Consumer advocates: CenterPoint customers should tune in to hearing in rate case next week

EVANSVILLE — Consumer advocates are urging CenterPoint customers to tune in virtually next week as hearings are held in the utility's rate case before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission .

The hearings are set to start at 8:30 a.m. CST Tuesday in Indianapolis and will continue on Wednesday if needed. A livestream of the proceedings is broadcast on YouTube , which is how advocates are encouraging customers to keep an eye on the events. According to records filed in the IURC docket for the case, all parties have agreed to finish by the end of the day Wednesday.

"The parties have been working to narrow the scope of cross-examination and have already waived cross-examination of numerous witnesses," the filing states.

The Citizen Action Coalition has created a Zoom event for people to watch the livestream where CenterPoint’s proposal that could increase the average electric bill by more than $35 a month will be combed through.

"It's important to show the IURC that we're still watching and paying attention," the event details state. "The IURC pays attention to how many folks live stream these hearings."

Direct Action Against CenterPoint is also rallying customers to show up online for the proceedings.

In an action alert posted to its Facebook group and sent via email, DAACE said with the case moving slowly, the impact of the turnout back in February could be fading for the IURC commissioners.

Residents packed the Old National Events Plaza ballroom Feb. 29 for in-person field hearings, and 78 customers testified on the record for almost nine hours

Since that time, a settlement agreement has been proposed in the case, but only agreed upon by major industry intervenors, not consumer advocates or the City of Evansville.

Under the current proposed settlement, a residential customer using 799 kilowatt hours of energy would see a $35.03 increase on their bill. For transitional customers, ones who heat their residence with electric, while standard customers primarily heat their homes with natural gas, the increase to their bill for 1,129 kilowatt hours would be $52.33.

At that time, CenterPoint spokesman Noah Stubbs said the agreement represented "the result of extensive, good-faith negotiations, captures the issues reviewed by the parties to the rate case, including non-settling parties, and reflects a fair and balanced outcome of those issues among parties with different interests."

In July, the Office of Utility Consumer Counselor filed its testimony in opposition to the settlement. It included 32 additional comments from customers speaking against the rate increase.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Consumer advocates: CenterPoint customers should tune in to hearing in rate case next week