Why does my bill amount change every month?

We understand that you may have questions about your service, billing or home safety. Read our customer handbook to learn more about being a NIPSCO customer.

Depending on your credit report, you may be required to pay a security deposit to get service in your name. The deposit is security that the final bill will be paid. It can’t be used to pay current or delinquent bills. The deposit will be applied to your account after you establish a good payment history for 12 months or when you receive a final bill after you stop service.

We can set up a relationship to automatically transfer service into a landlord's name when a tenant requests termination. Learn more on our Landlord Services page.

Yes, customers had a voice in the process in multiple ways – through written comments to the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, at a public field hearing and via various consumer advocacy organizations that participate in the process. That input was received and factored into the lower than requested approved rates. 

Newly proposed electric rates would be phased in over two steps in September 2019 and March 2020.

Under NIPSCO’s filing, an average residential customer using 690 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month would see an overall $11 per month increase in their monthly electric bill – or 12 percent per month.

Included as part of the overall bill change is a proposal to increase the existing, fixed monthly customer charge by $3 per month.

The projected change does not account for future changes that can occur outside of base electric rates – which could go up or down throughout a given year – such as fuel costs to run generating facilities and the cost of administering energy efficiency programs. Those costs still require regulatory oversight and approval.

Changes in rates for business customers will vary. Today, NIPSCO’s electric rates are below the national average.

Maintaining competitive rates for businesses while supporting job growth and the local economy is important. Just as NIPSCO focuses on holding the line on costs for residential customers, it is important to maintain competitive electric rates for higher-usage customers as well.

The impact on individual commercial and industrial customers will vary depending on their usage patterns.

The last change was approved in 2016, and this new proposal would represent only the third such change in base rates in nearly 30 years.

No. NIPSCO is proud to support hundreds of charitable organizations across the communities it serves, but those costs are not part of this request.

It’s important for customers to understand what they’re paying for and that they’re getting a good value. NIPSCO’s plan highlights a range of improvements made in recent years that directly benefit customers, including:

• Providing electric rates below the national average
• Investing $535 million in the last five years in upgrades and improvements to modernize our electric infrastructure
• Making investments to minimize power outages and provide better overall response and information to customers during events
• Helping customers save 1.04 million megawatt hours since 2010
• Completing environmental upgrades to improve local air and water quality

Yes. Programs such as budget plans, summer cooling assistance, credit arrangements and income-qualified weatherization are currently available.

And, within NIPSCO’s proposal, the company also highlighted its commitment to working collaboratively to identify and create a new electric bill payment assistance and weatherization program for income-eligible electric customers.

Customers experiencing difficulty with their bill – regardless of their income – are encouraged to contact us to determine what help might be available to them.

Yes. NIPSCO promotes a variety of programs and incentives designed to help all customers be more energy efficient, including free in-home energy assessments, equipment rebates, weatherization and more.

No. Just like today, customers who use less electricity in the future will spend less otherwise. And being energy efficient can continue to have a positive effect on a customer’s bill.

Today, residential customers pay a monthly customer charge of $14 – a separately itemized portion of the bill – which helps account for those fixed costs to maintain a customer regardless of usage (e.g., maintaining an electric system that serves customers, responding to emergencies, reading meters, maintaining account information, etc.).

Increasing the customer charge gives customers a clearer picture of how energy use affects their bill by better separating out the fixed portion of bills versus the portion that is variable.

Additionally, increasing the customer charge further stabilizes customer bills throughout the year, especially during the summer, when electric bills are typically higher because of warmer temperatures and increased usage.

No.

Unlike most companies, which can change the cost of their product/service overnight, regulated utilities like NIPSCO must submit a detailed request to change their rates. The request includes evidence to support the increase in costs and demonstrate how those dollars will be used fully to the benefit of customers.

This process is called a rate case, and NIPSCO’s approval must come from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC). Ultimately, the goal of the yearlong review process is to strike a balance on new rates that are fair to both customers and the company.

If you need to update the last name listed on your NIPSCO account, please call us at 1-800-4NIPSCO (1-800-464-7726).

The Budget Plan is a great tool for spreading your winter heating and/or summer cooling costs more evenly across an entire year, although it’s not designed to reduce your total costs. It will allow you to know what you can expect to pay each month, and should allow you to have more spending money available. It’s easy to sign up, and it’s free.

Your gas and/or electric bill will fluctuate depending on the weather, season of year, change in lifestyle or addition of family members. To understand your usage and learn how to save on your energy bill:

1. Sign into your account.
2. Select the My Usage option in the menu.
3. Compare your usage by month, year, average temperature and number of billing days.

Call us at 1-800-4NIPSCO (1-800-464-7726) for other billing questions.