Huber Ridge Area

YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE: Ohio American Water Rate Case!!!

YOU MADE THE DIFFERENCE!!!!

The PUCO has decided on the Ohio American Water Co's rate increase application and issued an "Opinion and Order". The Tarriff has been posted on the PUCO website and the rates that are approved for Franklin County residential customers with a 5/8" line and under 20ccf per month is as follows:

Service Charge: $9.51   no change
Water per ccf  $5.7412    an increase of $.6963 cents per ccf (basically 70 cents)
Sewage per ccf $8.8358     an increase of $.5758 cents per ccf (basically 58 cents)
Reverse Osmosis per ccf $1.4994    an increase of $.3074 cents per ccf (basically 31 cents) 

For exzample if you were using 5 ccf per month your bill was $80.11 per month and now your bill will be $89.90. 
If your monthly usage is 10 ccf then your bill was $155.03 and now your bill will be $170.27.

Yes these are high rates, but they could have been a lot higher. OAWC applied for a 60% increase to be phased in over 3 years with a 27% increase the first year.
YOU made the difference!
For those who wrote letters, attended the public hearings, donated to "Fight the Hike Ohio", attended the various rally's, and generally who spoke up and opposed this increase - THANK YOU. You stood up to corporate greed and stood up for your community - making the difference.

The PUCO issued a press release 05-07-2010, in the press release are the following statements:

*Eliminated more than $4 million of management fees, incentive compensation,and pension expenses from the company’s rate increase request.
*Directed PUCO staff to conduct an audit of Ohio American’s management policies and administrative practices with the results to be considered in future rate case proceedings.
*Excluded more than $3 million in Ohio American assets from the company’s rate base request and reduced the company’s rate case expense request by nearly $300,000.
*Directed Ohio American to factor customer counts, system growth, inflationary factors and the consumer price index into its budget plans. Ohio American will face additional scrutiny in future rate cases if the company’s budget growth far exceeds the rate of inflation and household income.
*Instructed Ohio American to work with PUCO staff to increase customer awareness of the issues within customers’ homes that could contribute to water quality concerns. Ohio American must continue to honor the water quality and customer service commitments agreed to in past rate cases.
*Denied the company’s request to increase its customer charge from $9.51 to $11.39.

You can copy the link and read the 65 page opinion and order, and read the new 25 page tarriff @ http://dis.puc.state.oh.us/CaseRecord.aspx?CaseNo=09-0391-WS-AIR

You made the difference, the PUCO reduced the 60% over 4 years increase that was applied for to about 7%. there are several recommendations by the PUCO and an audit is to be performed an OAWC business model.

A new phase now of the opposition needs to come about. House bill 344 and Senate Bill 228 need to be approved and become law. These bills limit the actual cost of the rate case that OWAC can recoup to the customer during a rate case to 50%. Write letters to our eflected officials to support these bills.

Please write ASAP:

Honorable Ted Strickland                      
Governor's Office
Riffe Center, 30th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6108

Public Utilities Commision of Ohio
Docketing Division
180 East Broad Street, 13th Floor
Columbus OH, 43215-3793

re: Case No. 09-391-ws-air.

Nancy Garland, State Representative
77 South High Street, 12th Floor
Columbus OH. 43215-611

Marian Harris, State Representative
77 South High Street, 12th Floor
Columbus OH. 43215-611

Senator David Goodman
Senate Building
Room 039, Ground Floor
Columbus OH. 43215

The time is NOW, we HAVE made a difference and WILL make a difference if we unite, stand, and fight. Our state elected officials are now listening and will continue to if we speak up.