New Mexico Regulators Seek Investigation into PNM’s Billing Issues

Albuquerque Santa Fe, NM, October 7, 2026 — The Public Interest Advocacy Staff of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) has formally requested an investigation into Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) concerning estimated and delayed utility bills that customers received during the summer months.

The staff’s request aims to scrutinize the circumstances surrounding the billing discrepancies, focusing on several key areas. These include identifying the root causes of a reported meter reader shortage, assessing whether customers were subjected to overcharges due to estimated billing, and verifying PNM’s adherence to existing regulatory requirements.

Additionally, the proposed investigation seeks to develop strategies and measures to prevent similar issues from recurring in the future. As part of this examination, the Public Interest Advocacy Staff has proposed conducting meter testing in affected areas. Specific locations mentioned for potential meter testing include Alamogordo and Ruidoso.

The details regarding the exact duration of the meter reader shortage, the specific periods during which estimated and delayed bills were issued, and the precise number of customers impacted were not explicitly detailed in the request. Similarly, the total potential amount of customer overcharges, if any have been confirmed, was not specified. The request did not specify any proposed fines or penalties at this stage, but rather focused on understanding the causes and implementing preventative measures.

The NMPRC Public Interest Advocacy Staff serves to represent the interests of the public in regulatory proceedings. This formal request for an investigation initiates a process where PNM will likely be required to respond to the allegations and provide detailed information to the Commission.

Story summarized from the original created by Kevin Hendricks on nmpoliticalreport.com, see more information here.

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