Xcel Energy: billing error
In Colorado, ask in writing for a free meter test if the meter was not tested in the last 12 months.
What does this mean?
Grade A (high: almost everything comes from official pages read directly). 100% of 21 sources are the organization's own pages or government sites.
Collect
- the bill
- meter readings
- earlier bills
Steps
Call customer care. Ask whether the reading was estimated and ask for a correction.
In Colorado, send a written request for a meter accuracy test.
MailPublic Service Company of Colorado mailing address (from the Colorado tariff title page) Public Service Company of Colorado, P.O. Box 840, Denver, CO 80201-0840If the meter runs fast beyond the commission's tolerance, ask for the refund for the period back to the previous test (up to 24 months).
If not resolved, complain to the state public utilities commission.
Facts you can cite
- Policy
Colorado: on written request, Xcel tests the service meter free of charge if it has not been tested within the 12 months before the request.
Source: xcelenergy.com, verified 2026-10-12
- Limit
Colorado: if a tested meter runs fast beyond the error tolerance, the refund covers the period back to the previous meter test, not more than twenty-four (24) months. If it runs slow, Xcel may back-bill not more than six (6) months.
Source: xcelenergy.com, verified 2026-10-12
- Deadline
Colorado: for an over-billing, the customer may choose a credit or a one-time payment; a one-time refund is made within thirty (30) days. An under-billed customer may get a payment arrangement as long as the under-billed period.
Source: xcelenergy.com, verified 2026-10-12
Rules in force
- Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (ROSCA) negative option requirements15 U.S.C. 8401-8405
A seller that charges consumers online through a negative option feature (for example an automatic renewal or a free trial that converts to paid) must clearly disclose all material terms before taking billing information, get the consumer's express informed consent before charging, and provide simple mechanisms to stop recurring charges. The FTC enforces ROSCA.
Source: law.cornell.edu, verified 2026-10-12
1 citable point
- Policy
The seller must obtain "a consumer's express informed consent before charging the consumer's credit card, debit card, bank account, or other financial account".
Source: law.cornell.edu, verified 2026-10-12
- Policy
If that fails, escalate
Go up one step at a time. Keep the reference numbers and dates from each contact.
Customer service
Supervisor
Colorado: a customer with a disconnection notice may ask for an in-person hearing with a managerial representative within 15 days of the notice.
Written complaint
MailPublic Service Company of Colorado mailing address (from the Colorado tariff title page) Public Service Company of Colorado, P.O. Box 840, Denver, CO 80201-0840State agency
Your state’s utility commission. Find it in the list of state agencies (also as JSON:
states/<code>.json, for example states/ny.json).Colorado Public Utilities Commission, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, or the commission in the customer's state.
State agency
Your state’s attorney general. Find it in the list of state agencies (also as JSON:
states/<code>.json, for example states/ny.json).
Watch out
- Most xcelenergy.com pages redirect to a JavaScript site (my.xcelenergy.com) that automated tools cannot read. Outage and gas emergency phone numbers were not confirmed.
Let your AI agent handle this
Escalate Anything is a free, open-source MCP server for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI, Codex and other AI apps. Your agent gets this playbook, keeps a case log with reference numbers and follow-up dates, and drafts each message for you to approve.
1. Set it up (needs uv):
uvx escalate-anything setup2. Ask your agent:
Xcel Energy charged me [amount] on [date] for something I did not order. Use Escalate Anything to get it corrected.Source code, other install options and the Claude Code plugin