126 North Bryant Avenue | Edmond, OK 73034 1-866-295-7277 | email: okaarp@aarp.org aarp.org/ok | twitter.com@aarpokahoma | facebook.com/aarpok youtube.com/AARPOklahoma
July 25, 2022 The Honorable Bob Anthony Oklahoma Corporation Commission 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Dear Commissioner Anthony, On behalf of our nearly 400,000 members and all older Oklahomans, we urge you to enact an immediate moratorium on all pending and forthcoming utility rate increases. We also encourage you to identify opportunities to provide immediate relief to Oklahomans, especially seniors on fixed incomes. Compound high natural gas prices, record-breaking heat, historic inflation and multiple recent rate increase requests creates a dire situation for Oklahomans whose budgets are already stretched to the breaking point. Now, we find out securitization costs will be significantly higher than initially represented. This should spur the Commission to act to provide immediate relief. The utility companies characterize the amounts of recent and pending utility rate requests as minimal. However, seniors on fixed incomes do not. The fact is that when combined, utility customers in Oklahoma are facing the most significant increase in utility rates in a generation. In less than a year, Oklahoma utility customers are dealing with the following: • • • • • • • •
OG&E monthly rate increase of $2.07 pending before the Commission OG&E securitization recoupment represented to be $2.12 monthly has increased to $3.34 monthly OG&E balance of $150 million under-collected fuel costs which will likely be sought from customers this fall PSO securitization recoupment represented to be $4.06 monthly, but actual amount is unknown ONG securitization recoupment represented to be $7.82 monthly, but actual amount is unknown ONG monthly rate increase of $1.95 monthly pending before the Commission ONG monthly rate increase of $0.34 approved December 2021 Centerpoint Natural Gas securitization recoupment represented to be $4.36 a month, but actual amount is unknown
As you can see, the rate of increases being added to customer bills is occurring at an alarming rate. The Commission should invoke its full authority and immediately find ways to provide relief to Oklahoma utility customers. Between price gouging during the winter storm and
substantial profits by the regulated utilities, you have a critical opportunity to immediately lower rates and provide Oklahomans relief from soaring utility costs. With the looming bill increases and higher than normal electricity usage this summer, we reiterate our call for you to immediately enact a moratorium on all pending and forthcoming utility rate increases. We greatly appreciate your support in this matter and stand ready to help you accomplish what we hope is this shared goal.
Sincerely,
Sean W. Voskuhl State Director, AARP Oklahoma
126 North Bryant Avenue | Edmond, OK 73034 1-866-295-7277 | email: okaarp@aarp.org aarp.org/ok | twitter.com@aarpokahoma | facebook.com/aarpok youtube.com/AARPOklahoma
July 25, 2022 The Honorable Dana Murphy Oklahoma Corporation Commission 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Dear Commissioner Murphy, On behalf of our nearly 400,000 members and all older Oklahomans, we urge you to enact an immediate moratorium on all pending and forthcoming utility rate increases. We also encourage you to identify opportunities to provide immediate relief to Oklahomans, especially seniors on fixed incomes. Compound high natural gas prices, record-breaking heat, historic inflation and multiple recent rate increase requests creates a dire situation for Oklahomans whose budgets are already stretched to the breaking point. Now, we find out securitization costs will be significantly higher than initially represented. This should spur the Commission to act to provide immediate relief. The utility companies characterize the amounts of recent and pending utility rate requests as minimal. However, seniors on fixed incomes do not. The fact is that when combined, utility customers in Oklahoma are facing the most significant increase in utility rates in a generation. In less than a year, Oklahoma utility customers are dealing with the following: • • • • • • • •
OG&E monthly rate increase of $2.07 pending before the Commission OG&E securitization recoupment represented to be $2.12 monthly has increased to $3.34 monthly OG&E balance of $150 million under-collected fuel costs which will likely be sought from customers this fall PSO securitization recoupment represented to be $4.06 monthly, but actual amount is unknown ONG securitization recoupment represented to be $7.82 monthly, but actual amount is unknown ONG monthly rate increase of $1.95 monthly pending before the Commission ONG monthly rate increase of $0.34 approved December 2021 Centerpoint Natural Gas securitization recoupment represented to be $4.36 a month, but actual amount is unknown
As you can see, the rate of increases being added to customer bills is occurring at an alarming rate. The Commission should invoke its full authority and immediately find ways to provide relief to Oklahoma utility customers. Between price gouging during the winter storm and
substantial profits by the regulated utilities, you have a critical opportunity to immediately lower rates and provide Oklahomans relief from soaring utility costs. With the looming bill increases and higher than normal electricity usage this summer, we reiterate our call for you to immediately enact a moratorium on all pending and forthcoming utility rate increases. We greatly appreciate your support in this matter and stand ready to help you accomplish what we hope is this shared goal.
Sincerely,
Sean W. Voskuhl State Director, AARP Oklahoma
126 North Bryant Avenue | Edmond, OK 73034 1-866-295-7277 | email: okaarp@aarp.org aarp.org/ok | twitter.com@aarpokahoma | facebook.com/aarpok youtube.com/AARPOklahoma
July 25, 2022 The Honorable Todd Hiett Oklahoma Corporation Commission 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73105 Dear Commissioner Hiett, On behalf of our nearly 400,000 members and all older Oklahomans, we urge you to enact an immediate moratorium on all pending and forthcoming utility rate increases. We also encourage you to identify opportunities to provide immediate relief to Oklahomans, especially seniors on fixed incomes. Compound high natural gas prices, record-breaking heat, historic inflation and multiple recent rate increase requests creates a dire situation for Oklahomans whose budgets are already stretched to the breaking point. Now, we find out securitization costs will be significantly higher than initially represented. This should spur the Commission to act to provide immediate relief. The utility companies characterize the amounts of recent and pending utility rate requests as minimal. However, seniors on fixed incomes do not. The fact is that when combined, utility customers in Oklahoma are facing the most significant increase in utility rates in a generation. In less than a year, Oklahoma utility customers are dealing with the following: • • • • • • • •
OG&E monthly rate increase of $2.07 pending before the Commission OG&E securitization recoupment represented to be $2.12 monthly has increased to $3.34 monthly OG&E balance of $150 million under-collected fuel costs which will likely be sought from customers this fall PSO securitization recoupment represented to be $4.06 monthly, but actual amount is unknown ONG securitization recoupment represented to be $7.82 monthly, but actual amount is unknown ONG monthly rate increase of $1.95 monthly pending before the Commission ONG monthly rate increase of $0.34 approved December 2021 Centerpoint Natural Gas securitization recoupment represented to be $4.36 a month, but actual amount is unknown
As you can see, the rate of increases being added to customer bills is occurring at an alarming rate. The Commission should invoke its full authority and immediately find ways to provide relief to Oklahoma utility customers. Between price gouging during the winter storm and
substantial profits by the regulated utilities, you have a critical opportunity to immediately lower rates and provide Oklahomans relief from soaring utility costs. With the looming bill increases and higher than normal electricity usage this summer, we reiterate our call for you to immediately enact a moratorium on all pending and forthcoming utility rate increases. We greatly appreciate your support in this matter and stand ready to help you accomplish what we hope is this shared goal.
Sincerely,
Sean W. Voskuhl State Director, AARP Oklahoma