Fighting to Keep Utility Rates Affordable

Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), the state’s second-largest utility, is seeking a $45 million rate increase. The proposal would raise electric bills by about $4 a month for customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours. The utility, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, plans to use some of the money to switch customers to smart meters, which monitor energy use by time of day.

In a 2011 AARP survey of Oklahomans age 50-plus, 52 percent said they were extremely or very concerned about the cost of electricity going up.

“We are fighting to ensure that PSO receives only what is fair and reasonable,” said Dusty Darr, AARP associate state director for advocacy.

Hearings before the Oklahoma Corporation Commission are expected to begin June 25. To share your views, call 800-944-6708.