Bills, bills, bills: What to know about utility (un)affordability in Fort Wayne

Hey Locals,

At first we started out real cool.... Not too long ago, Indiana customers had some of the most affordable energy in the U.S. But recently, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) has “heard from thousands of utility customers from all over Indiana that they are struggling to pay their energy bills.” In response, they’re hosting listening sessions in April to give citizens a chance to share their concerns regarding rising utility costs. 

We caught up with IURC External Affairs Specialist Ben Gavelek to learn more about these sessions and what’s happening with your utility bills.

Let’s start with a quick overview of what the IURC is and does.

• The IURC is a state administrative agency that regulates more than 600 utilities in Indiana, including electric, natural gas, and water, among others. This oversight includes regulation of rates, financing, bonding, environmental compliance plans, and service territories. 
• In exchange for regulatory oversight from IURC, gas and electric utilities in Indiana function as monopolies in their respective areas. Citizens Action Coalition says this structure allows the IURC to act as “a surrogate to competition.” The IURC consists of five commissioners and is led by Chairman Andy Zay, a former state senator who represented Huntington.
• In 2025, the IURC adjudicated over 300 cases where its role is to “evaluate the evidence in each case to ensure that utilities are making prudent decisions as they meet their obligation to provide safe and reliable service.” It’s required by the state to act in the public interest in deciding these cases. 

This brings us to our current situation:

• In March: the IURC launched an investigative inquiry* into how the state’s major utilities companies are addressing increased energy costs, customer service issues, and public dissatisfaction. This inquiry involves the “big five” utility players in the state, including Indiana Michigan Power Co. (I&M) and the Northern Indiana Public Service Co. (NIPSCO), which serve the Fort Wayne region.
• IURC Chairman Andy Zay says: “Costs are increasing across the board, and rising utility bills are placing added pressure on budgets that, for many, are already strained. We’ve heard the concerns about the burden utility bills have on families and businesses across the state, and we are committed to evaluating short- and long-term solutions related to affordability.” 
• In April: the IURC is hosting citizen listening sessions across the state, and a Fort Wayne session is scheduled for Monday, April 6, 6-8 p.m. at the New Haven Community Center (7500 SR 930 E, Fort Wayne). If you’re unable to attend, the IURC recommends sending comments to IURCListeningSessions@urc.in.gov. (The first session was already held in Syracuse). 

What can you expect?

Gavelek says the session will give residents a chance to interact with his team directly and share “experiences, challenges, and concerns related to energy affordability.” Attendees are encouraged to bring recent utility bills. At the end of April, the IURC will review comments from across the state, as well as information gathered during their March inquiry, to determine any appropriate next steps, which can include formal or informal actions, Gavelek says.

So what’s going on with your utility bills? What factors (local, state, and national) are contributing to rising energy costs? And what options exist to address these challenges?