Something is wrong with AES Indiana's billing — and customers are paying the price.

Sonya Crowder noticed her electric bill had jumped from about $240 to about $380 in just one year. Determined to find answers, she unplugged everything in her home except her refrigerator and left for a month. Her bill still went up — $20 more than the month before, and $170 more than the same month the year prior. When she asked AES Indiana to explain how her usage was being measured, she was told it was the company's own technology. That was the only answer she got.

Crowder is not alone. More than 55 Indiana residents showed up to a town hall hosted by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) in Indianapolis on April 20, 2026, bringing stacks of utility bills as evidence. They described unexplained spikes in their charges, meters they don't trust, and customer service lines that are nearly impossible to reach. One resident enrolled in both auto-pay and "budget billing" — a program designed to make bills more predictable — went months without being charged, then received one massive bill for the entire period.

AES Indiana serves roughly 2.6 million customers across Indiana. These are not small inconveniences. For many families, an unexplained $100 or $200 increase means choosing between keeping the lights on and paying for food or medicine.

The IURC has opened a formal investigation and is collecting testimony. But an investigation is only meaningful if it leads to real accountability. We are calling on the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to demand that AES Indiana conduct a full, transparent audit of its metering and billing systems — and to require the company to issue refunds to any customer who was overbilled.

Hoosiers deserve honest billing, clear answers, and a utility company that is held to account when the numbers don't add up.