We Energies customers will face higher bills, and it’s not just because of the drop in temperature.
You may have already noticed the increase. A Facebook post on the TMJ4 page about this topic has garnered more than 500 comments from people like Kimberly, who said her energy bill "went from $331 in November to $518 in December." Robert wrote that his bill is "up $23 for the same kilowatt usage I had last year at this time," and Sheila wrote, "I even had my furnace checked because of the difference!"
Chi Nguyen owes We Energies nearly $500 for her December bill. She says last year’s bill was about $150 less. Chi admitted her usage went up slightly but also noted, "The average temperature didn’t change much; it’s 5 degrees lower this month compared to the same time last year. My bill went up a lot, but I can’t do anything about it."
She manages Anthony Vince Nail Spa locations but used to live in Ohio. "In Ohio, as a customer, I could shop around for my rate," she explained. "So many salesmen would come to your door, call you, and ask who your service provider is right now and if they can analyze the bill for you." She added that many would try to beat the rates of your current provider.
In a regulated energy market like Wisconsin, utilities operate as monopolies in their service areas, with rates set and overseen by the state's Public Service Commission. Higher rates for We Energies, approved by the PSC, went into effect Jan. 1.
"For the typical customer, the estimate is about a little less than $8 a month on the electric side and about $2 to $4 a month on the gas side for 2025," said Brendan Conway, spokesperson for We Energies.
A second rate increase will follow in 2026. We Energies says customers can expect to pay another $7 a month on the electric side and, again, about $2 to $4 more on the gas side.
"Over the long term, we’re estimating our customers are going to save a significant amount of money," continued Conway. That’s because the higher rates customers are paying will help recover costs for clean electrical infrastructure in southeastern Wisconsin — projects like the Paris Solar Energy Center in Kenosha County.
Watch: We Energies customers say their bills are going up:
"We're anticipating, as is everybody, real strong growth in Wisconsin over the next few years," emphasized Conway. "The biggest driver (of increasing rates) is the investments we're making to ensure our customers have the affordable, reliable, and clean energy they need. So that includes some big solar projects."
Still, it's a hard conversation to have with customers who want rates to stay as low as possible. Customers like Alice Kehoe, who worries about growing power needs in the region and keeps a close eye on local issues. "This is how I know about what Microsoft wants to do in Wisconsin and what the pros and cons are," she explained.
Alice signed an open letter to the tech giant, along with more than 1,000 others, urging Microsoft to take more responsibility for the energy demands of its planned $3 billion data center in Mount Pleasant. "The corporate entities, the big ones, should pay the higher rates," Alice stated plainly. "Homeowners should not."
Microsoft's data center is forecast to become the largest individual user of electricity in Wisconsin. The company filed testimony supporting the recent We Energies rate increase as it was being considered by the Public Service Commission.
We Energies says it has several rates for business customers based on usage, but nothing designed specifically for tech companies. "Microsoft has said very publicly they are going to pay for anything that is built for them and for the energy they use," said Conway. "So actually, we're working on a rate right now for very large data centers that we'll file with the PSC."
Balancing the usage and rates for large companies and consumers is something Chi understands. She actually worked for a utility company in Ohio, but still, she would like to see lower rates. "I would love for some deregulation or decentralization. I know it’s easier said than done, and it might take a long time, but it would be nice for customers to have some sort of options like that."
We Energies will work with you if you're having trouble paying your energy bill. There are many resources available, including payment assistance, but you need to pick up the phone and call them to start the process. Budget billing is one option; you'll pay a set price each month, so you're not surprised by seasonal swings in your bill.
Watch: Concerns over new data center's power needs:
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