Utility Hikes Transparency Act

Key Points

• This bill would create a new public website called the National Utility Rate Change Tracker, run by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It would let anyone look up when and why their gas or electric company is raising prices.
• The database would show exactly how much a price hike adds to the average monthly bill in both dollars and percentages, along with the specific reasons the utility company gave for needing more money.
• People could search for rate changes using their ZIP code, home address, city, or state, making it easy for families to find information about their own utility companies and plan their budgets.
• FERC would update the tracker every three months and work with state regulators to collect data. The agency would also publish a plain-language document explaining how the data is gathered and handled.
• The tracker covers both gas utilities and electric utilities that sell energy to consumers, meaning it would apply to the companies that serve most American households.