Photo by Hoffmann.In order to comply with proposed regulations requiring it to reduce the frequency and length of outages, Pepco wants to raise rates inside the District. But the much-maligned utility is experiencing some pushback from the city’s Office of the People’s Counsel, which has filed a motion with the District’s Public Service Commission to dismiss the utility’s request to raise rates.
In the motion, the OPC — an independent agency which serves as the advocate for the District’s consumers of natural gas, electric and telephone services — claims that Pepco’s request to collect an additional $42.1 million per year (that’s a 5.3 percent increase which would cost most D.C. customers an additional five bucks every month) is unfair, given Pepco’s recent track record:
The time has come for the Commission to hold Pepco accountable for its poor quality distribution service to District of Columbia customers. Few things touch the daily lives of 21st Century consumers more than persistent, prolonged, and often unexplained electrical service outages. […] The Office submits the District’s ratepayers should not be required to reward a company that has provided service so subpar that in terms of service quality the company ranks in the lowest quartile when compared to its peers. It is no wonder that Pepco recently earned the dubious distinction of being named “the hated company in America.”
Ouch.
The company has responded diplomatically, stating that they “believe the Public Service Commission will render a verdict that is equitable.” And while the idea of forking over more money to Pepco is probably not at the top of any Washingtonian’s priority list, it’d be surprising if prior precedent — the utility raised rates in both 2008 and 2010 — didn’t win out over the public’s frustrations.
The OPC’s motion can be read below.
