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Pay More To Keep Cool With Xcel's New Summer Rates

DENVER (CBS4) - New summer rates from Xcel Energy mean residents will pay more to keep cool this summer.

The concept is called "two tiered billing" and it's meant to conserve energy. Customers who use up to 500 kilowatt hours per month pay 4.6 cents. The charge nearly doubles 9 cents when customers go over 500 kilowatt hours per month.

The plan encourages customers to save energy without asking them to make reductions.

"They have a choice to use the amount of energy that will be necessary for their own personal comfort, and safety and if they can cutback it helps them on their bill," Xcel spokeswoman Michelle Aguayo said.

The state legislature looked at possibly scraping two tiered billing, but Aguayo says a review showed customers could manage their power bills quite well, so the practice is back again.

Xcel says most customers will not pay more during an annual billing cycle.

Two tiered rates take effect Wednesday and runs through September.

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