We understand the confusion around the word choice of tariff vs rate. This word choice was by no means intended to imply political causation. Please note the following definitions as they relate to electric "rates" vs "tariffs":. 

• "Rate" - typically refers to the specific price per unit of electricity that users are charged. These are the figures members see on their bills that indicate how much is paid for energy consumed.  
• "Tariff" - is an industry term and refers to the comprehensive documents or schedules that outline the complete pricing structure for electricity. Our proposed "tariff" includes not only the rates (price per kilowatt hour) but also outlines additional charges (such as base charge, demand charge, facility charge etc.), fees, and terms and conditions under which service is provided.   

So, while rates did change, this announcement is a much broader communication of the changes in our complete pricing structure (aka "tariff").  

You may also review Policy 364 here for a more formal discussion of "tariffs" as they relate to our cooperative governance. 

This adjustment is essential to address inflationary impacts from recent years and is directly related to the cost of delivering reliable power to our members. A rate increase would be necessary regardless. 

Yes. Our friendly and knowledgeable Member Service Representatives are available Monday through Thursday to help you understand your electric bill and find new ways to save on your energy costs.

Call them at: 970-247-5786
Email them at: msr@lpea.coop

Based on the rising costs of delivering power, LPEA's rates needed to increase an average of 7.72%. The Board also wanted to keep community-wide impacts top-of mind as they considered how to achieve this average overall increase.  

With those considerations, one of the key changes the Board has proposed is increasing the fixed monthly base rate that all members pay while decreasing the per-kilowatt-hour energy charge.  

This gives members more control over their bills through consumption choices (learn about Time-of-Use here) while avoiding leaning on year-round residents to subsidize the infrastructure costs for seasonal residents.  

Increasing the base rate ensures that all members pay their fair share of the fixed infrastructure costs required to maintain service availability year-round, even when they're not actively using electricity.  

Since the rate increase and "true-up month" are occurring in the same month (April), we are implementing a formula to include the rate increase percentage amount in our predictions for your next year of budget billing costs. The percentage increase for your rate schedule will be added to your previous year's usage average. If you have further questions about budget billing, reach out to Amanda Williams at awilliams@lpea.coop  

There are a number of ways members can participate. 

- Attend our monthly Board Meetings 
- Contact your directors 
- Run for a seat on the board. The deadline to apply is March 22, 2025. Learn more here. 
- Vote for your Board representatives. Elections will begin with online and mail-in voting in mid-April, and in-person voting and election results announced May 21 at the annual meeting.