Indiana Regulators Launch Inquiry into Rising Energy Bills as Customer Complaints Surge

INDIANAPOLIS (WOWO) – State utility regulators have launched a formal inquiry into energy affordability after receiving a record number of complaints from Indiana residents struggling to pay their utility bills.

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission met Tuesday with leaders from several major energy providers, including NIPSCO and Indiana Michigan Power, as part of an investigative effort to determine why more customers are facing difficulty covering energy costs.

According to the commission, complaints filed with its consumer affairs division have already matched the total number recorded during all of last year, despite the calendar only reaching March. During the meeting, officials said more than half of the complaints submitted so far in 2026 involve NIPSCO customers.

“This commission has received an unprecedented number of complaints from customers who are struggling to pay their energy bills,” said Andy Zay.

Zay said the inquiry aims to identify the factors driving higher bills and determine what steps utilities and regulators can take to provide relief for customers.

“My interest and focus here is on solutions and what utilities can do in the immediate to provide relief,” Zay said.

Five of Indiana’s largest investor-owned utilities were called to participate in the session. Company leaders said they are working to help customers understand billing changes and cope with seasonal increases in energy usage.

In a statement, NIPSCO President and Chief Operating Officer Vince Parisi said the inquiry provides an opportunity for open discussion about energy costs and regulation.

“This inquiry is an important opportunity to have an open, fact-based discussion about energy affordability,” Parisi said, adding that the company has focused on customer education, outreach and assistance programs to help residents navigate higher bills and maintain reliable service.

Officials with Indiana Michigan Power said the company has proposed a plan that could lower rates in the future, but the proposal must first go through the regulatory approval process with the commission, which is expected to begin this summer.

“Our customers and the communities we serve are at the center of every decision we make,” the company said in a statement after the meeting. Indiana Michigan Power also cited efforts to improve reliability, reduce outages and better explain charges to customers.

Zay said utilities and regulators share responsibility for improving communication with customers, noting that many ratepayers are turning to social media to discuss rising bills.

“I just don’t believe the industry as a whole has done a good job in representing ourselves in the community,” Zay said. “We’re letting a lot of this conversation be driven not even through established media, but through social media where there is misinformation and people don’t understand what’s happening.”

The inquiry will now move into a public feedback phase, with regulators planning a series of listening sessions across the state where customers can share concerns directly with commission officials. Residents are encouraged to bring copies of their utility bills to help regulators better understand the issues they are facing.

One of the listening sessions is scheduled for April 6 at the New Haven Community Center near Fort Wayne, along with additional meetings in cities including La Porte, Goshen, Columbus, Evansville, Noblesville, Gary, Indianapolis and Terre Haute.

The surge in complaints and the state’s response were first reported by WPTA.

State regulators said the inquiry will continue in the coming weeks as they review testimony from utilities and feedback from customers in an effort to develop possible solutions to rising energy costs across Indiana.

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