Washington, D.C. — Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) — introduced two pieces of legislation today that would lower costs for Virginians, tackle corruption in the utility industry, and hold utility companies accountable.
“Families are already struggling with the rising cost of living. Virginians shouldn’t have to pay junk fees just to keep the lights on, and they shouldn’t have to wonder if their monthly bills are jacked up due to corruption and colluding between regulators and utility companies,” said Vindman. “Banning utility junk fees and closing the revolving door between utilities and regulators will restore trust and lower costs.”
The No Utility Junk Fees Act would establish the first federal ban on utility junk fees by prohibiting utilities from charging excessive fees to customers who pay their bills by credit or debit card. Additionally, it would keep families from having to pay unreasonable fees to access an essential service, especially when monopoly utilities leave them with nowhere else to turn.
The Energy Utility Lobbying Ban Act would end the revolving door between monopoly utilities and the regulators responsible for holding them accountable. It prevents state utility regulators from leaving public service and immediately lobbying for the electric companies they once oversaw. The bill also creates a lifetime ban on lobbying the agency for cases a regulator personally worked on, along with a two-year cooling-off period before lobbying on other utility matters.
BACKGROUND
Vindman was the first member of the Virginia Delegation to come out in opposition to the proposed merger between NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy. Earlier in August, he sent a letter to members of the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) urging them to reject the proposed merger. In the letter, Vindman warned that the deal would put Wall Street profits ahead of Virginia families, weaken local accountability, and increase costs for consumers.
Vindman has been a champion for lowering utility bills in Congress and making life better for working families. In May, Vindman heard from more than 800 Virginians through a district-wide survey who said they were feeling the effects of rising utility bill.
Also in May, Vindman introduced two pieces of legislation that would lower costs for families and hold utility companies accountable. The Home Energy Affordability Act would help protect consumers from repeated utility rate hikes by limiting electric utilities to one rate change request every 365 days. The Utility Hikes Transparency Act would create the first comprehensive, machine-readable federal database of retail utility rate changes in the United States.
Vindman also was joined by 14 lawmakers in launching the Congressional Lowering Utility Bills Caucus to find legislative solutions to the ongoing energy affordability crisis in Virginia and around the country. The caucus will convene House Members around oversight strategies and tools to hold utility companies accountable for skyrocketing rates.
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