IndianaIndiana electric suppliers offer bill help and use three-year rate plans
Covered electric suppliers must offer bill help to eligible households, apply levelized monthly payments to some accounts, and use commission-approved three-year rate plans.
What it does
Suppliers apply equal monthly payments to covered households’ electric accounts, then compare payments with actual use. Customers may opt out without a penalty.
Suppliers offer eligible households help paying monthly electric bills. Starting in 2027, they fund these programs with at least 0.2% of residential revenues, plus third-party contributions.
Covered electric suppliers use three-year rate plans reviewed by the utility commission. The plans tie possible rewards or penalties to customer bill trends and how quickly service is restored.
Utilities may not disconnect residential electric or gas service from December 1 through March 15. Electric customers who qualify for and applied for energy assistance also get protection on certain forecast heat-index days.
Argument forEligible households could get help paying monthly electric bills through programs that suppliers must fund with at least 0.2% of residential revenues.
Argument againstEligible households might not be able to enroll when a supplier reaches its program limits, even if some required program funds remain unallocated.
More detail
Suppliers apply equal monthly payments to covered accounts and later compare those payments with actual use. This applies to residential customers on a supplier’s standard tariff whose household qualifies for and has applied for home energy assistance; it excludes customers on a commission-approved alternative billing tariff and municipally owned utilities. Customers may opt out at any time without a penalty, but their accounts remain subject to the plan’s reconciliation. The requirement begins with the first monthly billing cycle that starts after June 30, 2026. Suppliers reconcile accounts to reflect seasonal use no more than twice a year.
Suppliers offer financial help with monthly electric bills and fund their assistance programs. The program covers eligible residential customers receiving retail electric service from suppliers under state rate regulation; municipally owned utilities are excluded. A household must qualify for and have applied for the state home energy assistance program. Suppliers may set enrollment and per-customer limits based on available funds. Enrollment is subject to those limits; unused required program funds must be held for enrolled customers in the following calendar year if a limit stops new enrollment. Suppliers must offer a program by July 1, 2026. Beginning in 2027, they must fund it by March 1 each year.
Covered electric suppliers use three-year rate plans with possible rewards or penalties tied to customer bills and service restoration. The plan rules apply to state-regulated retail electric suppliers, excluding municipally owned utilities and certain cooperatives. The utility commission must approve each plan after notice and a hearing. It must find that rates are just and reasonable, service will remain safe and reliable, and customers will not face sudden substantial increases or unfair harm. The commission measures bill changes against national electricity price changes and compares recent service restoration with the supplier’s earlier average; those results can affect the supplier’s allowed return. Annual performance reports begin in 2027. The first rate-plan filing windows vary by supplier; the earliest is after November 15 and before December 15, 2026.
Electric and gas utilities may not disconnect covered residential service during specified winter dates or during certain extreme heat forecasts. The protections cover residential customers of electric and gas utilities, including municipally owned, privately owned, and cooperative utilities. The winter protection applies to residential electric and gas service. The heat protection applies to electric customers who receive service where the forecast applies and qualify for and have applied for home energy assistance during that calendar year. The protections do not prevent disconnection at a customer’s request, for a dangerous condition, under a lawful order, or when the utility has reasonable grounds to believe the customer is responsible for fraud, unauthorized use, or equipment tampering. The winter protection applies each year from December 1 through March 15. Heat protection applies on a day when the National Weather Service forecast, made no earlier than 48 hours ahead, predicts a heat index of at least 95°F for the customer’s service location; a disconnection notice period may be paused as described in the law.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Feb 26Signed by the Governor Mike BraunBecame Law
- Feb 26Public Law 36Major
- Feb 25Signed by the President of the SenateMajor
- Feb 24Signed by the President Pro TemporeMajor
- Feb 23Signed by the SpeakerMajor
- Feb 19Motion to concur filedMinor
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Shonkwiler. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 19House concurred with Senate amendments; Roll Call 293: yeas 94, nays 2
- Feb 18Returned to the House with amendmentsMinor
