Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel

Home Skip Navigation Go to Section Menu

Communicating with Consumers

OCC’s Outreach and Education staff had a record year, participating in more than 1,300 events and meeting with more than 55,000 Ohio utility consumers. The events included providing speeches and training programs to consumers and partners, meeting consumers at shows and fairs, giving presentations at statewide conferences and visiting consumer agencies and organizations.

Among the issues at the forefront of consumers’ minds were the rising gas prices which continue to strain the budgets of many and the need for utility assistance which was at an all time high. OCC continued to offer the “Stay Connected Train-the-Trainer” program to social service agencies; training more than 1,500 of their staff and distributing more than 200,000 brochures and fact sheets on Ohio’s utility assistance programs. OCC also offered programs about energy efficiency and introduced the popular, hands-on weatherization workshop to teach consumers how to lower their utility bills through energy efficiency and conservation measures. More than 4,000 consumers participated in the energy efficiency program in 2007.

OCC partnered with Green Energy Ohio to provide programs on sustainable energy and energy efficiency to more than 1,000 consumers. OCC visited organizations and agencies to share information about services and programs. Key constituencies included expanded Hispanic outreach, low-income advocates, colleges and universities, city governments, townships and minority organizations.

Low-Income Dialogue Group

The Low Income Dialogue Group (LIDG), a working group of low-income advocates from around Ohio, held regular meetings in Columbus and through statewide conference calls to address issues that affect low-income consumers. Groups such as the American Association of Retired People, the Ohio Farm Bureau, Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy, the Ohio Department of Development, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality and Consumers for Fair Utility Rates provided insight into the needs of Ohio’s low-income utility consumers.

During the course of this last year, the group worked together to prepare a report that discusses the key problems facing low-income utility customers and included recommendations for improving the rules that govern such issues as disconnection, extended payment plans, percentage of income payment plans, deposits and medical certifications among others. The purpose of this report is to provide information useful to the required five-year agency review of the Public Utilities Commission’s rules on these topics.

Hispanic Outreach

OCC expanded outreach efforts to Spanish-speaking consumers in Ohio by taking an active role in the five Hispanic coalitions around the state. These coalitions provide OCC the opportunity to network with organizations and agencies that work closely with the Spanish-speaking community. To better serve the Hispanic community, OCC has expanded the distribution of its Spanish newsletter “El Informador,” which covers key utility issues and continues to translate OCC’s publications.

OCC is a board member in the Latino Empowerment Outreach Network (L.E.O.N) which is one of the largest Hispanic coalitions in the state. OCC provided a leading role in the creation of the Greater Cincinnati Hispanic/ Latino Coalition and continues to be an important resource for education and representation to the Hispanic residential utility consumer.

Community Advisory Panel

Community Advisory Panel (CAP) members gathered in Columbus to learn about Ohio’s Energy Future. Topics included green pricing programs, the impact of weatherization programs and future jobs in renewable energy. More than 100 CAP members attended the event representing a wide variety of social service agencies, senior organizations, rural, Hispanic and colleges and universities. The continuing involvement of CAP members has helped identify community utility concerns and assisted OCC with sharing relevant information on utility issues.

Outreach & Education Provides Information on Utility Assistance to Food Banks and Soup Kitchens

In 2007, OCC met with food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens throughout Ohio to educate agency staff about OCC’s services and distribute brochures, fact sheets, posters, and handbooks. By reaching out to those in need of food assistance, OCC was able to help customers with utility disconnection and reconnection issues, explain their utility bills, provide information about utility assistance, and work with consumers to get billing disputes and other utility complaints handled.

Agency staff attended Stay Connected Train-the-Trainer presentations to learn ways to better serve their clients with utility concerns. Clients listened to presentations on staying connected to their utilities while waiting for services at food pantries, and during meals at soup kitchens. OCC staffed tables to talk one-on-one with clients about their utility concerns, and distributed brochures explaining utility assistance programs to help keep consumers connected to their utilities.

