A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Utility Hikes Transparency Act," directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to create the National Utility Rate Change Tracker. This tool will be a publicly accessible and searchable online database. It will track information regarding approved and effective rate changes for covered gas and electric utilities. The database will include details such as the impact on average monthly bills, total revenue changes, and the number of customers affected. The Commission is required to update this information on the last day of each calendar year quarter.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +6
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill increases government transparency by requiring a publicly accessible, searchable database of utility rate changes.
- Scored +5
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill enhances consumer protection by providing transparency regarding how utility rate changes impact monthly bills.
- Scored +3
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The tracker provides transparency for essential utility costs which disproportionately affect low-income households.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Transparency: The establishment of a publicly accessible, searchable online database known as the National Utility Rate change Tracker provides clear information on utility rate changes (Section 2(a)).
-
Detailed Financial Impact Information: The tracker will show the impact of rate changes in both dollar and percentage amounts on the average residential monthly bill, which helps individuals understand how changes affect their wallets (Section 2(b)(4)(A)).
-
Granular Search Capabilities: Because the tracker will be searchable by ZIP Code, address, State, and city, people can find information specific to their own location (Section 2(e)).
-
Clear Explanations: The bill requires the inclusion of the primary reason or reasons provided for a rate change, as well as a plain-language methodology explaining how the data is collected and standardized (Section 2(b)(8) and Section 2(f)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The tracker provides transparency for essential utility costs which disproportionately affect low-income households. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The tracker allows middle-income households to monitor how utility rate changes impact their monthly budgets. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill provides transparency for rural residents regarding fluctuations in their utility costs. Would people in cities be better off under this? — The bill provides transparency for urban residents regarding fluctuations in their utility costs.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill increases government transparency by requiring a publicly accessible, searchable database of utility rate changes.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill enhances consumer protection by providing transparency regarding how utility rate changes impact monthly bills.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make housing cost less? — By tracking utility cost changes, the bill provides better visibility into a major household expense related to housing costs.
- 5/20/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Introduced in House