The Robert F. Manifold Award is the highest honor of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, recognizing a lifetime of public service. It was awarded to Bruce Weston for "Dedication and Meritorious Service to the People of Ohio and to NASUCA."
What: Upon the Consumers’ Counsel’s request, the PUCO is inviting consumers to testify virtually with their views on the proposed electric distribution rate increase by AES (DP&L).
When: Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021 at 6 p.m. To speak at the hearing, pre-register before noon on Monday, Nov. 15 at https://bit.ly/AES-virtual-hearing-11-16 or by calling the PUCO at 1-800-686-7826.
Where: The hearing will be streamed live at 6 p.m. on the PUCO YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/PUCOhio. Listen to the hearing live by calling 1-408-418-9388 and entering the access code 2336 413 2985. Pre-registered speakers will be provided a WebEx link or call-in number.
How: Click for OCC information about how to testify at local public hearings: https://bit.ly/OCC-how-to-testify.
Questions: Dial 1-877-742-5622 for your advocate, the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel.
Click on “File a Public Comment” at https://bit.ly/20-1651 or mail a letter referencing PUCO Case #20-1651, to: PUCO, 180 E. Broad St. 11th Floor, Columbus, OH 43215.
Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC): OCC has asked the PUCO to deny any rate increase for AES. That’s because AES signed (and the PUCO approved) an agreement in 2009 for a “rate freeze.” On Oct. 20, 2021, the PUCO wrote it will consider the rate freeze. AES should keep its word – no electric increase for Dayton-area consumers.
OCC also has other objections to an AES rate increase, including that AES’s proposed profits are too high for consumers to pay. Here is a link to OCC’s list of objections to an AES rate increase: https://bit.ly/OCC-AES-rate-objections.
AES (DP&L): AES has asked the PUCO for a $121 million rate hike (or a 14.34% increase for a typical residential consumer). A residential consumer using 1,000 kWh per month would pay about $13.42 more monthly ($161.04 annually) to AES. AES also wants to more than double its monthly residential fixed charge (the customer charge) from $7 to $15.66. AES collects the customer charge even if a consumer uses no electricity. (A higher customer charge does result in a lower variable charge per kWh. But a higher customer charge also means the consumer has less opportunity to save money by reducing usage.)
PUCO Staff: The PUCO Staff filed a report on July 26, 2021, recommending an AES rate increase of $61 to $67 million, about half of AES’s proposal. The PUCO Staff also recommended a lower customer charge of $9.75. Under the PUCO Staff’s proposal, a typical residential consumer using 1,000 kWh per month would see a monthly bill increase of $6.65.
Visit this link: https://bit.ly/20-1651
Want to see the PUCO-approved subsidies that DP&L charged you since 2009? Visit this link: https://bit.ly/subsidy-scorecard