INDIANA — In an unprecedented move for Indiana’s typically understated energy regulators, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) is hitting the road to hear directly from residents struggling with rising energy costs.
Starting this week, the IURC will launch a 10-session statewide “affordability listening tour.” Officials are encouraging ratepayers to bring copies of their monthly utility bills to the meetings to help the commission understand the real-world impact of current rates.
The tour follows a recent all-day investigation into utility affordability involving Indiana’s “big five” utility companies. Chairman Andy Zay, a former state senator appointed by Gov. Mike Braun late last year, signaled a shift in the agency’s approach to consumer concerns.
“In my short time as Chairman, my fellow Commissioners and I have heard from thousands of utility customers from all over Indiana that they are struggling to pay their energy bills,” Zay said in a statement Friday…