike will be a burden for many people, especially those on fixed incomes.
"Everything's gone up, and it's... it's a challenge to live," Buschman said.
Xcel Energy is proposing electric and gas rate increases that would raise the average customer's bill by about 10% more as early as August. The plan is still awaiting approval by the state's Public Utilities Commission.
Consumer
What Xcel’s proposed rate increase could mean for your monthly electric bill
Andrew Holder, Xcel Energy Colorado's community relations manager, said the utility's electric bills in Colorado are 37% below the national average.
"Now, understanding, you know, what happens in the United States doesn't necessarily matter to our customers here in Colorado that have to pay their utility bill, so we want to make sure that our customers have all the resources that we have available to ensure that we are in a true partnership with how they use their electricity," Holder said. "First and foremost, we want to make sure that everybody's using it efficiently."
He said to keep bills lower during the summer, customers should adjust their thermostat up a few degrees while away from home, close blinds to keep sunlight out, and avoid using energy during peak hours from 5-9 p.m. Monday through Friday. Xcel said electricity is more than 60% cheaper outside of peak hours.
Xcel Energy said it has made infrastructure investments over the years to keep up with high demand during hot summer days.
"What we've done is we've systematically invested into gas turbines and gas generating facilities to ensure that we have enough electric resources onto the grid, but we've also brought on a number of other generation sources, whether that's wind farms, solar farms around the state," said Holder.
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