Advocating for Consumers

*Consumers' Counsel Maureen Willis testifies before the Senate Energy & Public Utilities Committee on behalf of Ohio's residential utility consumers.*

Laws enacted by the Ohio General Assembly shape the standards for protection of Ohio consumers regarding their utility services. The Consumers’ Counsel advocates for consumers in the legislative process. This advocacy includes presenting testimony in legislative hearings. Here is a link to OCC testimony before the Ohio General Assembly.

Legislative Services

OCC also serves as a resource for legislators on issues affecting utility consumers. Elected officials and their staff members may contact our Legislative Liaison listed on our Media Contacts page with questions about utility services.

How to make your voice heard

Our work is more effective when individual consumers make their voices heard. The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel advocates on behalf of Ohio’s residential consumers in the state legislature, at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and other state and federal agencies.

Make your voice heard at the PUCO

Did you know you can express your concerns to those making decisions about the utility rates you pay? There are several ways to make your voice heard at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Learn more about how to Make Your Voice Heard at the PUCO.

Contact your elected officials

The first step to taking action is identifying who represents your area on the state and national levels. Click below to find out who your state and national elected officials are, or by calling 1-800-282-0253 and learn How Utility Legislation Becomes Law in Ohio.

State Elected Officials

Each area of the state is represented by one state representative and one state senator.

Governor of Ohio

Governor Mike DeWine governor.ohio.gov or call 1-614-466-3555.

State Representative

To find your state representative visit the website of the House of Representatives at: www.ohiohouse.gov or call 1-800-282-0253.
Use the “Quick Member Search” feature on the right side of the page or click on “REPRESENTATIVES” at the top of the page to find who was elected to represent you.

State Senator

To find your state senator visit the website of the state Senate at: www.ohiosenate.gov or call 1-800-282-0253.
Locate your state senator using the “FIND YOUR SENATOR” feature at the bottom left corner of the page.

National Elected Officials

Each State is represented on the national level by two U.S. Senators, and by a number of U.S. Representatives based on the population of the state. In Ohio, we currently have 18 U.S. Representatives that represent specific areas of the state.

To find your U.S. Representative go to:

The US House of Representatives' website and enter in your zip code.

Every Ohioan is represented by both of Ohio’s U.S. Senators:

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown: brown.senate.gov
U.S. Senator JD Vance: vance.senate.gov

President of the United States:

President Joe Biden: www.whitehouse.gov

How to call your legislator

Calling your legislators is one of the easiest and quickest ways to make an impact.

To leave a telephone message for your State Representative or State Senator, call 1-800-282-0253. Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

After these hours, you can find the phone number for your State Representative by visiting the website of the House of Representatives at: www.ohiohouse.gov and the phone number for your State Senator by visiting: www.ohiosenate.gov.

Tips for calling your legislator

Calling your legislators is easy. Here are a few tips to ensure your success:

Ask to leave a message for the legislator

Very rarely will you actually speak to the legislator who you are calling. More likely you will speak to an aide who should pass your message on to the legislator. When calling a legislator, you can either ask for the legislator to call you back or leave a message for the legislator.

Keep the call short and sweet.

Each call should take only a minute or two. Make sure to include in your message:

Who you are (name and occupation, if relevant);

Why you are calling (if you know the number of the bill, you should include it. If not, make sure you state what issue you are calling about and your position on the issue); and

What you would like the legislator to do (i.e. vote for or against a bill).

Speak slowly and clearly

It is likely that the person who answers the phone has been taking lots of messages all day long on a variety of issues. It is unlikely that they are an expert on the issue that you are calling about. You will have a better chance of making an impact if you speak slowly and clearly so the legislator’s aide can communicate an accurate message to the legislator.

How to write your legislator

Writing a hand-written letter to your legislator can be one of the most effective ways to communicate a problem or your position on an issue to a legislator.

Consumers can mail a letter to their state representative’s attention by using this address:

The Honorable (fill in the name of your state representative)
77 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-6111

Consumers can mail a letter to their state senator’s attention by using this address:

The Honorable (fill in the name of your state senator)
Statehouse, Senate Building
Columbus, OH 43215

To write a letter to your U.S. Representative or U.S. Senators, contact your national elected officials.

Tips for writing an effective letter to your legislators

Include your contact information in the letter:

Legislators should respond to your letter with their position or thoughts on the issue you write about. Be sure to include your full name, address, e-mail and phone number in the letter so they can respond to you.

Keep the letter short and sweet, but make sure to include the essentials:

Who you are (name and occupation, if relevant);

Why you are writing (if you know the number of the bill, you should include it. If not, make sure you state what issue you are writing about and your position on the issue); and

What you would like the legislator to do (i.e. vote for or against the bill).

Send a letter to all relevant legislators

Writing the initial letter is always the hardest. Once you have one written, make sure to write the same or similar letter to your each of your relevant state legislators and, if appropriate, national elected officials as well.