Do you need help paying your summer PNM bill?

Earlier this summer, PNM's parent company created a new one-time quarter of a million PNM Summer Heat Bill Help Fund that helped about 1,600 families pay their high electric bills after this year's record-setting heatwave with a $150 credit for each qualified customer. While that program is now closed, PNM's parent company just infused the longstanding PNM Good Neighbor Fund with an additional $300,000 to further help qualified limited-income customers pay their past-due electric bills with a credit of up to $170.

If you do not qualify for financial assistance, but still need help with your PNM bill, PNM can still help you by giving you more time to pay through requesting a payment extension or by enrolling in PNM Budget Billing, which removes the month-to-month fluctuations on your bill so you pay the same amount each month. Customers can contact PNM for these arrangements at 888-DIAL-PNM (888-342-5766).

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Protect yourself against copper theft

September is Copper Theft Awareness Month. Copper theft is an issue that plagues businesses, residents, and utilities every year. Copper theft is illegal, costs customers thousands of dollars to replace, and it also poses a serious safety hazard.

PNM works with law enforcement to prevent this crime and encourages you to keep an eye out for copper theft. If you have information on copper theft, call Crime Stoppers at 505-843-STOP (7867) or anonymously at P3tips.com. For business owners, there are protective devices that you can purchase that barricade the doors to transformers and meters that covers locks and handles deterring access.

If you notice any electrical equipment or facility that has been hit by thieves, do not touch the transformer or meter, or any wires looking out of place. The wires may still be energized and are a serious safety hazard. Call PNM at 888-DIAL-PNM so we can make the area safe.

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2024 Rate Change

PNM is committed to keeping your electricity bill among the lowest in the nation. Our last request to increase rates was in 2016 and since then, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to build a more reliable, resilient and cyber-safe electric system. PNM has asked our regulators, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, to respectfully review our costs and expenses and adjust electric rates effective early 2024. The increase is less than 1% in residential customer bills (that's just $.75 a month for the average residential customer) and here's what is included:

• Improvements to the electric system are required to ensure customers have the power when they need it.
• $2.6 billion invested to support the grid and ensure reliability.
• Increasing reliability through critical infrastructure upgrades and rebuilding aging equipment.
• Helping economically challenged customers by expanding customer outreach and education.
• Enhancing customer service so that we can respond to your requests faster.
• Eliminating third-party fees when customers pay by credit card.
• The 2024 Rate Change is an investment in our communities and our environment, ensuring reliability and resilience for the future.

Safety around downed power lines

When working outside, be sure to stay away from power lines. Don't work near or around them. If you spot a downed line, don't approach it. Just because you may not see sparks from a downed line, it may still be energized. Instead, contact PNM immediately at 888-DIAL-PNM.

Hot Air Balloon Safety

As October approaches, hot air balloons will soon fill our skies. It is part of what makes New Mexico so special. Here are some tips to ensure you enjoy the balloon fiesta safely.

Do not touch a balloon wrapped in a power line. Electricity seeks the nearest path to ground, which means an energized line that poses no danger to a balloon hanging on one wire could become deadly for everyone involved if a single onlooker touches the ground and the balloon or a tether at the same time.

If a balloon hits a power line, pole, or other electrical equipment, do not go near it or touch it. Call 911, then call PNM at 888-DIAL-PNM.

When driving, pull over safely to view the balloons in the sky.

How PNM responds:
PNM line crews are trained and experienced in assisting balloons entangled in poles and wires and we work closely with our first responders to make sure everyone is on the same page. Once we know the exact location of the incident:

• PNM crews determine the best approach to making the scene safe for first responders
• Once the scene is safe, first responders can provide rescue/first aid, if required, to balloon occupants
• Once everyone is safe, PNM crews will remove the balloon and perform any necessary repairs to the power lines or equipment

NMPRC meetings are open to the public

Did you know that the N.M. Public Regulation Commission meetings are open to the public? They are your chance to become informed and express your views on the various regulatory issues related to PNM. Copies of the NMPRC Open Meetings Policy and Notice are available at the Commission's office, 142 West Palace Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87501, or nm-prc.org/nmprc-open-meeting-agenda. Copies are also available at PNM payment centers.

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