RecoverIR™ Blog

You be the Judge!

On March 15, 2011 the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) reported a 50% cut in agency budget for the next fiscal biennium (a period of two years). The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) is a statewide agency created by law in 1976 to represent the interests of Ohio's 4.5 million residential customers in matters relating to their public utility services – electric, natural gas, telephone and water.

Over the last biennium, the OCC's advocacy has provided customers with approximately $54.5 MILLION in direct financial savings; and approximately $1.9 BILLION in financial savings due to our work other partner organizations where the OCC took a lead role. This is money that stays in the pocketbooks of Ohioans, which helps to grow Ohio's economy. Since being created, the OCC has saved Ohio's residential utility customers more than $10 billion.

While the PUCO works to balance the interests of all stakeholders, only the OCC advocates exclusively on behalf of the customers who pay the utility bills. The OCC's efforts not only protect residential customers, but also contribute to making Ohio a more business-friendly state.

Without a well-funded, strong consumer advocate group, who will protect the rights of the bill paying electric and natural gas customers who end up paying for the stolen natural gas and stolen electricity? The utilities? The independent electricity providers? The independent natural gas suppliers?

Someone has to pay for the utility free loaders, just like society must pay for healthcare free loaders. Who gets the bill? Who should get the bill for the free loaders? Should we just overlook the stolen utilities stolen by the less fortunate?

What do you think? Please tell us who should be responsible and what should be done.