CLEVELAND — A very small group of FirstEnergy electric users showed up for a Sept. 7 hearing at Cleveland City Hall on a proposed electric rate hike that would call for electric rates to climb over an eight-year period.
The mostly vacant city council chambers left the few concerned FirstEnergy customers, like Larry Bresler, stunned, so few consumers showed up to testify against the rate hike plan. Bresler believes it's not the right time to increase electric rates for low-income families and seniors in this uncertain economic climate.
“We just got doubled, over double in our FirstEnergy rates in June, and now they’re asking for another $1.4 billion," Bresler said. “You're already in circumstances where people fell behind during the pandemic, and they’re still trying to catch up, and they get their rates doubled, and then they’re asking for another $1.4 billion for something that’s not necessary.”
FirstEnergy told News 5 its Electric Security Plan proposal is calling for a 2.2% increase in its first year, or approximately $3.11 more per month for the average electric user, and then a half-percent increase every year afterward for the next year, eight years until 2032.
But, Ohio Consumers' Counsel Senior Outreach and Education Specialist Kathryn Metz believes the proposed increase is simply too much for electric users to deal with over such a long time period.
"Now is not the time for another rate hike from FirstEnergy, Ohioans are already struggling with increased utility prices," Metz said. "The increase would start in June of 2024, and the increases continue until the spring of 2032, so it’s for a large chunk of time.”
Cleveland homeless community activist "Loh," told News 5 she was disappointed by the small turn-out at Cleveland City Hall and urged consumers to get involved and take part in the hearing process.
“If you don’t come out to tell them, it’s wrong," Loh said. “How will you be able to afford it, by that time, you will jumping up and down, but today you could have made a difference if you had been here.”
Consumer advocate attorney Joseph Miessner told News 5 that FirstEnergy should have held informational hearings on their rate hike proposal to first educate customers before hosting public comment hearings.
"In the past, they had hearings where consumers could hear the case first, and then testimony and public comment," Miessner said. “At that point, people have a chance to learn what the case is about, and then you have the public come in and testify; they’re now doing it backwards, and I really think it’s a way of making certain that they don’t have a lot of public involvement.”
Still, FirstEnergy Spokesperson Lauren Siburkis told News 5 the proposed rate increase would go a long way in improving key electric service infrastructure and service dependability, as well as fund additional billing assistance programs.
“We'll commit about $52 million dollars on programs that will help establish senior citizen discount programs for customers; we realize a lot of our senior citizens are on fixed incomes," Siburkis said. “We’re also looking to establish bill assistance programs to update our current fuel fund, so what that will do is help our customers of all backgrounds who are facing hard times. These are investments that will serve you long term; it will help you keep your lights on for your family, your business.”
Meanwhile, the Ohio Consumers' Counsel believes the hearing process on the rate hike will continue for the next several months, with a hearing set for Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 4:30 p.m. at the Akron-Summit County Public Library, 60 South High Street, Room 2AB, Akron, Ohio 44308.
The Ohio Consumers' Counsel is also inviting FirstEnergy customers to file a public comment online, by clicking on "file a public comment" on the PUCO website.
OCC’s Motion to Intervene on behalf of FirstEnergy consumers is available here. A link to the PUCO docket with all the filings in the case can be found here.
News 5 is committed to following through on this developing story.
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