Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel

Introduction

The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel
(OCC), the residential utility consumer advocate, was established by the Ohio General Assembly in 1976. The state agency was created to represent and protect the interests of Ohio’s 4.5 million households that have electric, natural gas, telephone and water service. The OCC’s representation includes proceedings before the
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), federal agencies and the courts.

Janine L. Migden-Ostrander, Consumers’ Counsel, directs the day-to-day operations and policies of the agency. Migden-Ostrander was appointed by the nine-member OCC Governing Board. Governing Board members are appointed by the Ohio Attorney General and by law, represent organized labor, family farmers and residential consumers.

Unlike many state agencies, the OCC is funded through an assessment on Ohio’s investor-owned utility companies and competitive suppliers regulated by the PUCO. The assessment level is determined based on a budget set by the Ohio General Assembly.

Companies are allowed to pass these costs to customers through their rates. These costs make up approximately 4 cents of every $100 a consumer pays in their utility bills. The OCC’s services have benefited consumers by achieving over $1.3 billion in savings since 1995.

The OCC uses its funding to represent the interests of residential utility consumers, offer educational materials on important utility issues and provide information to help consumers make informed decisions in the continually changing utility environment.