Ohio Consumers' Counsel Regains Complaint Handling Authority; Praises Governor and Legislature

The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC), the residential utility consumer advocate, today praised Governor Strickland and the Ohio General Assembly for restoring the agency's complaint-handling authority through the state's new budget.

Columbus, Ohio (Vocus/PRWEB ) June 30, 2007 -- The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC), the residential utility consumer advocate, today praised Governor Strickland and the Ohio General Assembly for restoring the agency's complaint-handling authority through the state's new budget.

Once the budget language is implemented on Oct. 1, the OCC's toll-free hotline -- available by calling 1-877-PICKOCC (1-877-742-5622) -- again will be able to handle individual consumer complaints about electric, natural gas, telephone and water services provided by investor-owned utilities.

Residential consumers throughout Ohio are well served by the ability for our office to again handle individual complaints about their utility services

When consumers have a problem with a utility, they need to be able to rely on their advocate. We commend Governor Strickland and the legislature for ensuring consumers can turn to their Consumers' Counsel to resolve complaints.

The passage of the state's budget legislation restored the ability for the OCC to handle individual consumer complaints, an authority that was removed during the 2005 budget process. Since September 2005, the OCC's hotline continued to function as an educational resource for consumers, however complaints were directed to the state utility regulator.

About the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel

The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC), the residential utility consumer advocate, represents the interests of 4.5 million households in proceedings before state and federal regulators and in the courts. The state agency provides information and responds to consumers' questions about their electric, natural gas, telephone and water services. To receive utility information, request brochures or schedule a presentation, residential consumers may call 1-877-PICKOCC (1-877-742-5622) toll free in Ohio or visit the OCC website at www.pickocc.org.

# # #

Post Comment:
Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/UGlnZy1TcXVhLUNvdXAtUGlnZy1UaGlyLVplcm8=

ohio the office of the ohio consumers' counsel consumers' counsel consumers ohio consumers consumer utility advocate consumer utilities utilities residential utilities ohio state budget ohio general assembly

Bookmark -  Del.icio.us | Furl It | Technorati | Ask | MyWeb | Propeller | Live Bookmarks | Newsvine | TailRank | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Stumbleupon | Google Bookmarks | Sphere | Blink It | Spurl

• Ohio Consumers' Counsel Says PUCO Should Deny Frontier, Verizon Telephone Merger without Consumer Protections 2009-08-19
• Ohio Consumers' Counsel: Approval of Duke Electric Distribution Rate Case Agreement to Benefit Residential Consumers 2009-07-09
• Ohio Consumers' Counsel Opposes Level of Ormet Electric Discount to be Paid by AEP Customers 2009-07-02
• Approval Of Dayton Power & Light Rate Plan Will Benefit Residential Customers 2009-06-25
• Consumers' Counsel Reacts to Denial of Request to Halt AEP's Retroactive Rates 2009-06-19