279,190 Xcel (energy) customers late with bills

[mhr]

Higher natural gas costs, joblessness cited for rise

By Gargi Chakrabarty, Rocky Mountain News
February 26, 2004

A record number of Xcel Energy customers were late in paying their bills for December as joblessness and higher natural gas costs took a toll on pocketbooks.

Meanwhile, Colorado's Department of Human Services said a record number of needy households have applied for energy assistance to pay a portion of their bills even as charities are running out of funds.

For December, 279,190 Xcel customers were late paying bills by one day or more, the company reported. This is 78.8 percent higher than the 156,171 in December 2002.

"It is clearly a function of higher cost of natural gas and possibly the continued flat economy," said Xcel spokesman Steve Roalstad.

Snip ......

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/business/article/0,1299,DRMN_4_2683920,00.html

[SmileyBoy]

1. But * says that the economy is better!!!

How can that be???!!!

[punpirate]

2. Xcel deserves a few more late payers....

They're the next minor-league version of Enron.

[maggrwaggr]

3. In the last year my gas bill has doubled

of course I live in California, where we all got reamed big time.

i can't wait for warmer weather so I don't have to turn the freaking furnace on anymore.

[orwell]

4. Energy Angels

Don't worry. *'s "faith based" charity initiatives are waiting in the wings like an angel of mercy to help the needy pay for *'s "faith based" economic plan. :eyes:

O

[Occulus]

5. These companies will either

rack up the debt or fold. Expect accelerated consolidation of customer bases as companies fold and customers move, mergers occur (because that's the only way the smaller company can remain solvent- and layoffs ensue thereafter), or the business borrows more and yet more moeny.

See, people don't have jobs. Say it over and over and over if you have to, but capitalism cannot function at all if the populace subjected to it- and I think I do mean 'subjected'- cannot contribute their part by pumping money into the economy.

Funny how the guvmint still gets theirs regardless, though, isn't it? Before you do, even. Meaning your check can be held up in the mail, but Uncle Sam already has his cut.

Base issue: money has corrupted democracy.

Discuss.