The writer supposes it would come as no surprise to one that most of the comments received at the Public Service Commission are from people who are complaining about their utility services or the rates they must pay.
The public is invited to comment on any and all cases before the commission. It certainly is a person’s right, and the commission welcomes the comments.
There are multiple ways by which a person can file comments with the commission. These include filing online, by mail, or physically coming into the commission to state one’s mind while the commission is in session.
Formal comments are comments filed in cases that are docketed by the commission as regular cases, or what is termed as formal cases. In those instances, they are given a case number and proceed through the commission’s entire process.
In such cases, the commission publishes the information that is involved.
For example, when a sewer company seeks a rate increase, that company must file a petition with the commission, opening a case. The company tells what it is seeking. The commission gives that case a number to track it, and it becomes a formal case. The commission generally then requires the utility or petitioning party to publish a notification in a local newspaper about what the company is seeking.
Then the public is invited to comment on that case and any other that becomes a formal proceeding.
Last year, the public filed a total of 1,467 formal comments with the commission.
Of that number, 1,168 were in the form of a protest against what the utility was seeking.
Another 299 were filings made in support of what was being asked of the commission.
The largest number of complaints, 895, came in cases involving electric power rates.
The second-highest category was cases involving natural gas companies.
It is not surprising that fuel companies, such as electricity and gas, have so many complaints. Their rates tend to fluctuate more than others.
Last year the commission also had 240 informal complaints filed. Those are observations of a general nature and are not tied to a specific case before the commission.
Again, complaints against electric rates led the list at 85, followed by complaints about water service and gas.
The commission takes close heed of a person’s comments. The commission files them in each case where it can properly identify what the comments are concerning. The commission takes notice of what a person says.
So, please let the commission know how one feels and what one thinks. The commission always like to hear from a person.
