Higher natural gas prices, colder weather and lingering economic woes caused by the pandemic are squeezing energy customers in Colorado and keeping the agencies that provide help busy. “We know the commodity price of gas is raising people’s bills between 20% and 30%,” said Joe Pereira,deputy director at the Colorado Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate. The Colorado Low Income Energy Assistance Program — LEAP — has helped 63,270 households since November, a 10% increase from the same period in 2021.