Across New Mexico, families are being hit with staggering electricity bills of $220, $700 — and in some instances more than $1,000 — as the brutal heatwave collides with a shortage of meter readers at Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM).
The eye-watering power bill is another unwelcome shock for households battling the soaring temperatures. From Albuquerque’s South Valley to southern New Mexico, consumers say their bills have doubled or even climbed many times higher than what they were paying previously.
And amid the punishing temperature, many families say they have no choice but to switch on their air conditioners. “It’s $220. It was last month,” South Valley resident Penelope Aley told local reporters. “So probably the same or more this next month. But we’re not managing it because we’ve got to keep cool.”
The financial trouble is severe for many families who rely on refrigerated air conditioning instead of evaporative coolers.
One father said his children’s homes, equipped with refrigerated air cooling systems, are seeing their bills doubled.
Behind the soaring bills
PNM acknowledges that consumers are having higher bills this summer. But the utility company says that a combination of extraordinary heat and a temporary shortage of meter readers driven the spike.
The staffing problem, according to PNM, has forced them to bill consumers based on estimated readings in some areas and has delayed actual meter readings in others.
That created a particularly nasty surprise. A consumer may receive an estimated bill based on historical usage, and receive later a higher bill based on actual meter reading.
In some cases, the delayed meter reading covers more than one month of electricity consumption, giving the impression to consumers that their usage has suddenly gone high.
PNM spokesperson Eric Chavez said the utility is working to eliminate the backlog. “We’re doing everything that we can to fill those shortages so that we can get back on track and make sure that these meter reading delays come to an end,” he said.
He explained that a bill could, for example, cover electricity used from the middle of one month through the end of the following month. The reading produced a larger than usual total.
Some bills have topped $1,000
Temporary staffing shortages forced PNM to use estimated and multi-month bills for June and July, particularly in Alamogordo, Tularosa and Ruidoso. Residents in these communities have complained of soaring bills as high as $700 to $1,000.
The utility says that once those routes have since been fully staffed and that customers facing unusually large bills can seek payment arrangements and help through programs such as the Good Neighbor Fund.
But the impact can be overwhelming for families already living on tight budgets. A four-figure electricity bill, for some families, can mean choosing between keeping the lights and air conditioning on or paying for groceries, rent, medication and other essentials.
New Mexico’s power grid is feeling the heat
Meanwhile, the weather itself has placed enormous pressure on the state’s electricity system. The state’s power grid reached an all-time peak load of 2,264 megawatts recently, which is about 6 percent higher than the previous record set during a heatwave three years ago.
The physics behind is simple: when temperatures climb, air conditioners run longer and harder. That results in a surge in demand.
PNM and its parent company, TXNM Energy, warned customers in areas including far Northeast Albuquerque that a surge in demand could put equipment under stress. It urged customers to voluntarily reduce electricity use between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., when the demand is particularly high.
The bill-buster
Air conditioners are obviously the culprit behind much of the summer pain. During hottest months, cooling can increase by half or even higher of a household’s electricity consumption. And the higher the electricity usage of a household, the higher the bill under PNM’s tiered summer rate structure.
The first 450 kilowatt-hours are billed at one rate. But once the customers hit beyond that threshold and rises again after 900 kWh, the price increases.
Recent rate adjustments approved by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission — the first phase taking effect in July 2025 and the second in April 2026 — have also increased base charges. PNM, however, said that the startling summer bills being reported are primarily the result of extreme temperatures and increased electricity consumption, rather than rate increases alone.
Taking their complaints online
Customers do not take the matter sitting down. They bring their plaints to social media and online forums. Some residents posted images of bills that they claim are unreasonably higher.
But PNM maintains that they billed customers only of what were actually consumed. The utility explains that once the actual meter reading is unavailable, the bills are calculated using historical information to estimate a customer’s average daily usage.
Customers who received an estimated bill can submit their actual meter reading to PNM for review.
The utility also offers payment arrangements to customers who suddenly received an unusually large bill.
Stay cool or save money
Thousands of New Mexico households can either choose to stay cool or save their money. As temperatures rise into dangerous levels this summer, air conditioning has become a necessity for households with elderly residents, young children and people particularly vulnerable to extreme heat. But it comes at a punishing price.
The utility says it is aggressive in their hiring and training for additional meter readers to restore normal reading schedules and prevent delays. Until that happens, customers bear the brunt of scorching temperatures, soaring electricity demand, and operational concerns inside the utility.
New Mexico’s unusual summer heat is not only making people sweat. It’s making them sweat over how to pay the bill while staying cool.
