Page 18 - OPC_FlipBook

Consumer Rights: Central From the Start
In 1977, a grant from the federal DOE helped establish the CUB, which was composed of lay advocates who volunteered to serve on the Board. They worked to defend the interests of D.C. consumers of gas, electricity, and telephone services. A non-exhaustive list of “founders” includes Col. George Haley, Joyce Robinson Paul, Dr. Robert Stiehler, Dr. Jerome Paige, Peter Espenscheid, Juanita Thorton, Lewis Thurston, and Charles Weaver, who were long-term community activists from all areas of the city. The group was racially, generationally, and politically diverse and committed to enhancing the lives of underrepresented D.C. consumers. OPC staff members Richard Powell and Lenore Pomerance helped coordinate CUB’s meetings. In 1979, CUB published “Report to the People,” an early primer on the savings achieved through conservation. Herbert Harris Jr., a 20-year member of CUB and Chair from 1999 to 2014, said, “The relationship with OPC was one of interdependency and transparency. We looked to OPC for legal and technical support, which they freely provided.” CUB’s establishment was a significant step toward advancing consumer interests. It was reorganized in 2016 as a nonprofit organization.
In 1981, the Consumer Services Division (CSD) was formally established at OPC. Over the years, CSD has adapted to the evolving utility markets. For example, as the number of complaints exploded and grew more complex, CSD expanded its outreach events, increased stakeholder alliances, and used social media to connect directly with consumers. CSD remains the heart of OPC’s connection to the community and is pivotal in ensuring consumers are well-informed. Its core services include consumer counseling, complaint resolution, and public education campaigns using resources like brochures, fact sheets, and guides to simplify complex utility regulations into easy-to-understand materials for diverse audiences. OPC’s outreach materials are translated into seven languages to ensure service to all D.C. residents.
In an effort to use its resources more effectively to represent the interests of consumers, under the leadership of People’s Counsel Brian Lederer in 1982, OPC won a groundbreaking case against Washington Gas that gave OPC assessment authority to recover expenses it incurred for litigating cases, hiring attorneys, and retaining technical experts to appear before the PSC as witnesses and lawyers on behalf of D.C. ratepayers
in utility proceedings. Following that, in 1987, OPC gained control of how it procured goods and services, such as the hiring of consultants. This meant that OPC no longer needed to submit its procurements to the PSC or utility companies for review. This development leveled the playing field because it provided OPC with greater institutional resources
to fight for consumers. Budget autonomy allowed OPC to choose which qualified experts it wanted to retain for review and analysis of the complex economic and engineering data that the utility companies submitted to the PSC.
More recently, People’s Counsel Sandra Mattavous- Frye formed the Utility Consumer Advisory Network (UCAN) in 2018. UCAN is composed
of diverse consumer advocates who support
OPC as it seeks to carry out its objective, act as
a sounding board for OPC on issues affecting consumers, advocate policy positions in the community, and inform the Office of key utility issues impacting D.C. residents.