Your Xcel bill has tons of small charges. Here’s what they’re for.

CPR News | Written by Miguel Otárola

Cutting down on home energy costs is no longer as easy as just switching off the light when you leave a room or insulating the attic, said Denise Stepto, chief communications officer for Energy Outreach Colorado, a nonprofit that provides bill assistance to qualifying residents. 

Natural gas prices on March 18 were nearly 85 percent higher than the same week last year, according to spot prices provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Cooler temperatures in the Gulf Coast and uncertainty in the European natural gas market caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine have all contributed to the increase, according to the EIA. And for most homeowners and some renters in Colorado, the cost to generate gas and electricity is constantly changing — as are the additional charges on their energy bills.

For customers of Xcel Energy, the largest for-profit utility company in the state, those charges are listed under their electricity and natural gas costs on their monthly energy bills.

"Changing the way that energy is generated and delivered will result in higher costs. Energy Outreach Colorado, wants to help low-income households pay for that transition and become more energy efficient."

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