Office of the
Ohio Consumers' Counsel
Budget Information

Overview

• On March 15, 2011, Gov. John Kasich released his proposal for the State of Ohio two-year budget.
• The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel’s (OCC) budget is currently approximately $8.5 million, and Gov. Kasich's proposal reduces the budget by 51.3 percent.

Facts about the OCC

• The OCC is a statewide agency created by law in 1976 to represent Ohio’s 4.5 million residential customers in matters relating to their public utility services – gas, electric, telephone and water.
• The OCC is funded from utility assessments exclusively, and therefore receives absolutely no funding from the General Revenue Fund (tax dollars).
• From the time Janine L. Migden-Ostrander became Consumers’ Counsel in 2004, the OCC’s budget has decreased by 8.5 percent and case load has increased by more than 100 percent. 
• In the current fiscal biennium, the OCC has provided customers with $54.8 million in direct savings; and $1.9 billion in shared savings, where the agency has worked with other groups in a lead role to achieve these savings.

Why the OCC is necessary

• The OCC provides concrete benefits that save money not only for residential customers, but also for Ohio’s businesses and industries.  For instance, when the OCC is able to reduce an electric rate increase by $10 million, approximately 60 percent (in this scenario, $6 million) of those savings go toward reducing the electricity rates for businesses and industries. The other 40 percent (or $4 million) benefit the residential customer class.
• As businesses are looking to relocate to Ohio or evaluating whether or not to stay in Ohio, the cost of energy is a key factor to many businesses.  Lower utility rates make Ohio more attractive for businesses considering whether to stay or locate in Ohio.
• The OCC provides unique services as Ohio’s utility watchdog in legal proceedings where billions of Ohioans hard-earned dollars are at stake.
• While the PUCO works to balance the interests of all stakeholders, only the OCC advocates exclusively on behalf of the residential customers who pay the utility bills. The OCC’s efforts not only protect residential customers, but also contribute to making Ohio a more business-friendly state.
• To the extent that the OCC helps limit the amount of utility rate increases, that benefit flows through to all customers.
• As it celebrates its 35th anniversary, the OCC has saved utility customers more than $10 billion.
• Given that customers have no choice but to pay what the utility is charging to maintain vital service and that utility service is a necessity, the OCC believes it is essential that customers’ money be well spent.
• In addition to its advocacy in proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and other regulatory agencies, the OCC offers a toll-free hot line that helps many thousands of customers every year with utility issues from potential disconnections, to billing disputes and providing helpful information about utility issues.

Contact Information

• If you would like to share your opinion about the proposed budget cuts for the OCC, you may contact your public officials:
  State Representative | State Senator | Ohio Governor
• Share this page by email
• How to call your legislator
• How to write your legislator
• How to e-mail your legislator
• Other ways to make a difference

Additional Resources

• Guide to the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel
• Accomplishments During State Fiscal Year 2010-2011 to Date
• (Former) Consumer Services Division Call Center
• Customer Profile: Ohio's Residential Utility Customer
• Saving Ohio's Residential Utility Customers $10 Billion in 35 Years
• Here's what you're saying about OCC

Editorials and News

• Editorial: "Asked and Answered"
  July 16, 2011 - Toledo Blade
• Editorial: "Ohio Consumers' Counsel shouldn't be hobbled by the state"
  June 7, 2011 - Lorain Morning Journal
• Editorial: "Budget is supreme among the mysteries of government"
  June 6, 2011- Youngstown Vindicator
• Editorial: Senate needs skepticism on this cut
  June 2, 2011 - Dayton Daily News
• All-Sides with Ann Fisher - Consumers Counsel
  May 25, 2011 - WOSU
• Editorial: COMMENT The consumers' counsel
  May 13, 2011 - Cambridge Daily Jeffersonian
• Editorial: Gag order exposes GOP House members as anti-consumer
  May 11, 2011 - Athens News
• Editorial: Protect the voice and resources of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel
  May 11, 2011 - Akron Beacon Journal
• Editorial: Ohio Senate must rescue consumers' counsel
  May 10, 2011 - Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Budget slashes Consumers' Counsel funding by half [MP3]
  May 9, 2011 - WKSU
• Editorial: Crippling consumers' counsel weakens voice
  April 8, 2011 - Business First
  
• Editorial: Case for cutting consumer office awfully weak
  April 4, 2011 - Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun
• Editorial: A bargain for consumers
  March 24, 2011 - Daily Jeffersonian
• Editorial: Advocate for the customer
  March 22, 2011 - Akron Beacon Journal
  
• Muzzling a Watchdog
  March 20, 2011 - Toledo Blade

read more...

Community Response

• Gallia County Veterans Service Commission
• Ohio AARP
• Ohio Retired Teachers Association

Resolutions

• City of Ashtabula
• City of Athens
• City of Barnesville
• City of Belpre
• City of Cincinnati
• City of Cleveland
• City of Columbus
• City of Dayton
• City of Gallipolis
• City of Marietta
• City of Marion
• City of Marysville
• City of Oakwood
• City of Oregon
• City of Strongsville
• City of Toledo
• City of Warren
• Franklin County
• Fulton County
• Harrison County
• Hocking County
• Lucas County
• Pike County
• Scioto County
• Union County
• Vinton County

Testimony

• Janine Migden-Ostrander, Ohio Consumers' Counsel
  June 1, 2011
• Janine Migden-Ostrander, Ohio Consumers' Counsel
  May 5, 2011
• Janine Migden-Ostrander, Ohio Consumers' Counsel
  April 29, 2011
• Janine Migden-Ostrander, Ohio Consumers' Counsel
  March 30, 2011
• Angela S. Beehler, Senior Director, Wal‐Mart Stores, Inc.
  May 19, 2011 
• Ellis Jacobs, Edgewood Neighborhood Coalition of Dayton
  May 19, 2011
• Noel Williams, Columbus (OH) NAACP
  April 12, 2011
• AARP
  April 12, 2011
• Councilman George Sarantou, City of Toledo
  April 12, 2011
• Joya Neff, Huber Ridge Area Association
  April 12, 2011
• Sue Daugherty, Executive Director, Serving Our Seniors
  April 12, 2011
• Richard Jordan, interested party testimony
  April 12, 2011
• Sue Steigerwald, interested party testimony
  April 12, 2011
• Jude J. Theibert, interested party testimony
  April 12, 2011
• Jack R. Pounds, President, Ohio Chemistry Technology Council
  April 6, 2011
• Michele Lucas, HARCATUS Tri-County C.A.O. Inc. Family Support Center
  April 6, 2011
• Mike Turner, United Seniors of Athens County
  April 6, 2011
• David C. Rinebolt, Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy
  April 6, 2011
• Gene Krebs, interested party testimony, OCC Governing Board member
  April 6, 2011

Here's what
you're saying about OCC