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Arizona Corporation Commission votes down effort to rescind 2017 APS rate hike

By
Published  July 11, 2019 4:10am MST
Phoenix
FOX 10 Phoenix

PHOENIX - The Arizona Corporation Commission has voted to not rescind APS rate increases in 2017.

Thousands of customers signed a petition saying they were misled by the company to increase their power bills. And Stacey Champion, the woman who filed the complaint in January 2018 also raised more than $26,000 to hire a lawyer.

The 4.5% increase started in 2017 and this vote decides if the prior rate is to be restored. That hike, according to APS, meant a $6 monthly increase for customers, but Champion says her findings state the rate hike is actually about 12.5%, calling the 4.5% figure just the base.

On Wednesday, Champion consistently challenged the Commission, and asked whether the staff, APS or both run the commission, and asked the Commission to overturn the rate hike to gain the public's trust. In the end, all commissioners except Sandra Kennedy voted to dismiss the complaint.

Champion, meanwhile, said she will be back, and is motivated.

"Here's the thing, seeing the giant APS posse that has been here for every hearing walk out with beaming smiles on their faces, I guess that motivated me a little bit, so I don't think that I'm going to drop it," said Champion. "I still have quite a few public records requests that I haven't gotten fulfilled yet. I still think that's there's a lot of real consumer advocacy that needs to be done."

APS RATE HIKE: Waiting for Arizona Corporation Commission to vote on whether or not to rescind 2017 @apsFYI rate increase of 4.5% and restore prior rates. Hear from APS and the resident who filed the complaint in January of 2018 - at 5. #fox10phoenix pic.twitter.com/wRvJZBeFF8

— Justin Lum Fox 10 (@jlumfox10) July 10, 2019