State of Indiana sent this bulletin at 11/01/2021 05:20 PM EDT
PREPARE NOW!
This winter could be the most expensive in several years, with Indiana's major natural gas utilities projecting higher bills due largely to market conditions. Now is the right time to have your furnace system serviced by a professional, take additional steps to improve energy efficiency, & sign up for your utilities' budget billing plans. The OUCC's website has more information.
STAYING CONNECTED
If you are concerned with paying bills on time & in full, now is the time to contact your utilities about payment arrangements. Indiana has a winter disconnection moratorium but it only applies if you are receiving LIHEAP benefits or have formally applied & qualified. The Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority (IHCDA) & Indiana 211 offer information on financial assistance resources.
I&M RATE CASE
The OUCC is recommending denial of Indiana Michigan Power's (I&M's) pending rate request. Based on the case's evidence, OUCC testimony notes reductions in the request that would offset the funds needed for infrastructure improvements. A Commission order is expected in spring 2022.
ADDITIONAL CASE UPDATES
OUCC testimony in the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO) gas rate case is due Jan. 20. Consumer comments are invited for the case record.
CenterPoint Energy's gas infrastructure plans are being reviewed with OUCC testimony due Dec. 2.
The OUCC cites legal concerns in recommending denial of Duke Energy's proposed excess distributed generation tariff.
All parties in the Bloomington water rate case have reached a settlement, now pending before the Commission.
Closing briefs in the Evansville water rate case will be filed over the next several weeks.
DON'T FLUSH WIPES!
It's OK to use baby wipes & disinfecting wipes. But be sure to put them in the trash & not the toilet when you're done, even if the package says they are "flushable." Wipes do not dissolve as toilet paper does. They can build up clogs in sewer lines & at treatment plants, driving up maintenance costs for your utility.
IF YOU MISSED IT...
The OUCC team worked tirelessly over the last year to ensure strong, dependable representation for consumers in rate cases & additional regulatory proceedings. Our recently released Annual Report summarizes the agency's accomplishments during the pandemic & offers an overview of the key issues we continue to address.
FAREWELL & MANY, MANY THANKS!
Deputy Consumer Counselor Karol Krohn retired in October after more than 27 years of service with the agency. Spending most of her legal career here, she worked to protect consumer interests during two major transformations in Indiana's utility industries.
Karol was the OUCC's lead attorney on telecommunications issues in the 1990s and early 2000s. In the years following passage of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, Karol represented ratepayers in numerous cases involving the opening of Indiana's local telephone service markets to competition.
After most telecom matters were deregulated in Indiana in 2006, Karol focused on changes in the electric industry, especially the expansion of renewable electric generation and the introduction of new energy technologies in the state.
All of us in the OUCC family thank Karol for nearly three decades of dedication and commitment to utility consumers. We wish her all the very best in her next chapter.
OUR MISSION
To represent all Indiana consumers to ensure quality, reliable utility services at the most reasonable prices possible through dedicated advocacy, consumer education, and creative problem solving.