Protests over high NIPSCO bills outside of company's headquarters

Protest over high NIPSCO bills

There's a protest happening right now outside NIPSCO's headquarters in Merrillville.  People are angry about their utility bills and they want financial relief.  Bret Buganski’s been on top of this for weeks. 

MERRILLVILLE, Ind. - A group of protesters stood outside NIPSCO's headquarters in Merrillville, Ind. on Wednesday. People are angry about their utility bills and they want financial relief.

What we know:

NIPSCO's representatives appeared in Indianapolis for an evidentiary hearing on Wednesday. The company is under investigation by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission for billing discrepancies involving their automated gas meters. The company allegedly gave no explanation to their customers for why this was happening.

Several Fox Chicago viewers in Northwest Indiana have sent shared their NIPSCO bills, reporting it doubled and even tripled over a year.

Protesters said it's impacted them so much. They're choosing between eating and keeping the heat on. Others said their NIPSCO bills are higher than their mortgage.

A few protesters said they have a message for NIPSCO President Vince Parisi.

RELATED: Soaring NIPSCO bills leave families struggling across Northwest Indiana

"It would be shame on you, it would be shame on you, sir. I know you don't have to worry about heat, I know you don't have to worry about eating, I know you don't have to worry about medicine, but everybody else here does," Carmelo Reyes of Valparaiso said.

"You need to wake up, buddy. I don't know what you're doing, but this is not right. I don't know where you're at. You have a little office over there. Where do you think he is? I'm not sure, this is just ridiculous," said Charlotte Freismuth, a NIPSCO customer from Hammond.

RELATED: Indiana lawmakers seek answers as NIPSCO customers face rising bills

Fox Chicago has reached out to NIPSCO and President Vince Parisi for comment and have not yet heard back.

Many feel their state lawmakers are doing little to help them, which is why they're threatening to vote them out of office, depending on where they stand on this NIPSCO issue.