CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Ohio Supreme Court will hear arguments on a proposed increase to Columbia Gas of Ohio’s fixed monthly charges, a move that could affect residential utility bills statewide.
The case, which affects hundreds of thousands of Columbia Gas of Ohio customers, is an appeal filed by two consumer organizations: the Environmental Law & Policy Center and the Citizens’ Utility Board of Ohio.
The groups are challenging an agreement approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, or PUCO, in January 2023.
The settlement allows Columbia Gas to increase its total annual revenue by approximately $68.2 million.
A point of contention is the provision that raises the fixed monthly customer charge—the basic fee customers pay regardless of how much gas they use—from $36.15 to $58 by 2027.
The two consumer groups are also challenging the elimination of nearly all of Columbia Gas’s non-low-income energy efficiency programs, which previously offered rebates, weatherization assistance, and other tools to help residential customers lower their bills.
Oral arguments are set for Wednesday morning.
News 5 will follow through and track the impacts.
