AES Rate Increases Coming, But Smaller Than Original Proposal

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — AES Indiana recently announced that it has agreed to reduce its rate increase plan to customers in the area. Residential customers will see an average monthly bill increase of just over 7 %, increasing the average bill by $9.52. Other significant terms were secured that bring great benefits to residential customers, including terms obtained specific for low-income customers and vulnerable households.
Among the terms benefiting all customers are:
• AES agrees to NOT disconnect households on Fridays, weekends, and major holidays.
• Late fees will be waived for all customers once in a rolling 12-month period.
• There will be a reduction in the amount collected from customers for rate case expenses and membership dues in trade associations.
• AES will be eliminating any charge for remote disconnections and will reduce the proposed charge for remote reconnections from $8 to $3.
Low-income and vulnerable households will also see some relief, including:
• A reduction to any deposit charged to a LIHEAP qualified household to $50.
• A waiver of any reconnection fees charged to LIHEAP households once in a rolling 12-month period.
• An increase in the current 20-day protection from disconnection for low-income medical alert customers to 40 days.