By Jaiya Brown, FOX23.com News Staff
GREEN COUNTRY, Okla. — Opening her Public Service Company of Oklahoma bill and seeing the balance top $1,000 left Rebecca Rush stunned, and she’s not the only customer now facing steep electric costs as PSO’s rate case continues to wait for a final decision.
“It makes me want to vomit in my mouth a little bit,” Rush said. “It says right now my balance is $1,020.83”
Rush said she has been going back and forth with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission trying to get answers about why her electric costs have climbed so high.
“Supposedly if it doesn’t go through, then we all get a rebate, but I don’t know how much that rebate could be for. It could be 20 bucks.”
Misty Lee, another PSO customer, said her bill used to be around $200, but now it’s more than $1,500.
She said she followed PSO’s recommendations to cut back usage, but said her bill kept climbing.
“Shut the power strips while you’re at work, keep your air off after peak hours—we’ve done all of that and it’s still going up,” Lee shared.
Lee said the impact is forcing families to make difficult choices.
“It’s not right. It would seem to me to be right to pause it until they make the decision.”
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission said an administrative law judge’s report was filed on Aug. 21; however, there is still no set date for a final decision.
The commission said it is weighing testimony and evidence from more than 40 witnesses, along with issues heard during the rate case.
In the meantime, customers are already paying more.
The OCC said state law allows a utility to implement an interim rate if the commission does not act within the 180-day timeframe for a rate case.
According to the OCC, PSO implemented an increase associated with a stipulation, but did not include certain offsets that could lower that amount.
The commission stated PSO had the authority to implement the full increase, which would be about $25 more a month for an average customer, but that doesn’t mean the final rate will be set at that level.
The OCC said if it ultimately orders a lower rate, customers will receive credits over time to refund the difference.
The OCC also addressed another figure some customers may have heard: about $11 a month.
The commission said that is not a new PSO proposal; instead, it is the increase associated with the stipulation after offsets are factored in.
The OCC said the final rate will be whatever the commission determines is supported by the evidence.
Customers who want to weigh in can submit a written public comment in the case.
The commission said it considers the information provided, but explained there is no specific weight given to any one comment.
For now, customers like Rush and Lee are still waiting for a final decision and waiting to find out whether their next electric bill will be any easier to afford.
Listed below are the full questions FOX23 asked the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and their response:
Q: What is the current status of PSO’s rate case, PUD-2025-000075, and what is the timeline for the OCC to make a decision?
A: The ALJ’s Repot was filed on August 21, 2026. The Commission has not indicated when it will decide on the case. Rate cases like this have a statutory time 180 days to resolve. If that date is exceeded, the utility may implement interim rates, which happened on July 1, 2026.
Q: Is there a reason a decision date has not yet been announced, and what factors are still being reviewed by the commission?
A: No. The Commission is weighing all of the evidence presented in the case, which consisted of at least 40 witnesses that filed written direct, responsive and rebuttal testimony. Also, a hearing on the merits was held during which a settlement of some the issues was presented and a hearing over contested issues occurred.
Q: Ratepayers are currently paying an interim rate. Can you explain what that means for customers and what it means that the interim rate is subject to refund?
A: The legislature determined that a utility may implement the rate that it requested in a general rate case if the Commission does not act within 180 days. In this instance, PSO implemented the increase associated with the stipulation, but it did not include the offsets because they were not presented in the application. PSO had authority by statute to implement the full $25 increase. If the Commission agrees with the stipulation, then the offsets that are associated with the stipulation will become effective and the rate will be lowered. If the Commission disagrees or orders a different rate that is lower than the rate that PSO implemented, then the utility will issue a credit over a period to refund the difference to the customers.
Q: PSO is now proposing a smaller increase of approximately $11 per month rather than the previously proposed $25 increase. What does that proposal mean for ratepayers moving forward?
A: It is not a proposal by PSO, it is the amount that is associated with the increase that is subject of the stipulation minus the offsets. Once the Commission issues an order, the interim rate will be permeant at whatever rate is determined by the Commission that is supported by the evidence presented in the case.
Q: With residents continuing to report unusually high bills, what can customers do right now to voice their concerns or participate in the rate case?
A: Customers may file written public comment in the case. They can do to the website and search for the case in the ECF portion.
Q: How does the OCC consider public comments and complaints from ratepayers when reviewing a case like this?
A: There is not a written determination on the weight that the Commission gives for any information presented in the case. The Commission weighs all of the information and determines the outcome through an order.
