Residents of Western Arizona, particularly those from Lake Havasu City, are facing heightened financial pressure following a recent utility rate increase by UniSource Energy Services, with the average monthly bill purported to rise by less than $14, depending on usage and season, a UniSource spokesperson explained to ABC15. Despite assurances that the rate hike — the first in seven years, is for funding upgrades to the power grid and infrastructure improvements, the price bump has not sat well with the community.
Accompanying the unease is a vocal response from Arizona lawmakers, who are now intervening on behalf of their constituents; Arizona Legislature members including House Majority Leader Leo Biasiucci, Rep. John Gillette, and Sen. Sonny Borrelli have implored the Arizona Corporation Commission's Chairman Jim O’Connor to reopen discussions on the rate hike, echoing residents' concerns over affordability, according to a report by the Havasu News.
While UniSource stands by its justification for the increase, noting higher operating costs and significant investments in its services over the years, residents have expressed dismay, like the one who communicated to ABC15 reporter Nick Ciletti through Facebook, lamenting, "We, as a community, are trying to stop this. As an aging community, this isn't right. The bills don't make sense." Despite UniSource's open house meeting intended to address customer concerns and offer financial resources to those in distress, it's clear that both the residents' ire and the legislative pushback reflect a broader discontent that is unlikely to simmer down without substantive concessions or a reversal of the rate hikes.
