The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission questioned the state's five investor-owned utility companies during a hearing about rising energy costs, including NIPSCO, which provides gas and electric in Northwest Indiana.
The IURC Chairman, Andy Zay, said, "we have a real short-term crisis here."
And he singled out NIPSCO.
"You guys won," he said. "You have, by far, more complaints with our Consumer Affairs Division than any other utility."
Delivery charges are a big complaint of NIPSCO customers.
"We've received thousands of complaints," Zay said. "The outrage is real."
NIPSCO's President and COO, Vince Parisi, didn't provide the clarity that the chairman was seeking.
"Unfortunately, we call it delivery charge, and on our bill, our system is thirty years old, so it's very difficult for us to get the level of detail that ultimately we need to really provide our customers what they're looking for right now in this moment, which is just more explanation of what's in there," Parisi said.
Some customers want to know why bills have more than doubled, when their usage has not.
Parisi went on to explain that there are a lot of things that go into the delivery charge, including what he called "car hit poles," when vehicles hit utility poles and they have to be replaced.
"I will assure you, so many of your customers have no conception of what's going on and I can't explain it and I don't think my fellow commissioners can," the chairman said. "Your delivery charges are actually more costly than what you're delivering."
There was no public comment. That comes next.
Locally, the IURC will hear from customers on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the La Porte Civic Auditorium.
The commission is certain to get an earful.
Utility regulators question NIPSCO
