Why Your Light Bill Is a Civil Rights Issue
- The Way
- 17 hours ago
- 2 min read
Black families in Milwaukee spend up to 43% more of their income on energy than white families. That means less money for food, medicine, and rent — every single month.
85,000 Milwaukee residents live in neighborhoods where families spend over 6% of their income just on energy. The national average is about 3%. Our communities pay nearly double. |
As of today April 1, 2026, We Energies just filed to raise your electric bill — again.
Here's what they're asking for:
4.7% increase in 2027
4.5% increase in 2028
That's 9.4% more than what you're paying right now
If you're a typical household in Milwaukee, your electric bill is about $144 a month today. Under this proposal, it goes to $157 next year and $166 the year after. That's an extra $22 a month — a 15% jump from where you are right now.
That's $264 more a year out of your household. For families already choosing between groceries and keeping the lights on, this is not a small number.
And here's the part that should make you angry.
We Energies is asking for a 9.9% return on equity — meaning they want guaranteed profits on top of what they're already making off your bill. They pulled back slightly from last time, but make no mistake: they are still asking Wisconsin families to fund some of the highest guaranteed profits in the country while wages in our neighborhoods haven't kept up.
This is exactly why Walnut Way and WEBB do this work.
We've been at the table at the Public Service Commission fighting rate increases, pushing for programs like LIFT that actually lower bills for working families, and demanding that the clean energy transition doesn't leave Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities behind. We've done it before and we're doing it again.
But we need your voice in this fight.
Every time a rate case gets filed, the PSC needs to hear from real people — not just utility lobbyists. Your experience matters. Your bill matters. Your vote matters.
Right now, Wisconsin utilities are asking state regulators to approve over $16 billion in new power plants and data centers. Less than $500 million of that would go toward making energy more affordable for families who need it most.
That is $16 billion for We Energies corporate infrastructure versus pennies for your neighborhood.
Walnut Way and the WEBB have stepped into the state Public Service Commission rate cases to fight for the lower rates, and the LIFT program — the only bill assistance program that keeps low-income families connected to heat and electricity. We need the next governor to stand with us.
Introducing The WEBB formerly EJII Wisconsin, a new initiative that expands our work in environmental justice, broadband, and clean energy across Wisconsin. Learn more and watch the conversation here
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