Colorado Public Utilities Commission sets energy-assistance charge at 86 cents a month for 2026-27
The inflation-adjusted charge will be collected through regulated utility bills to support programs that limit participating customers’ energy costs to 6% of income.
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission set the statewide Energy Assistance System Benefit Charge at 86 cents per month for the 2026-27 cycle, a three-cent increase from the previous charge.
Commissioners took the action Sept. 9 while opening the annual proceeding for the charge. Commission staff said the increase reflects a 3.9% inflation adjustment under the commission’s rules, and commissioners agreed with the recommendation, the meeting recording shows.
The charge is collected through monthly bills from regulated electric and gas utilities. It helps fund Colorado energy-assistance programs intended to limit participating customers’ gas and electric bills to no more than 6% of their income, according to the commission’s energy-assistance information.
The increase will add 36 cents per customer over a full year. The meeting record did not specify the first billing cycle for the 86-cent charge; that detail is expected in the written decision or utility billing notices.