OHIO, USA — If you live in northwest Ohio, you might have gotten a check in the mail along with a letter from Volunteer Energy Services.
The note explains, "From approximately February 5-21, Ohio experienced the effects of an extraordinary weather event known as a Polar Vortex. Arctic temperatures settled in over the Midwest moving as far south as Texas, leading to a plunge in natural gas production and the disruption of energy markets nationwide."
The letter goes on to discuss the company paying more for gas and passing a portion of that cost on to customers as part of their March bills.
WTO L11 talked with a representative from Volunteer Energy, a company that is a gas supplier for Colombia Gas. It serves some communities in Northwest Ohio, many of which are part of an aggregate community.
The spokesperson confirmed that yes, those checks are legitimate.
As the letter continues, "As part of Volunteer Energy's on-going discussions with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) concerning this pass-through, we have decided to issue refund checks for those who disagree with our decision."
A spokesperson for PUCO confirmed that information, stating there are discussions about potentially passing along similar costs at the federal level currently and this is a proactive move by the company to refund customers now.
Volunteer Energy says its customers are encouraged to cash the checks and will not be signed up for any additional services for doing so.
