Energy Wise rates

A graphic published in the Wednesday edition of The Gazette Letters to the Editor misrepresented Energy Wise time-of-day electric rates. Instead, the illustration that was shared reflects a cost-shift for solar customers that is being addressed separately by our proposed net metering changes — not the Energy Wise electric rate structure.

As your community-owned, not-for-profit utility, Colorado Springs Utilities is committed to transparent communication on our rates. So we need to clarify: Energy Wise is not a rate increase. Compared with today’s electric rates that charge the same no matter when the electricity is used, rates will be lower 88% of the time (we call these “off-peak” hours).

The Energy Wise program is designed to be revenue-neutral, meaning we do not expect change in overall revenue. The goal is simple: reduce peak demand and better align the cost of providing electricity during peak periods with the rates customers pay.

With Energy Wise time-of-day rates, we estimate about half of residential customers will have lower bills, and half might see slightly higher bills. The difference is estimated to average about $4/month increase or decrease over a 12-month period. By shifting high-usage activities, like drying laundry or running a dishwasher, to off-peak hours, customers can save even more.

Customers will receive a letter in the mail at least 30 days before they transition to Energy Wise rates.

To learn more about Energy Wise, visit csu.org/energywise.

Tristan Gearhart

Colorado Springs Utilities

Agree to disagree

Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday. He was a Christian, husband and father. He believed in God, family and country. He traveled the country, inviting people to have conversations and debate opinions and beliefs with anyone who wanted to engage with him. He believed in freedom of speech, regardless of whether he agreed with it. He was married with two small children. His life was taken in a senseless act. I assume the act was carried out by a person who disagreed with him. A person who felt, unless you agree with him, you must be silenced.

Today, I saw videos on TV of people dancing around celebrating his murder! How barbaric, unfeeling and disgusting. No matter what your beliefs or opinions, to celebrate someone’s death, is a heartless act! Ironically, Charlie Kirk championed everyone’s freedom of speech, even yours.

I would ask the people who made these horrific videos, in the privacy of your home, would you say all those hateful things to Kirk’s wife, Erika, and his 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son, standing in front of you? I can assure you, Erika would not celebrate the loss of your loved one.

May God forgive you for your hateful behavior. We should be able to disagree without it leading to such hate against others. Instead, agree to disagree and move on.

I hope and pray no one makes you hurt the way you have made Kirk’s family suffer from your unfeeling posts, because that is what Charlie Kirk would want.

Theresa Brown

Colorado Springs

Free speech gunned down

You have the American right not to agree or like what Charlie Kirk stood for and said. You have the American right to laugh and state your opinions. I ask as a fellow American when you as an American state your thoughts just to think that it was the same thing Kirk was doing, he didn’t shoot and kill anyone for exercising that First Amendment right! Freedom of speech is not freedom to commit the act of murder!

If we are not upset about the First Amendment being gunned down then we do not stand as Americans!

If any American thinks it’s OK to silence our freedoms, that is tyranny. That is disgraceful to every patriot, every service member and every person of any race or religion that has ever fought to be heard fought for freedom and liberty for these American soils.

As a journalist, an American historian, a daughter of the American revolution, a daughter of military family I stand for what so many have died for and freedom isn’t free, liberty is green, and justice is blind. However if any American is not pissed that the very first right of the American people was just gunned down i must wonder how red is your coat!!!

Angela Hampt

Colorado Springs

City auditor position

Several months ago, when the city auditor position opened, one requirement was for a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) degree and a salary of $189,000, plus city benefits. The now-hired city auditor did not meet that requirement yet still managed to be interviewed. She got the job with the agreement she would get a CPA within two years. Several months into the job, she told the City Council she was not going to meet that requirement as it was not needed. She still managed to keep her job. The city then reduced the requirement for the job to Certified Internal Auditor, a certification that she still had not met, but promised to be achieved in two years. Right. (Any requirement to show work being done to get this degree during those 2 years?)

Since the city is buying into this, why can’t the city auditor in the position today with not one of the required degrees take a 50% reduction in pay until such time as the degree is earned?

The current city auditor is on the record saying this position does not require a CPA degree, so why is she still getting CPA pay? This does require an answer. What say you, City Council?

Roger Weed

Colorado Springs