Protest held at NIPSCO headquarters in Northwest Indiana by customers upset over rate hike

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. (WLS) — A protest was held Wednesday in Northwest Indiana over rising utility costs.

NIPSCO customers gathered outside the company’s headquarters in Merrillville, Indiana. They say they’re having a tough time paying for skyrocketing winter bills and are being forced to make hard choices.

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NIPSCO appeared to be prepared for Wednesday’s protest. Construction cones and barriers were at every entrance to their building.

However, that did not stop dozens of upset Northwest Indiana residents from raising their voices against an energy company they believe is taking advantage of its customers.

As a customer, I feel a little betrayed,” Hobart resident Ramon Reyes said.

Reyes says he worked for NIPSCO for 10 years as a construction electrician, and now he’s protesting his former employer, concerned for his elderly mother.

“How do you go from a $200, $300 bill to, like, $500 you know?” Ramon Reyes said. “How does a 96-year-old lady make that up?”

Dozens of people took turns at a microphone calling out NIPSCO for what they’re calling exorbitant increases to their bills.

READ MORE | Northwest Indiana NIPSCO customers shocked as bills skyrocket

“It has to be a mistake,” Valparaiso resident Carmelo Reyes said. “This can’t be correct.”

Carmelo Reyes said he’s a disabled veteran, and with his wife experiencing significant health challenges, he says he’s facing a difficult decision.

“My wife is in the hospital because she had an aneurysm, and I have to decide, what am I going to do heat the house or help my wife with her medicine?” Carmelo Reyes said.

NIPSCO answered ABC7’s request for a response to customers’ concerns, saying “Customers are not alone in seeing higher Delivery Charges right now. Because of the cold temperatures, customers across our service area are using more natural gas than they were in warmer months… We want to reassure customers that NIPSCO does not control or mark up the cost of natural gas… Those prices come directly from market prices, and we simply pass them through based on customer usage.”

Merrillville 2nd Ward Town Councilwoman Shauna Haynes-Edwards is feeling the impact just like the people she serves.

“I feel like it’s a company that knows what they’re doing, and they know that they’re the only company that we have to use,” Haynes-Edwards said.

This realization is leaving local elected leaders and customers alike wondering what, if any, recourse they have.

“We’re at their mercy, because we have no one else to go to,” Munster resident Leilani Suchanuk said.

The people said they want NIPSCO to hear their concerns and do what’s right. They plan to continue to make their voices heard through protest.