LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ — The price of power is becoming a big concern for some people living in western Arizona.
An ABC15 viewer contacted us to say that she and others living in Lake Havasu City were upset by a recent rate hike from UniSource Energy Services.
A spokesperson for UniSource tells ABC15 that the Arizona Corporation Commission approved a roughly 12% rate hike that took effect Feb. 1, 2024.
UniSource says it's been seven years since there's been any type of base rate increase. The company also says the fee increase will help pay for a number of investments they've made over the years, including updates to the power grid, infrastructure improvements, and higher operating costs.
The spokesperson tells ABC15 that the average monthly bill increase would be less than $14 but that the actual cost would depend on usage and the time of year.
But ABC15 viewer Tamara wrote to Nick Ciletti, saying that she and others in Lake Havasu City are having a hard time paying with the new rate in effect and that their bills have gone up more than what UniSource had promised. In a Facebook message, Tamara said, "We, as a community, are trying to stop this. As an aging community, this isn't right. The bills don't make sense."
ABC15 did some digging and found that several people have complained to the Arizona Corporation Commission, which approved the rate increase in a 4-1 vote.
UniSource is hosting an open house meeting on Thursday, September 12 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Lake Havasu City Community Center for customers to voice their concerns.
UniSource also says that if a customer is experiencing financial difficulties, their first step should be to call them to be connected with a number of resources.
To read more information about those resources and the open house meeting, click here.
Count on ABC15 to continue following this story and working to get updates.