National Consumer Protection Week

“Read Up and Reach Out - Be an Informed Consumer” was the theme for this year’s National Consumer Protection Week. OCC joined with the Attorney General and other state and federal agencies in Ohio to raise awareness on a variety of consumer issues. With the importance of “Reading the Fine Print” being the focus, OCC partnered with these state and federal agencies to participate in seven fairs at colleges and universities across the state. OCC met with hundreds of college students, staffed television phone banks to respond to consumer questions and gave 43 presentations in 37 Ohio cities.

Green Pricing Programs Expand Customer Options

In 2007, three electric utilities began to offer green pricing programs as a result of negotiations with OCC. These programs offer a viable, low-cost way for consumers to contribute to the development of renewable energy. OCC developed a brochure on the programs and distributed the brochure to consumer organizations by mail and through OCC outreach programs. OCC staff also shared the information at OCC speeches and outreach events.

National Solar Conference Comes to Ohio

Organized by Green Energy Ohio, Cleveland hosted the 2007 National Solar Conference sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society, the largest solar and renewable energy conference in the United States. The conference attracted visitors from around the world featuring prominent speakers, hands-on workshops, demonstrations and the latest in solar products. The OCC participated in the local organizing committee for the conference and chaired the public day. Featuring speakers on a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy topics public day attracted over 1,000 consumers. The Consumers’ Counsel, Janine Migden-Ostrander, led a discussion on the topic of the impact of regulation in developing solar projects. With rising energy costs for current energy fuels, renewable energy sources are viable options for the future. Cleveland’s strong manufacturing base holds promise for future solar development.

Sustainable Energy Festival Attracts Record Crowds

As energy costs rise consumers express more interest in conserving energy and looking for alternative energy sources for developing new energy. OCC partnered with Green Energy Ohio to develop and promote programs on alternative energy and energy efficiency. These day-long programs were held in Mason, Wilmot and Maumee. Experts from across the state discussed wind, solar PV, solar thermal, biomass, green building and energy efficiency. Attracting combined attendance of over 1,000 the information was well received by the public.

Outreach & Education launches weatherization workshops

With natural gas prices doubling over the last five years, many Ohioans find it difficult to make ends meet. Most Ohio consumers would like to lower their utility bills, but don’t know how. Addressing the growing interest in energy conservation, the OCC has launched a new hands-on program designed to educate Ohioans about the inexpensive ways to weatherize their home and to promote energy efficiency.

In 2007 hands-on Weatherization Workshops were created by the OCC Outreach and Education team to show workshop participants how to install energy efficiency measures in their homes and provide them with new skills and knowledge they can use to help control their energy costs. Customers learn how to lower their utility bills by using low-cost or no-cost energy saving tips in their homes. Installing plastic on windows, weather-striping a door, installing a door sweep, and learning about the benefits of using compact fluorescent lights (CFL’s) and programmable thermostats are key components of the program. This exciting new workshop quickly became one of our most popular presentations as soon as it was launched.

OCC Online: www.pickocc.org

The OCC Website serves as an outstanding resource for Ohio consumers providing current information on utility issues. Browsing through the many press releases, consumer alerts and fact sheets can quickly bring consumers up-to-date on utility issues in their region of the state. Topics for new educational materials this year included:

Reducing electricity demand

OCC addressed issues of energy usage with educational materials geared toward reducing demand. Fact sheets covering topics such as energy efficient CFLs, how to reduce energy usage by preventing vampire power and effective ways to winterize were well received by consumers.

Green Power programs

American Electric Power, Duke Energy and First Energy introduced new programs that offered a green power alternative for their customers. New fact sheets on each of the programs were developed and distributed to consumers. The fact sheet “Renewable Energy Credits” assisted consumers in understanding the new power option.

Natural gas risers

Reacting to concerns about the safety of natural gas risers OCC developed extensive information on this topic easily available on the Web site. Consumers can access a diagram of a natural gas riser, press releases, fact sheets and the current status of the issue.

 

 

Home Consumer Hotline Award Winning Staff