U.S. Supreme Court rejects utility fee case, saving Ohioans $400 million

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohioans are about to save $400 million on future utility bills — and some could even get refunds — after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case over a fee that utilities collect to cover transmission costs.

“This is a huge win for Ohio consumers. For too long, utilities have padded their profits with unnecessary charges,” Ohio Consumers’ Counsel Director Maureen Willis said. “Now, hundreds of millions of dollars will stay in the pockets of the people who actually pay the bills.”

The savings come from ending a fee, known as the “RTO adder,” that allowed companies to tack on 0.5% of their transmission costs to customer electric bills.

That might not sound like much, but Ohio Consumers’ Counsel spokesperson John Blackwood said, “When you are spending billions, e