October 22, 2021 Sahan Journal Andrew Hazzard Minnesotans will spend more on heating bills this winter, experts and government officials say, but there is also more funding available to help low-income households cover costs. A rise in global natural gas prices combined with market hangovers from a deep-freeze in Texas earlier this year means that…
06Oct
Resources to help pay utility bills
Published October 6, 2021 Energy is essential, and we know all too well that energy bills can be a burden on your household. We don’t want you to be in the position where you need to choose between electricity and other essentials. If you or someone you know is struggling with energy bills there are…
06Oct
Will applying for RentHelpMN assistance help renters avoid utility disconnection?
Published October 6, 2021 In recent weeks, CUB has received a lot of phone calls from concerned consumers who have experienced, or are currently facing, utility service disconnections. Some of these consumers are concerned about being disconnected while they are waiting to receive financial assistance for rent and overdue utility bills through the RentHelpMN program….
17Aug
All utilities able to resume shutoffs
Published August 17, 2021 During the earlier stages of the pandemic, some utilities were prohibited from disconnecting consumers. As of August 2, all of Minnesota’s utilities are allowed to resume disconnections for past-due bills. If you are behind on your bills, here’s what you need to know. Call your utility and ask to arrange a…
21Apr
Major Minnesota electric and gas utilities will resume shutoffs August 2
Published April 21, 2021 Last Thursday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) adopted a transition plan to allow the state’s regulated utilities to resume service disconnections of residential customers. These utilities had been prohibited from disconnecting residential customers for nonpayment since the spring of 2020. The PUC approved a plan that will allow shutoffs to…
06Apr
PUC approves Xcel program to forgive bills of customers who owe at least $1,000
Published April 6, 2021 Back in December 2020, I wrote a blog about a program Xcel proposed to partially forgive unpaid utility bills of Minnesota customers who are among the farthest past-due on their bills. The “Payment Plan Credit Proposal” was one of several proposals Xcel made in the “Economic Recovery docket,” which the Public…
16Mar
Legislature considers assistance to customers to counter natural gas price spike
Published March 16, 2021 This week, the committees responsible for energy in the Minnesota House and Senate will hear identical bills aimed at addressing the severe spike in the price of natural gas that affected Minnesota gas utilities in February. The severe cold weather in Texas and the Midwest last month caused the price of…
05Oct
Some utilities resume shutoffs as COVID-19 emergency continues
Published October 5, 2020 A moratorium on utility disconnections remains in place for Minnesota’s regulated utilities, but some unregulated cooperative and municipal utilities have again begun shutting off customers who have past-due bills. CUB has received anecdotal reports of shutoffs by more than two dozen cooperative and municipal utilities located across Minnesota. It is difficult…
26Jun
Assistance with energy bills
Published June 26, 2020 Are you worried about getting your energy bills paid? Maybe you are already falling behind? It’s stressful to worry about bills piling up, having your electricity or natural gas shut off, or not being able to get your propane tank filled. Getting your utilities shut off or having an empty fuel…
04Mar
Energy poverty: What is it and how do we understand it?
Updated January 26, 2021 According to a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, nearly 1 in 3 American households reported challenges in paying utility bills in 2015. Keeping electricity bills affordable and providing information to consumers to reduce their energy expenses is the key goal for the Citizens Utility Board. As we work to…