8-16-2023 7:59am

Alamogordo Electric Bills Skyrocketed Small Business, Families and Elderly Pinched

Chris Edwards Editor

Mary last name kept confidential contacted KALHRadio.org explaining that her $562 power bill is normally $100 to $150 this time of year and last months was over $300. Mary lives on social security and brings home $1100 a month between it and retirement. Rent is $600 not leaving enough for her other bills.

This issue is common and bleak for many local small business owners, families and the elderly.

The power companies show empathy and have a few programs in place to help residential customers but small business is left to flounder.

Mary said the gas company New Mexico Gas, cut her off, when she fell behind, and once they cut her off, they can’t work with her. She has to pay the full amount $624 past due to get it back on.

Water from the city, they are working with her.

"I got plenty of other bills to pay and yet.
this is the burden we have to bare with little care from the providers. I'm a senior citizen yet the person on the phone doesn’t care. I live mostly off of Social Security. And to get hit with a bill like this how can people survive?”

Both PNM and Xcel Energy have set up resources for help to catch up on paying your bill if a house hold is struggling.

Average Billing: where instead of receiving a huge bill it's spread out evenly throughout the year. So your bill stays roughly the same month to month.

Xcel Energy also offers 'Flex Pay' where that one big bill gets spread out in installments up to 6 months.

"We encourage customers to call us because I think a lot of times folks won't call. They think, well, maybe I can figure this out, and then they get behind," said a utility spokesperson during a recent interview.

PNM is asking customers to head to their website pnm.com/assisitance to find help rather than calling the company.

A new fund called the "PNM Summer Heat Bill Fund,” was implemented. That fund that allows customers a chance to get help even if they're not behind on bills just yet.

"We also didn't want customers to have to be behind on their bill to get help. We wanted to be proactive and we wanted to try and help as many people as we could," said Eric Chavez a PNM Spokesperson.

PNM's funds do have income restrictions if you plan on applying.

In addition, PNM has the 'Gift of Power' where you can pay for someone's bill if you know the name and address of the person in need. If you are a small business owner then your options are limited. The utilities have programs for residential owners but seem less concerned with small businesses thus pushing many to the brink. The “Gift of Power” is about the only option open to them.

Susan Payne of Love INC Otero County notified us they operate “the Good Neighbor Fund” which helps with up to $170 on an electric bill. In addition, now through Sept 30 PNM has a Summer Help Fund which allows Love Inc to pay another $150 on top of that. The GNF is once every calendar year and the Summer Fund is a one time payment. Both require the consumer to apply for LIHEAP first.

Local politicians seem concerned with the elderly and families but have shown to be tone death when small businesses raise concerns and are asking for assistance.

At this point no state Representatives nor regulators have stepped up to champion the challenges to small businesses with utility expenses via water, gas nor electric.