SIDNEY — Zachery Hoffman addressed the Kiwanis Club of Sidney, Aug. 16.

Hoffman is a representative of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). He is a graduate of Ohio Dominican University in Columbus and is a sixth-generation farmer in northern Union County.

PUCO regulates providers of all kinds of utility services, including electric and natural gas companies, local and long distance telephone companies, water and wastewater companies, and rail and trucking companies, Hoffman said. The PUCO was created to assure Ohioans adequate, safe and reliable public utility services at a fair price. More recently, the PUCO gained responsibility for facilitating competitive utility choices for Ohio consumers.

Hoffman said there are various PUCO programs that are available to consumers. The first program he discussed is Energy Choice Ohio. This program allows consumers to shop for electric and natural gas suppliers. Hoffman said it was best and safest to use PUCO’s website to make informed decisions rather than telemarketers or door-to-door sales people.

The next program he described was Energy and Water Conservation Tips. The tips are available on PUCO’s website and can be used to save money on heating and cooling bills.

Finally, Hoffman explained that PUCO can help low-income households who qualify for assistance programs to help pay utility bills. One can visit the consumer info section of www.PUCO.oho.gov for information about the assistance available and the income guidelines to qualify.