The $395 million request includes expanded customer assistance. OG&E expects the commission review to take about six months.
OKLAHOMA CITY — OG&E is asking the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to approve a rate increase that the company says would add $23.88 a month to the average residential customer’s electric bill.
The company filed the $395 million request Sept. 30 and announced it Thursday. Over a full year, the estimated monthly increase would amount to $286.56 for the average residential customer. Individual bill changes would depend on electricity use and the rates ultimately approved.
The filing does not change customers’ rates. The commission will determine whether to approve an increase and its amount. OG&E expects the review to take about six months, although the commission has not set a schedule.
The company says the request covers investments made since March 2024 in power generation, transmission and distribution, along with rising costs, new federal reliability requirements and a growing population.
Assistance for seniors and low-income customers
Alongside the increase, OG&E proposes expanding its $85 annual senior discount to all customers 65 and older. The discount is now limited to senior customers enrolled in SmartHours.
The company also wants to make its $13 monthly low-income discount available to more qualifying customers.
A proposed pilot program would forgive part of overdue balances to help customers remain connected.
Other proposals would allow customers to choose a bill due date that better matches when they receive income and offer a deposit-free prepayment option. Those changes are subject to approval.
Generating units and grid improvements
The request includes replacement generating units at Horseshoe Lake and Tinker, along with work on poles and equipment designed to limit the number of customers affected by outages.
OG&E says two new Horseshoe Lake units replaced equipment about 60 years old. The replacements were completed early and $12 million under budget, according to the company. Early completion avoided an estimated $9 million to $16 million in payments to secure additional generating capacity for winter 2026-27.
At Tinker, the company says it replaced two generating units about 55 years old, completing that work on time and within budget.
Other projects include inspecting and treating more than 121,000 poles, strengthening about 16,000 and replacing more than 1,500. OG&E also installed equipment that detects and isolates disruptions. The filing includes storm restoration, replacement of failed equipment and construction to serve new customers.
It also includes replacement of the company’s billing, accounting, meter and other computer systems.
Separate proceedings and commission review
OG&E says the rate request does not include costs associated with increased electricity use from data centers. A separate proposal addressing service to large electricity users was filed in June, with a public hearing expected in November.
Fuel-cost adjustments also are handled separately. OG&E says its next fuel adjustment is scheduled for Nov. 1.
The company describes this as its first general rate-review filing since December 2023. In that previous case, customers began paying higher interim rates July 1, 2024, and the commission affirmed the increase in March 2025.
An administrative law judge will preside over hearings in the new case, with testimony submitted by OG&E and other parties.
OG&E anticipates a public hearing in spring 2027 and says details about opportunities for public comment will be announced when available.
AARP raises affordability concerns
AARP Oklahoma State Director Sean Voskuhl said the proposed increase would strain customers already struggling to pay everyday expenses.
“The sticker shock of a nearly $24 a month increase will hurt many OG&E customers, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time with Oklahomans already squeezed by higher prices at the grocery store, the pharmacy, and the gas pump,” Voskuhl said in a statement.
“For individuals on fixed incomes, that’s more than $280 a year they simply don’t have.”
Voskuhl said electricity is essential for heating, cooling and, for many older Oklahomans, medical equipment. He said AARP Oklahoma has intervened in the rate case and will fight for affordable rates.
More information about the request is available at OG&E’s rate-review page.
This story was updated Oct. 2 to include a response from AARP Oklahoma.
