Bills up, reliability down: How rising energy costs could impact you and what gubernatorial candidates plan to do
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) — Fall is in full swing, but winter and concerns about heating costs will be here before long. Gas and diesel prices are already straining household budgets across Wisconsin, and higher energy costs are likely to affect electric bills this winter because of those higher fuel costs. This all comes as We Energies is asking for a rate increase.
“It is tracking higher and we’ve had price increases above the rate of inflation across the state for most utility customers, especially in Milwaukee,” Tom Content, the executive director of the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), said.
According to the Citizens Utility Board, the price increase partially has to do with the extreme cold Wisconsin saw last winter, but some Wisconsinites’ bills could be hit harder than others once the cold weather rolls in.
“Most people in Wisconsin heat with natural gas,” Content said. “There is a good slice of Wisconsin, especially rural Wisconsin, that uses propane and propane prices are up because of crude oil prices.”
The CUB says 35,000 households in Wisconsin still use heating oil for their heat and that is directly impacted by the prices we are seeing because of the war. He says it could cost more than $1,000 more this winter, which is why his organization wants those who use heating oil to make a switch if possible. Content added We Energies customers have seen their bills increase by 33% over the last four years. Now We Energies is asking for another rate increase, which Content hopes will be less than the proposed 14%-16% the company is asking for.
“We are asking the Public Service Commission, which regulates We Energies, to bring down the size of that increase so that it is much more manageable for folks who have already seen these excessive increases over the last four years,” Content said.
We Energies issued the following statement in regard to their rate increase ask:
“Our customers count on us every day for the energy they need. We recognize our responsibility to continue providing safe, reliable energy while keeping customer bills as low as possible. Our rate filing reflects that. Our request includes more than $225 million in savings from federal tax credits and earnings sharing. And we are making critical reliability investments in tree trimming, burying power lines and replacing aging equipment. These investments reduce outages, improve restoration and minimizing emergency repairs.
We encourage any customer with concerns about their bill to contact us right away. We offer access to energy efficiency rebates and programs to help reduce energy use and costs. We offer budget billing so customers know exactly what their bill will be each month. And we can connect customers to comprehensive assistance programs that help provide monthly bill credits.”
Wisconsin’s reliability scores have declined as prices have risen. According to the most recent study by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average customer experienced 266 minutes of outages in 2024, up from 183 minutes in 2023, including outages caused by major weather events.
“We see a real opportunity for both gubernatorial candidates to be strong on this and endorse what we are asking for, which is a better planning process for the state, tying utility prices to affordability. Utility profits are far too high,” Content said.
The Citizens Utility Board hopes the next governor can reverse the trend. We contacted the campaigns of Tom Tiffany and David Crowley, and each provided a statement on energy prices. Both said the Public Service Commission needs an overhaul. Their respective statements appear below; each also has a plan for energy prices you can find a link to underneath the statements.
“Wisconsin families are paying the price for a forced transition away from reliable baseload power. Since 2021, the Democrat-appointed PSC has approved more than $2 billion in utility rate increases, rubber-stamping 71% of requested hikes. Now, We Energies is proposing another 14% increase. David Crowley would double down with more Green New Deal mandates and more pressure on our grid. I will change the direction of the Public Service Commission to put affordability and reliability first. We’ll keep reliable baseload power online, embrace new nuclear, protect Wisconsin farmland from industrial-scale wind, solar, and data centers, and appoint PSC commissioners who put ratepayers ahead of costly mandates,” said Tom Tiffany.
Tiffany’s Plan for Affordable, Reliable Energy
- Stop closing baseload power: Wisconsin needs reliable power available around the clock. Tiffany will stop prematurely shutting down dependable baseload generation while ratepayers are still paying for plants that no longer produce electricity. He will appoint PSC commissioners who put reliability and affordability first.
- Protect farmland: Wisconsin should not pave over productive farmland with massive industrial-scale wind, solar, and data center projects or carve unnecessary transmission corridors through family farms. Tiffany will protect private property rights, prioritize existing infrastructure and corridors, and give local communities a meaningful voice.
- Embrace new nuclear: Wisconsin should lead the next generation of American nuclear energy. Tiffany will work to remove regulatory barriers to new nuclear development, including advanced and small modular reactors, so we can produce reliable, around-the-clock power right here in Wisconsin.
- Lower utilities’ guaranteed profit rate: Wisconsin’s major investor-owned utilities are currently authorized by the PSC to earn about a 9.8% return on equity, above the national average and higher than rates approved for utilities in neighboring states like Illinois and Minnesota. This return is built into customer rates. Tiffany would look to lower it and reduce costs for Wisconsin ratepayers.
- Close the revolving door: Tiffany will require PSC commissioners to have a cooling-off period after leaving office before accepting a job with an investor-owned utility or transmission company.
David Crowley Response
"David Crowley knows families already feel it every time they open their utility bill, which is why he doesn't support asking them to pay more, and as governor he'll appoint PSC commissioners who put ratepayers first and fight to make affordability part of every rate decision. Congressman Tom Tiffany is talking tough now, but he voted to slash funding for the watchdog that fights rate hikes and voted for a bill that would raise electric rates. He's already shown whose side he's on, and it isn't Wisconsin families."
The document below is Crowley’s plan to lower energy bills: