Dear Neighbor,
My staff and I have recently received a number of inquiries about the recent energy rate increases being passed along by NIPSCO. I would like to pass along some information about those rate increases.
Last year, February 13 through 16, our region suffered the effects of a tremendous winter storm and the accompanying low temperatures. The weather conditions put a massive strain on our energy supplies and we saw a historic spike in per-unit prices of energy.
Those increased prices would lead to a large monthly bill if charged all at once. Instead, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) has a process that allows NIPSCO to adjust its rates to reflect short-term cost increases paid by the utility company for the electric and gas services delivered to individual consumers and businesses.
This allows NIPSCO and other energy companies to spread the costs of that gas price spike over a period of time. Any rate increases related to the costs of electricity production or natural gas delivery must reflect only the prices NIPSCO pays in marketplace for electricity and gas.
In the case of delivering natural gas to customers, NIPSCO is permitted only to charge the actual cost of the natural gas and the costs related to delivering that fuel: no markup or profit is added to these natural gas charges.
If you or someone you know has encountered difficulty in paying NIPSCO bills, please visit NIPSCO.com/assistance as soon as possible to address the situation, which may involve a:
If I can be of any service to you in the future, please do no hesitate to contact my office at h12@iga.in.gov or 317-232-9987.
Contact Me:
State Rep. Mike Andrade
200 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Website: in.gov/h12
Email: h12@iga.in.gov
Toll-Free: 1-800-382-9842