After a cold winter and rising gas bills to stay warm, many NIPSCO customers are struggling with extreme increase from the utility company this season.
Over the past few months NIPSCO customers across Indiana are speaking out over bills doubling and even tripling for some. Star City resident Heather Hurlburt says the bills gas and electricity this year have more than doubled for her family due to the new delivery fee that added an extra $120 to her bill every month.
“It's insane how much you have to plan ahead just to get utilities paid now,“ Hurlburt said. “I can't believe the government has allowed this to happen. Am I going to pay it? Yes, because what other choice do I have? You generally can't change utility companies and they operate as a monopoly. It's not fair. I believe we should have options.“
In 2025, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved a 16.75% increase for electric, but customers like Hurlburt are describing the increases to actually be at least "25% increase" and a "20-year high."
For business owners, the stakes are even higher and even more devastating. Mark Davis, owner of Kewanna Diner, 110 W Main St, Kewanna, says this winter's bills have left him nearly $6,000 in the hole, with his gas bill climbing to $1,024 in December.
“Our NIPSCO bill at the restaurant didn't just double, it has quadrupled from what I was quoted under a budget plan when I first opened the business in 2025. I didn't know what to expect the budget wasn't something I could afford at the time. I never dreamed it would be this high, however.“
Still left with other bills, Davis said this winter has been like not having an income and continues to push Davis further into debt each month.
State Representative Jim Pressel recently called on the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to review the increased NIPSCO rates. According to the IURC’s 2025 Electricity Residential Bill Survey, NIPSCO customers using 1,000 kWh or more in July reported seeing an over 90% increase in their 2025 bill compared to bills from 2016.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has also reported that NIPSCO had the second-highest residential customer rate for all electric utilities reporting data.
The outcry from NIPSCO customers also inspired Pressel to co-author HB 1002 this session, which focuses on increasing energy affordability and making utility companies accountable for lowering costs and improving service. The bill signed by Governor Braun Feb. 26.
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