Get The Facts
Fighting back for Montana families and small businesses
About us
When was the last time you got a 28% salary increase? The Montana Ratepayers association has formed in response to ongoing utility rate hikes approved by the Montana Public Service Commission. While the Commissioners who vote for these hikes have cited inflation as their rationale,
In the last year the PSC approved a 28% rate hike, and is now considering another 10% increase in rates. Montanans are getting charged more and more in order to pay higher salaries for utility executives and higher dividends to corporate shareholders, as well as covering the cost of bad investments and mistaken earnings forecasts by the utility monopolies. The Montana Ratepayers Association is a consumer advocacy organization fighting back on behalf of Montanans and holding regulators accountable.
About the PSC
The Montana Public Service Commission is an elected board that has power over utilities in our state, including natural gas, telephone, water, garbage hauling, and sewage. In Montana, there are 5 seats on the commission and they are elected by district. They also have authority over sources of energy, sustainability, and approval of new energy projects, and oversee rail and pipeline safety regulations here in Montana. Last year Commissioner Jennifer Fielder and the PSC voted to allow Northwestern Energy to raise its rates by 28%. The PSC makes the final decisions about how much we Montanans pay in our utility bills.
