CONSUMERS COUNCIL OF MO INC

FOCUSING ON UTILITY RATES, PERSONAL FINANCE, AND HEALTHCARE, CONSUMERS COUNCIL OF MISSOURI WORKS COLLABORATIVELY TO BUILD A MORE INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITY FOR MISSOURI CONSUMERS WHO ARE LOW AND MODERATE INCOME.INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS OF THE CONSUMERS COUNCIL OF MISSOURI INCLUDE:*MISSOURI UTILITY AFFORABILITY PROGRAM *COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUPS*ST. LOUIS WATER AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM *BANKING*HEALTHCAREDETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH INITIATIVE AND PROGRAM ARE INCLUDED ON SCHEDULE O.MISSOURI UTILITY AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM: CONSUMERS COUNCIL WORKS TO LIMIT UTILITY RATE INCREASES BY INTERVENING IN MISSOURI INVESTOR OWNED UTILITY RATE CASES TO SCRUTINIZE PROPOSED RATE INCREASES AND ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. OUR SUCCESS IS MEASURED BY THE LIMITATION OF THE PROPOSED RATE INCREASE. WE REDUCED AMEREN ELECTRIC'S RATE INCREASE FROM 15% TO 12% AND ACCOMPLISHED NO INCREASE IN THE MONTHLY RESIDENTIAL CHARGE. WE LIMITED MISSOURI AMERICAN WATER'S PROPOSED INCREASE FROM 40% TO 25% AND REDUCED THEIR PROPOSED MONTHLY CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARGE FROM $21.34 TO $11.00. WE LIMITED SPIRE'S PROPOSED RATE INCREASE FROM 15% TO 10-12% (DEPENDING ON SERVICE AREA). WE ESTABLISHED A NEW LOW-INCOME ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WAIVING THE $22 MONTHLY CHARGE FOR QUALIFYING HOUSEHOLDS. ESTIMATED NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED: 1.4 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS.COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUPS: WE OPERATE COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUPS MADE UP OF LOW-INCOME AND OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE UNABLE TO KEEP UP WITH RISING UTILITY BILLS. WE PROVIDE EDUCATION ABOUT UTILITY RATES, ADVOCACY, AND CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. WE ALSO GIVE COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS REGARDING THESE SUBJECTS. THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUPS HAVE INCREASED IN SIZE FROM ABOUT 15 ATTENDEES PER MEETING TO 30-45 ATTENDEES PER MEETING. OUR WORK LED TO AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF LOW-INCOME RATE PAYERS APPLYING FOR UTILITY ASSISTANCE AND AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TESTIFYING AT LOCAL PUBLIC HEARINGS RELATED TO RATE CASES. ESTIMATED NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED: 800. ST LOUIS CITY WATER AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM: THIS PROGRAM FOCUSES ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RATE REVIEW PROCESS FOR THE APPROVAL OF INCREASES IN ST LOUIS CITY WATER RATES AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LOW-INCOME ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR THOSE WHO ARE BEHIND IN THEIR BILLS AND/OR AT RISK FOR WATER SHUTOFF. WE HAVE EDUCATED THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE WATER RATE INCREASE PROCESS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE ADVOCATED FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RATE REVIEW PROCESS. WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE CITY OF ST LOUIS TO ESTABLISH A RATE REVIEW PROCESS. ADDITIONALLY, THE CITY HAS ESTABLISHED A PILOT LOW-INCOME CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, RAISING THE ELIGIBILITY FROM 60% AMI TO 80% AMI. BANKING: WE ARE MEMBERS OF THE ST LOUIS EQUAL HOUSING AND COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ALLIANCE. THIS GROUP WORKS TO CREATE MORE EQUITABLE BANKING PRACTICES IN THE ST LOUIS AREA AND HAS ACCOMPLISHED THIS BY WORKING WITH BANKS TO ESTABLISH BANK BRANCHES IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, INCREASE DIVERSITY OF BANK BRANCH STAFF TO BETTER SERVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY, CREATE PROGRAMS FOR LOW-INCOME BORROWERS, AND INVEST IN THE LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY. HEALTHCARE: CONSUMERS COUNCIL OVERSAW AN INITIATIVE FOCUSED ON CONSUMER PROTECTION WITHIN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. THIS PROJECT PERFORMED GRASSROOTS RESEARCH INTO MEDICAL DEBT LAWSUITS AND AIMS TO EXPAND UNDERSTANDING OF HEALTHCARE DEBT COLLECTION, SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY MEDICAL FINANCIAL HARM, AND DRIVE SYSTEMS CHANGE THROUGH RESEARCH, POLICY, AND COMMUNITY ADVOCACY.