“Clearly, our work for affordable and reliable electric service for DC residents is not over,” said Louis Davis, Jr., Senior State Director of the DC State Office of AARP.

See Also: Affordable Utilities Now

While Pepco’s rate increase request was cut nearly in half, the Public Service Commission still approved a $24 million annual increase, which amounts to a $2.60 per month increase to District customers’ electric bills. “District customers should not have to pay more for what continues to be inadequate service,” Davis concluded.

When Pepco proposed raising rates for its DC customers by $42.1 million a year, AARP members and friends sent more than 6,000 messages to the DC Public Service Commission urging commissioners to deny Pepco’s unfair rate increase request.

“We raised our voices, and we won’t stop now,” said Mercy Morganfield, volunteer State President of the AARP DC State Office. “We must tell the commissioners that we do not approve of the decision they made,” she concluded.

AARP DC is urging Pepco’s DC customers to call the DC PSC at 202-626-5150 and leave a message expressing their disappointment with the commissioners’ decision to unfairly increase their electric bills.

For months, AARP DC volunteers, staff and supporters have been fighting Pepco’s rate proposal because:

• Pepco must be held accountable for meeting stronger standards of reliability and customer service in DC before rate increases are considered.
  
• Pepco’s DC customers should not endure poor customer service and longer power outages than their counterparts in the DC Metro area.
  
• Public input regarding new surcharges should not be reduced.