EP Electric Forum Meant To Ease Concerns Of NM Customers

LAS CRUCES, NM – El Paso Electric will hold an open forum Tuesday night to hear the concerns of New Mexico customers upset with rising electricity bills.

Recently, electric bills have jumped as much as 200% in some New Mexico households.

Since summer bills have been a big burden on some families, portions of future summer bills will be spread out throughout the months of August and November, El Paso Electric said.

“I speak for a lot of elderly people…it’s hard to get by,” Sandra Grassaks, an El Paso Electric customer, said. “Do I pay my medical bills or do I pay for my food? Or do I pay to be cool inside during the summer or warm during the winter?”

The company said they increased their summer rates to recover from a spike in fuel costs in May. This raise came after an already approved two percent increase in the base rate of the monthly bill.

“Trying to hit up customers with a fuel charge that is very high is just unacceptable…El Paso Electric really needs to begin a system for spreading those fuel charges over the year,” Las Cruces City Councilman Jose Frietz said.

The company also came under criticism for not notifying the public sooner about bills that were going to be higher than normal.

In an open letter to customers in Sunday’s Las Cruces Sun-News, El Paso Electric President and CEO Ershel Redd Jr. wrote:

“Please accept my most sincere apology for not adequately managing your expectations with regard to your July electric bill. As CEO, that responsibility rests solely with me. Let me assure you that we have learned a difficult lesson, and we will work diligently in the future to fully inform you of any significant change in your electric bill.”

The Las Cruces City Council already drafted a resolution to the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission asking the reconsider the approved rate increases.