Xcel Energy said Wednesday that it expects to shut off 72,000 Colorado customers this year because of delinquent bills, a 33 percent increase from 2007.
The disclosure was made after the Colorado Public Utilities Commission said Wednesday that it would ask Xcel and other regulated utilities to submit information about customer terminations by July 31.
Xcel has not been mandated to report its customer shut-offs since April 2006, when a rule change lifted the requirement. However, a regulatory filing made in connection with the utility’s future generation plans showed that Xcel expected to turn off 47,000 customers during the second and third quarters of 2008.
Xcel disconnected about 54,000 customers in all of 2007, according to information released by the utility Wednesday.
More households nationwide are getting their power turned off this year as rising energy, gasoline and food prices strain their budgets.
Xcel is Colorado’s largest electric and natural-gas utility, with 1.6 million customers.
Xcel typically gives customers at least a one-month cushion after their bill is due before shutting them off. Spokesman Tom Henley said the company sends “good customers” a reminder notice 33 days after their due date if they haven’t paid their bill, and a disconnection notice 64 days after the original due date. Xcel then disconnects the customer three to 10 days after the disconnection notice is sent.
A customer with poor credit history would get only a disconnection notice 31 days after the original due date and would be shut off three to 10 days after the notice was sent.
Henley said 85 percent of terminated customers in June were reconnected after working out a payment plan or paying their bills in full. He said Xcel helps connect low-income customers with financial-assistance groups such as Energy Outreach Colorado. Xcel also matches customer donations to Energy Outreach.
Xcel had declined several requests by The Denver Post in the past week for information about its customer shut-offs.
But on Wednesday during the PUC’s weekly meeting, chairman Ron Binz said he wanted Xcel and other regulated utilities to disclose the information, given the “substantial financial pressure” many households are facing.
The request was supported by the other commissioners, Matt Baker and Jim Tarpey.
Baker recommended seeking the same information from unregulated utilities. Several of those utilities, such as the Intermountain Rural Electric Association, have told The Post that their disconnections are up by as much as 25 percent this year.
The commissioners said they would consider reinstituting the previous quarterly reporting requirements.
Andy Vuong: 303-954-1209 or avuong@denverpost.com
By the numbers
72,000
Xcel Energy customers in Colorado expected to be disconnected because of delinquent bills in 2008
54,000
Customers who had their power shut off in 2007
1.6
million Xcel customers in Colorado
85%
Customers reconnected in June after making payment arrangements
