Evanston's Winter Utility Bills Are the Cheap Ones. What's Already Filed for February and March?
November 5, 2026
November 5, 2026
On Nov. 5, 2026, the Wyoming Public Service Commission opens a hearing in Cheyenne on Enbridge Gas Wyoming's request to raise its natural gas distribution rates by $2.49 million a year. Enbridge has proposed Feb. 1, 2027 as the effective date. Rocky Mountain Power has its own general rate case on file, with residential increases proposed for March 15 and April 1, 2027.
Most of what has changed on Evanston utility bills over the past year has gone in the homeowner's favor. The increases that have been filed take effect after the coldest months. That puts anyone buying a home here this winter in an unusual spot. The bills they see during their first winter are probably the lowest they will see for a while, and they will have very little history to plan against.
Rocky Mountain Power's Equal Pay plan spreads costs evenly by averaging the prior 12 months of billing. To qualify, a customer needs 12 months at the address and no overdue balance. Someone who closes on an Evanston home in November or December has no 12 months at that address, so their first winter of electric bills arrives month by month, at full size.
That makes the seller's bill history the only real record of how much the house uses. It's worth asking for a year of gas and electric statements during the transaction. The usage on those statements tells you how much heat and power the house needs. The dollar amounts are less reliable, because they reflect rates that are about to be revised.
Enbridge Gas Wyoming is the trade name of Questar Gas Company, and its Wyoming tariff lists its principal office in Evanston. It serves about 28,000 customers in southwest Wyoming, including Rock Springs, Green River, Kemmerer, Diamondville and Evanston.
A gas bill covers two things that move separately: the cost of the gas, and the cost of the pipes and service that deliver it. The cost of the gas has come down. The Wyoming PSC approved an Enbridge wholesale commodity decrease of $0.14454 per dekatherm effective Dec. 1, 2025, and another decrease of $0.10401 per dekatherm effective June 1, 2026. Other adjustments took effect alongside the December change, including balancing-account and energy-efficiency amortizations. For General Service Small customers, the combined result was an overall increase of $0.09655 per dekatherm.
The distribution request is a different kind of change. The Uinta County Herald printed the PSC's notice of Enbridge's application, which states:
"A typical Enbridge General Service customer, who uses 80 dekatherms per year, will incur an increase of approximately $99 per year, or approximately 11.69%. Actual amount will vary depending on usage."
Compare that with the June commodity cut. At the same 80 dekatherms a year, the June decrease works out to about $8 a year. The proposed distribution increase is roughly twelve times that. Enbridge filed the request on March 31, 2026. It also asked to keep its Conservation Enabling Tariff program and rename it the Revenue Decoupling Mechanism. The $99 figure is still only a proposal until the PSC rules on it.
On the electric side, Rocky Mountain Power's Wyoming price summary shows its Schedule 95 deferred energy cost adjustment and its Schedule 93 adjustment in effect for service on and after July 1, 2026, under docket 20000-707-EM-26. In its application, the utility asked for a net decrease of about 6.0% overall, including a proposed 4.3% decrease for residential Schedules 2 and 19. Rocky Mountain Power says the adjustment reflects higher coal, wheeling and other costs plus lower wholesale sales revenue, partly offset by lower purchased-power and natural gas costs. The case is still open. The docket page lists rebuttal testimony filed Oct. 5 and an updated exhibit filed Oct. 20.
Rocky Mountain Power also proposes a credit for this winter. On Oct. 14 the PSC noticed its application to change Schedule 198, the carbon capture compliance charge, from a 0.05% charge to a 0.62% monthly customer credit.
The larger change is the general rate case, docket 20000-710-ER-26. Overall, Rocky Mountain Power is asking for $70.5 million a year, or 8.8%. The first step would take effect March 15, 2027, and the second on April 1, 2027. For residential customers, the proposal comes to 8.5%: 8.3% in the March step and 0.2% in the April step. The same filing would revise the Schedule 92 insurance cost adjustment to create a wildfire liability self-insurance reserve. The PSC scheduled the public comment hearings for Casper on Sept. 24 and Rock Springs on Sept. 28, according to a notice in the Uinta County Herald. The docket page lists rebuttal filings dated Oct. 28.
In order, the changes that are approved, in effect or filed run like this:
The first three dates are in effect now. The last three are proposals waiting on decisions. All three of those proposed dates land after the turn of the year. Starting in February, while furnaces in Uinta County are still running hard, a gas bill would carry the higher distribution charge if the PSC approves it. The electric proposals then follow just as the spring listing season gets going.
A seller who lists in spring 2027 will be handing over a 12-month bill history made up mostly of the lower-rate period. A buyer who uses those dollar amounts to budget a full year of ownership may be planning against rates that no longer apply. The usage figures carry over to the new owner. The dollar totals may not.
These are the base charges posted as of this fall. Riders and taxes are added on top of the gas and electric figures.
| Service | Posted charge | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Enbridge gas, General Service Small | $12 monthly basic fee plus $8.63324 per dekatherm, effective June 1, 2026 | Enbridge Wyoming tariff |
| Rocky Mountain Power, Schedule 2 residential | $23 monthly single-phase basic charge plus 8.136¢ per kWh, before riders | RMP Schedule 2 |
| City of Evanston water | $8.80 base plus $2.30 per 1,000 gallons | City utility billing FAQ |
| City of Evanston sewer | $7.66 base plus $1.60 per 1,000 gallons | City utility billing FAQ |
| Garbage, landfill, stormwater | $12.60, $7.20 and $4.73 | City utility billing FAQ |
For a home using the 80 dekatherms a year from Enbridge's own example, the posted gas rate and twelve basic fees come to roughly $835 a year, before taxes and other line items. If the distribution increase is approved as filed, the $99 would be added to that.
Help is available for households that qualify. Wyoming's Low Income Energy Assistance Program is taking 2026–27 applications from Oct. 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027. It is open to homeowners and renters with household income at or below 60% of the state median, and it pays the utility directly. According to the Wyoming Department of Family Services, the program covers natural gas and electric heating bills and heating emergencies.
Are the February and March increases final? No. Enbridge's distribution request and Rocky Mountain Power's general rate case are both still in front of the PSC, and the dates above are the utilities' proposed effective dates.
Can a new owner get on Equal Pay right away? Rocky Mountain Power's posted rule requires 12 months at the address and no overdue balance.
Where can I read the Enbridge case myself? The PSC notice says the application is available at Enbridge's Wyoming offices, at the Commission's office in Cheyenne, or online at the PSC document system under Record No. 18098.
This post is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Before relying on any program or rate, confirm your own situation with the utility or the right professional.
If you're buying or selling in Evanston this winter and want help reading a home's utility history against what's on file for 2027, Britany Erickson can go through it with you. Text or call Britany at (307) 799-8096 to discuss your next move.
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