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Legislative Issues Consumer Education

regarding a bill that the telephone industry supports, spending for State Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019. OCC’s
House Bill 402. The bill, if passed, would remove quality budget was set at $5,541,093 for each fiscal year. The The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel remains committed to providing Ohioans with a
standards for basic local telephone service and allow budget bill also changed components of the statute reliable source for objective information about their utility and competitive choices. Our consumer
telephone companies to increase their basic phone regarding Agency services. The Agency regained the education is provided through OCC’s website, fact sheets, social media, outreach presentations to
service charges to consumers by up to 20% per year. ability to assist consumers who call with utility-related consumers, and direct communication with consumers.
complaints, under R.C. 4911.021.
The poor and elderly often live on modest, fixed The Consumers’ Counsel helped The Consumers’ Counsel worked with
incomes, and this proposed rate increase for the most Also, H.B. 49 eliminated statutory language that would Ohioans make informed decisions for other Consumer Groups to help Ohioans
basic telephone service could render this essential preserve unlimited local flat rate telephone service for saving money in the Low-Income Dialogue Group
service unaffordable. Additionally, Ohioans, especially low-income Ohioans enrolled in the Lifeline program.
those in rural areas, rely on basic landline service for Despite the efforts of the Agency at the General The OCC has Outreach and Education Specialists that As part of its mission to serve utility consumers, the
reaching family, friends, emergency services, and their Assembly to preserve flat rate Lifeline telephone travel the state to help consumers make informed Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel continued to
place of work, so increasing the cost consumers pay and service, the language was removed from Ohio’s statute. decisions regarding their utility services. These coordinate the Low-Income Dialogue Group (LIDG)
removing service quality standards is problematic. specialists speak at various venues including senior in 2017. This group, comprised of representatives from
H.B. 49 also altered how funds from the federal Low- centers, health fairs, food pantries, neighborhood a number of Ohio’s regional legal aid organizations,
[The Agency and other consumer groups in Ohio Income Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) meetings and community events to educate residential community action agencies, housing authorities, and
provided consumer protection testimony opposing would be allocated to low-income consumers. The utility consumers. OCC specialists informed Ohioans other community-based organizations, has monthly
the bill, in the Ohio House of Representatives Public program funds can be used, within specified limits, to about topics regarding utility assistance programs, scheduled conference calls for more than ten years.
Utilities Committee in early 2018.] provide low-income Ohioans with mostly bill payment Ohio’s energy choice programs, and how to save money These meetings offer a forum to raise awareness and
assistance and some weatherization assistance. Under by making homes more energy efficient. discuss solutions to the utility-related concerns that
Water Legislation H.B. 49, a portion of funding for bill payment assistance impact tens of thousands of financially vulnerable
was reallocated to weatherization programs. The Agency With the encouragement of the OCC Governing Board, Ohioans, especially those with fixed or limited incomes.
Water Rates Regarding System favors using HEAP funds for their main purpose of OCC has worked to have a presence at Ohio’s county
Acquisitions (House Bill 422) assisting the neediest Ohioans with payment of their fairs in recent years. In 2017, OCC staffed information In particular, Group members analyzed and provided
energy utility bills to retain service for winter heating booths in fairs spanning across 24 counties; including input on pending legislation, disconnection rules and
House Bill 422 was introduced in November 2017 and, that is essential for their family’s health and safety. the Sweet Corn Festival (Fairfield County), Farm rates, and reviewed the rules for the Percentage of
if passed, would diminish long-standing consumer Science Review (Madison County), and Ohio State Fair. Income Payment Plan program (PIPP Plus). Members
safeguards in ratemaking related to the acquisition of The Agency also sought to protect Ohio’s electric The Public Affairs Department is available to assist proposed solutions to successfully transition customers
other water-works systems by investor-owned utilities. consumers from potential increases on their utility Ohioans with inquiries regarding submetering and who became income-ineligible for PIPP Plus to the
The bill would redefine “original cost” in a way that bills. Utilities lobbied to include language in H.B. 49 basic wireline phone service. Graduate PIPP Plus program, and discussed practices to
could lead to higher valuations of acquired utility that would have allowed the utilities to charge their spread financial stability. As in previous years, the Low-
plant assets and thus create higher rates for consumers customers for “credit support” to improve their credit On the OCC’s website (www.occ.ohio.gov), consumers Income Dialogue Group assessed the effectiveness of
of the water utility. [The Agency provided consumer rating. The General Assembly did not include this can view fact sheets and other information, or follow other low-income programs such as the Home Energy
testimony to preserve ratemaking protections and to utility-supported language in the budget bill, which was OCC on Twitter @OhioUtilityUser to keep up to date on Assistance Program (HEAP), Emergency Home Energy
oppose the bill, in the Ohio House of Representatives a good outcome for consumers. utility news and other OCC activities. Videos pertaining Assistance Program (E-HEAP) and the Summer Crisis
Energy & Natural Resources Committee in early 2018.] to choosing an energy supplier and other consumer Program using data provided by the Ohio Development
Also, there was initially language in the budget bill to topics can also be found on OCC’s website and YouTube. Services Agency. OCC looks forward to continuing the
General Legislation give the PUCO the authority to research and implement work of the Low-Income Dialogue Group in 2018.
electric grid innovations. The language was not enacted.
The Biennial Budget Process (Am. Sub.
House Bill 49)

The state’s two-year budget bill, Amended Substitute
House Bill 49 (H.B. 49), was signed into law by the
Governor in June 2017. The bill determined state

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