St. Paul, MN (trfnews.i234.me) — State regulators have ordered Xcel Energy to pay $1 million to its customers after the utility exceeded its customer complaint threshold in 2023. According to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the payout will be split equally, with half refunded directly to electric customers and the other half allocated as credits for low-income customers.
PUC Commissioner Valerie Means emphasized the need for utilities to address the disparities in service disconnections and penalties faced by disadvantaged customers, stating, “We need our utilities to work with our most disadvantaged customers so they don’t fall further behind.”
The issue will continue to be reviewed by Xcel and other stakeholders later this fall as regulators push for improvements in customer service and fairness.