(MIRROR INDY) -- Darcy Staser was still dressed for work when she stood in front of a podium and pleaded with state government officials to not let AES Indiana charge her more for electricity.
Staser, a secretary at a dialysis clinic, said her power has been shut off since late May. She chose a car repair and mortgage payment over her electric bill.
"Basically living with battery-powered lamps and fans," Staser, 51, told members of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission on Thursday, Aug. 21.
Her outstanding balance: $2,000.
And that all happened before Staser found out AES is trying to increase electric bills by about 13.5%. The utility company told customers in an email that it needs to address rising costs for material and labor.
Staser was one of dozens of people who testified before the commission at a community center in Fountain Square. The five-member commission, who were all appointed by Indiana governors, has final say over the request.
If approved, AES estimates that a family using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity would see an increase to their monthly bill of about $21. You can see what your bill would look like using an online calculator.
Some people who attended the field hearing said the request from AES is greedy.
"I'm concerned that this rate increase is fully because of profit motive," said Lucas Waterfill, a 34-year-old resident of the Twin Aire neighborhood.
Others said they don't want to be charged more money when they're already dealing with power outages.
"Asking us to pay more for an unreliable service is fundamentally unfair," said Clark Mathes, a 73-year-old member of the Bates-Hendricks Neighborhood Association.
The hearing featured more than people's concerns, though.
Once Staser finished speaking, two strangers offered to pay off what she owes.
One of the strangers, 59-year-old Michele DiPlotti, said she isn't wealthy but lives comfortably enough.
"I just care about people," DiPlotti said.
Many of those who testified were skeptical of the company's reasons for seeking a rate increase.
AES already has the highest approved profit margin among investor-owned utilities in Indiana at 9.9%. A profit margin, or return on equity, is the amount of money shareholders can get based on how much the company makes.
Some brought up that Andrés Gluski, the CEO of AES Indiana's parent company, made $13.4 million in 2024, according to an analysis from the American Federation of Labor.
"And here you're asking residents of Indianapolis to subsidize and take on more," said Jen Ward, a 50-year-old resident of Franklin Township.
As part of its rate proposal, AES is looking to increase its profit margin to 10.7%. That would translate to an estimated $417 million in profits in 2026, according to an analysis from the consumer advocacy group Citizens Action Coalition.
If approved, AES would raise rates in two phases: first by 7.5% and then 6%.
A final decision from the commission is expected in the spring of 2026.
But the current rate increase proposal isn't the only thing that could make your bill more expensive.
When combined with another increase that AES has already gotten approval for, Citizens Action Coalition estimates that the monthly bill increase would be about $31 by the end of 2026.
The current AES rates were approved in April 2024.
City-County Councilor Kristin Jones, a Democrat representing parts of the near southwest side and downtown, said people in her district are still feeling the effects of the last increase.
"Please," she said, "do not do this to us."
There are two more field hearings scheduled where you can share your feedback in person:
Field hearings are hosted by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, which is the same body that will decide whether AES can increase its rates.
The Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor represents the public in rate cases.
You can give feedback to the regulatory commission on the rate increase case. Written comments are due by Sept. 2.