New Mexico Residents Notice 150% Increase In Utility Bills

February 3, 2023

The residents of a small town in New Mexico are facing a large problem. Deming, NM has a population of around 15,000, according to the 2020 census. Currently, all residents and businesses feel the effects of a significant increase in the cost of natural gas. 

KOAT News reports, 

“At this month’s Deming City Council meeting, those in attendance were informed of the increase coming. Deming City Administrator Aaron Sera said per-unit utilities costs went up from $1.30 to $3.30. The monthly utility bills sent to KOAT ranged from $650 to $800. That’s an 153.8% increase from rates there in December, just one month ago.”

The impact of utility price increases can be felt across the community, with business owners having to make tough decisions on how to cope with higher prices this winter. 

The Albuquerque Journal talked with local business owners who discussed how they have to deal with the increasing prices,  

“Oly Ortiz, owner of the La Fonda Restaurant, said the bill for her business topped $4,000, and she counted herself lucky that the establishment had recently been closed for a few days. As she called around to other restaurants near downtown, she learned most had received $5,000 statements and were frantic about how to stay afloat through winter. Ortiz said she had already been considering painful cuts, including reduced staffing, at the restaurant. ‘“I have not raised my prices in over a year, and everything keeps going up,” she said. “I’m paying $90 for one case of eggs. We are struggling; we are really, really struggling.”

This is the sad byproduct of Joe Biden’s ‘America Last’ energy policies. Record prices at the pump, sticker shock at the grocery store, and now eye-popping home heating bills. Making matters worse, Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act places a tax on natural gas starting next year because he feels Americans aren’t already paying enough. Forcing the green agenda on our families has disastrous consequences, but it’s clear no one in the White House cares. It will be important for Congress to stand up to President Biden, we are glad Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX-11) recently introduced legislation to repeal this natural gas tax.