BY PAIGE RAMSEY
Los Alamos|
The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) had their “let the poor freeze” moment last night.
Last night the BPU voted 4-0 to let the poor freeze. Because Los Alamos County is using less gas we are going to be charged more. The argument last night was gas infostructure needs to be fixed every year and because of this they need to hire senior pipe fitters who are the most expensive to hire. The county also budgeted that they would have more revenue than they sold and they did this for months on end. So, their solution charge people more to stay warm.
The DPU sees Los Alamos County as dollars not people. It was pointed out that its “only $10 more per month”. My salary only goes up by 2-2.5% every year and so do most people’s on the hill. Its only an extra $120 per year… on average. What happens when we have a cold winter and usage goes up. Use less pay more is the county’s backwards logic. Everything has gone up in cost that has outpaced inflation.
Not the board but the head of the DPU had the audacity to blame people installing more energy efficient boilers, furnaces and new windows for their “problem”. I am wrong or wasn’t there a whole county push to be more efficient? It seems we are damned if we do damned if we don’t.
This comes after a HUGE electric increase over 5 years. 2023 rate increases added an extra $6.50 a month, July 2024 another $7.15, July 2025 9% or another $7.50 and now another 8% plus ToU and an additional charge for kW for your highest one per month.
And not to mention the GRT. I received an email from DPU that they had overcharged me GRT and I would see credit to my bill last month. My bill came and there was no credit, so I called. The very rude customer care (ironic) representative said very few people who got the letter got a refund because “it was just cents”. REALLY?! You kept thousands of people “cents” and how many hundred or thousands of dollars did that add up to? Why is DPU stealing more money from the residents of Los Alamos?
DPU operates as a municipally-owned utility, its rates are set by the Los Alamos County
Council, on the recommendation of the Board of Public Utilities. There is no independent ratepayer advocate. There is no regulator examining whether DPU’s capital spending is prudent or its reserves are appropriately sized. The county government approves DPU’s spending plans and then approves the rate increases needed to fund them.
This is a closed loop. The same government that decides to build a $30 million wastewater plant is the same government that approves the rate increases to pay for it.
Residents have only their vote — and in a community where local elections draw limited
competition.
DPU does maintain a Utility Assistance Program for low-income customers, funded by customer donations. The fact that this program exists — and is funded by donations from other ratepayers rather than from the utility’s operating budget — says something about where the county’s priorities actually lie. It is a charity patch on a structural problem.
The county cannot simultaneously claim to care about affordability and cost of living while approving stacked utility rate increases year after year. Those two positions are in direct contradiction, and residents are living with the consequences.
The County Council is just as guilty as the DPU. They push outrageous things like buying property for over value, putting a clay logo on the road ($1.3 million) that was torn up after the first snow fall, road diets that were suggested by multimillion dollar consultants (That nobody but them want), painting a “green bike lane” (that they are weirdly proud of), ToU, rate increase after rate increase.
These people always run on great platforms like encouraging small businesses and then when elected do everything in their power to give corporations giant handouts, increase taxes and rates and make sure that people’s opinions are not followed but their rich and deep pockets keep getting filled.
Not one council member cares about the people. They are there to fill the cooperation of Los Alamos County pockets. These are people who have had years to build their own personal wealth and retire on cushy LANL pensions or were rich real estate agents.
The cumulative burden on residents — four electric rate increases in three years, sewer rates rising 14% over two years, gas rates climbing nearly 30% — reflects a government that is more comfortable building infrastructure and reserves than it is grappling seriously with the financial strain those decisions place on the people who pay for them. They are happy to let the poor freeze. Where are my fellow citizens? Are you all going to roll over and let them increase gas like they forced the ToU? I was the only person who spoke up last night! Remember if you are too poor to keep your lawn manicured you don’t belong in Los
Alamos County.
Editor’s note: The Los Alamos Reporter did not fact-check this letter.