Local Electric Bills Rise About Nine Percent Starting January

San Isabel Electric Association's Board of Directors approved an across the board increase to the energy charge on November 17, a change that will take effect in January 2026. The cooperative expects the adjustment to raise the average monthly bill in each rate class by about nine percent, which for a typical residential account using about 700 kilowatt hours per month translates to roughly a twelve dollar increase.

SIEA cited multiple drivers behind the increase, including state mandated clean energy standards, changes to tariffs and tax credits, and inflationary impacts on materials, supplies and labor that have pushed up the cost to purchase and deliver power. The increase applies to all rate classes, which means both residential and commercial accounts served by the cooperative will see higher charges next year.

To soften the impact for members who can shift electricity use, SIEA is offering a new voluntary time of use rate called Off Peak Plus. That plan provides significantly lower pricing during off peak hours, and sets on peak hours between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. SIEA says the option is best suited for households that can move most of their electricity usage outside the on peak window. The board also pledged to keep the grid access charge capped at thirty five dollars for residential accounts through 2027.

For local households in Las Animas County who receive power from SIEA, the immediate concern will be updating budgets to reflect roughly a nine percent increase. SIEA is encouraging members to review usage patterns, enable alerts, use tools available in the SmartHub app, and explore billing and payment options to smooth monthly expenses. A residential bill estimator and more detailed rate information are available at siea.com/rates.

The change underscores how policy driven clean energy requirements and broader inflationary pressures are filtering into everyday utility bills, making demand management and digital tools increasingly important for household financial planning.