Columbus committee hears competing views on utility reselling, submetering; no vote taken

Columbus City Council’s Public Utilities & Sustainability Committee heard detailed testimony on utility reselling and submetering from residents, service providers and housing industry representatives during a public hearing called by Councilmember Shayla Weiss.

The hearing examined a proposed reintroduction of earlier legislation addressing third-party reselling and submetering in multiunit buildings. Proponents said the change would increase billing transparency and expand access to state utility-assistance programs; industry and property managers warned an overly broad ban could reduce conservation incentives and create operational and legal problems for landlords and tenants.

Committee chair Councilmember Shayla Weiss opened the discussion by saying the proposal is an early draft and the hearing was intended to collect feedback that will shape future language. “We propose ideas. We get feedback. We make changes. We present it,” Weiss said.

Grant Ames, Government and Strategic Initiatives Manager with the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging, told the committee his agency serves roughly 11,000 residents across eight central Ohio counties and that its case managers completed nearly 47,000 home visits last year. “We really see ourselves as a lifeline,” Ames said. He…