Blog
Shut-off protections
Published January 3, 2019 Sometimes, depending on the weather or other circumstance, it can be hard to keep up with utility bills and you might fear getting your utilities shut off. Fortunately, Minnesota law contains several protections for consumers. There are a few different instances described below in which your utilities could be potentially shut…
The Public Utilities Commission? What is that?
Recently, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has been in the news a lot. Articles about the Commission (as the PUC is often referred) have graced local headlines across the state. The Commission’s recent decisions on the Enbridge pipeline, Minnesota Power’s proposal to construct a new generation facility, and Governor-elect Walz’s opportunity to appoint a new…
Consumer Spotlight: Training the next generation of energy workers
At our community events throughout Minnesota, CUB has been talking about how the energy system will be changing in the coming years. We want to give energy customers an idea of how they may be impacted. Another perspective to explore is how these changes will impact the people working in the energy system. Will our…
Using electric heat this winter? Ask your utility about ways to save
We’ve mentioned in previous blogs that winter usually brings the highest energy bills of the year to Minnesota households. For the households that heat their homes with electric heat, bills can be especially high, running in the hundreds of dollars each month. If your household has electric heat as a primary heating source, we encourage…
Xcel customers: Get ready for a rate increase in the New Year
Back in the fall of 2017, we informed you about a multi-year rate increase approved for Xcel Energy electricity customers. The first, and largest, portion of rate increases went into effect on October 1, 2017, and now it’s time to get ready for another round. Effective January 1, 2019, Xcel customers will face an increase…