I’ll be upfront: LPEA’s leadership never much interested me. Life is busy. That changed last year when their lack of transparency cost me $56,000 – creating a problem that will outlast my solar warranty.
I bought a property with existing solar panels, and as energy rates climbed I decided to upgrade the system and add battery storage. The property is zoned both residential and commercial, but for years I had been billed at the residential rate. When LPEA saw I was planning to expand the solar system, they quietly switched my account to commercial – without notifying me.
Months later, after the system had been designed and installed based on residential assumptions, my bill was unchanged. When I contacted LPEA, I was told my account had been switched to commercial. That change increased my base fee, added a demand charge, and eliminated the time-of-day savings that made the solar upgrade worthwhile. When I asked why I hadn’t been notified, I was told my account had “no marketing emails” enabled – even though LPEA sends my monthly bill without issue.
I tried to invest in cleaner energy. LPEA made it financially impossible. Had I known about the rate change, the system could have been designed differently – or more likely not upgraded at all. I am now paying a $450 monthly solar loan while my electric bill remains about the same.
A longtime friend of mine, James Lane, is running for the LPEA board. I trust him to represent members like me.
Shera Johnson
Durango