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Water bill woes part 2: What can Philadelphia learn from Cleveland’s water department?
Exploring what can be done to help cities’ poorest residents who struggle with water debt This is part two of a three-part series looking at the state of water affordability in Cleveland, Philadelphia and beyond, authored by the Northeast Ohio Solutions Journalism Collaborative in partnership with Resolve Philly in Philadelphia. You can find Part 1…
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Sidebar: Why compare Cleveland and Philadelphia, and why does this matter?
By Conor Morris Across the U.S., the cost of water and sewer has only gotten more expensive over the last several decades, with the average water bill increasing by 30% between 2012 and 2019, according to a utility bill index conducted by Bluefield Research. As of 2019, low-income households spent an average of almost 10%…
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Dodging disconnection
More help is on the way, but will it be enough? This article is from Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism. Please join theirfree mailing list, as this helps provide more public service reporting. By Dan Polletta Janet Cook’s utility bills are stacking up and she doesn’t have enough money to…
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Hidden Charges: What’s on Your Electric Bill?
By Kathiann M. Kowalski Ohioans’ electric bills charge for more than the cost of making and delivering the electricity. With different utilities serving specific parts of the state, Ohioans’ electric bills and the tariffs that govern them vary. But they all have one thing in common: They’re hard for many people to understand. And the…
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Why Did Utility Bills Go Up As Electricity Prices Went Down?
A look at how affiliate arrangements, subsidies and riders led to higher electric bills in Ohio — even as power prices declined By Kathiann M. Kowalski In a residential neighborhood south of downtown Cleveland, a decorative lamppost provides a stark illustration of what critics say is an abusive system of surcharges that have created billions…
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