- Feb 17Senator Holdman added as cosponsor
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Koch - 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 17Senators Deery, Brown L added as cosponsors
- Feb 17Senator Charbonneau added as cosponsor
- Feb 17Senator Busch added as cosponsor
- Feb 17Senator Becker added as cosponsor
- Feb 17Third reading: passed; Roll Call 171: yeas 46, nays 0Passed Senate
- Feb 17Senators Byrne, Bohacek, Maxwell, McKinley added as cosponsors
- Feb 17Senator Schmitt added as cosponsor
- Feb 17Senator Rogers added as cosponsor
- Feb 17Senator Raatz added as cosponsor
- Feb 17Senator Qaddoura added as cosponsor
- Feb 17Senator Niemeyer added as cosponsor
- Feb 17Senator Dernulc added as cosponsor
- Feb 16Amendment #13 (Hunley) failed; Roll Call 163: yeas 20, nays 28Major
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Koch - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Upper
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Koch - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Upper
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Koch - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Upper
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Koch - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Upper
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Koch - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Upper
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Koch - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Upper
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Koch - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Upper
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Koch - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Upper
- Feb 16Senator Buchanan added as second sponsor
- Feb 16Senator Donato added as third sponsor
- Feb 16Amendment #2 (Pol) failed; Roll Call 160: yeas 18, nays 27Major
- Feb 16Amendment #5 (Qaddoura) failed; Roll Call 161: yeas 16, nays 31Major
- Feb 16Amendment #1 (Qaddoura) failed; Roll Call 162: yeas 16, nays 31Major
- Feb 16Amendment #6 (Pol) failed; Roll Call 165: yeas 17, nays 31Major
- Feb 16Amendment #7 (Pol) failed; voice voteMajor
- Feb 16Amendment #11 (Hunley) failed; Division of the Senate: yeas 13, nays 28Major
- Feb 16Amendment #16 (Pol) failed; Roll Call 166: yeas 20, nays 28Major
- Feb 16Amendment #17 (Pol) failed; voice voteMajor
- Feb 16Amendment #18 (Pol) failed; Roll Call 167: yeas 14, nays 34Major
- Feb 16Amendment #19 (Pol) failed; voice voteMajor
- Feb 16Second reading: ordered engrossedMinor
- Feb 16Amendment #14 (Hunley) failed; Roll Call 164: yeas 23, nays 26Major
- Feb 12Committee report: do pass, adoptedMinor
- Feb 12Senators Hunley, Ford J.D. added as cosponsors
- Feb 9Committee report: amend do pass adopted; reassigned to Committee on AppropriationsMinor
- Feb 2First reading: referred to Committee on UtilitiesMinor
- Jan 29Referred to the SenateMinor
- Jan 28Senate sponsor: Senator Koch
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Shonkwiler - 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Jan 28Third reading: passed; Roll Call 149: yeas 89, nays 4Passed House
- Jan 27Amendment #4 (Hamilton) failed; Roll Call 91: yeas 30, nays 62Major
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Shonkwiler. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Shonkwiler - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Shonkwiler - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Shonkwiler - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Shonkwiler - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Shonkwiler - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Shonkwiler - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Shonkwiler - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded HB 1002 - Shonkwiler - 2nd Reading. Result: fail.Lower
- Jan 27Amendment #15 (Andrade) failed; Roll Call 88: yeas 33, nays 62Major
- Jan 27Second reading: amended, ordered engrossedMinor
- Jan 27Amendment #11 (Pierce M) ruled out of order
- Jan 27Amendment #19 (Andrade) failed; Roll Call 98: yeas 30, nays 64Major
- Jan 27Amendment #16 (Andrade) failed; Roll Call 97: yeas 30, nays 65Major
- Jan 27Amendment #13 (Andrade) failed; Roll Call 96: yeas 31, nays 63Major
- Jan 27Amendment #7 (Pryor) failed; Roll Call 94: yeas 31, nays 61Major
- Jan 27Amendment #20 (Burton) motion withdrawnMajor
- Jan 27Amendment #6 (Pryor) failed; Roll Call 92: yeas 31, nays 63Major
- Jan 27Amendment #5 (Pryor) failed; Roll Call 90: yeas 32, nays 61Major
- Jan 27Amendment #10 (Pierce M) failed; Roll Call 89: yeas 34, nays 61Major
- Jan 27Appeal the ruling of the chair (Pierce M); ruling of the chair sustained Roll Call 99: yeas 63, nays 30
- Jan 27Amendment #8 (Pryor) failed; Roll Call 93: yeas 30, nays 62Major
- Jan 27Amendment #3 (Shonkwiler) prevailed; voice voteMajor
- Jan 27Amendment #14 (Andrade) failed; Roll Call 95: yeas 30, nays 61Major
- Jan 22Representative Burton added as coauthor
- Jan 22Committee report: amend do pass, adoptedMinor
- Jan 8First reading: referred to Committee on Utilities, Energy and TelecommunicationsMinor
- Jan 8Authored by Representative Shonkwiler
- Jan 8Coauthored by Representatives Soliday, PresselIntroduced
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