Lefkowitz v. Public Service Commission

During the 1973-1974 heating season, the Public Service Commission (PSC) received numerous complaints from residential electric space heating (residential ESH) customers concerning increases in their electric bills attributable mainly to high fuel adjustment charges. The fuel adjustment charge is a means of enabling a utility to recover increases in out-of-pocket fuel expenses with a minimum of lag. Those charges for the four down-State utilities remained relatively stable until the latter part of 1973 when they increased rapidly because of drastic oil price rises.

By order issued March 26,…