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Resident warns of steep electric-bill increases and rising arrears in Evansville
Summary
A resident told the council that Indiana led the nation in year-over-year electric bill increases (~16%) and that CenterPoint customers owed about $4.9 million in overdue bills as of the latest OUCC report; he urged community input on utility foundation spending.
During public comment at the Nov. 17, 2025 meeting, Christopher Norick of 2728 Harmony Way told the Common Council the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee's November report showed Indiana had the highest year-over-year increase in electric bills, "a little over a 16%" change, and cited new Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) data indicating CenterPoint customers 60 days or more behind rose to about $4.9 million in arrears, representing roughly 16,000 customers.
Norick said that a year earlier the comparable arrears total was about $2.3 million and linked the increase to rate approvals earlier in the year and a hot summer that raised usage. He recommended the council engage with utility initiatives and community input regarding how CenterPoint's foundation money (he referenced $5 million) is spent for weatherization and other measures. Norick said he attended a CenterPoint meeting and urged the city to help direct community input on the foundation commitment.
His public comment framed energy arrears as an urgent household-versus-food tradeoff: "When it comes down to it, are you going to buy food? Are you gonna pay your power bill? You're gonna buy food when it comes down to it." The council acknowledged the comment; no formal action was taken during the meeting.
The figures cited were presented by the public commenter and were not introduced by city staff during the meeting. The OUCC and Joint Economic Committee are external sources; the council did not adopt new policies or direct staff to take immediate action during this meeting based on the comment.
