加息本身就不受欢迎；一些公用事业客户反对他们，无论他们多么迫切需要他们，或者公用事业多么节俭。在德克萨斯州奥斯汀市，一项与服务成本率研究相结合的公众参与计划帮助奥斯汀水和废水公用事业公司实现了可实施的费率。在本文中，作者回顾了提高公众参与项目成功可能性的商业价值观，并描述了加强公众参与项目的技术。在这些技术中，包括指定公用事业公司作为不同团体的主持人，有效地使用专业顾问，以及仔细培训将与公共利益团体互动的公用事业公司代表。 在奥斯汀，相关方之间的沟通是彻底的，而且是在令人惊讶的技术水平上进行的。在该过程结束时，公用事业公司和一个特设委员会就费率研究小组提出的22项建议中的18项达成一致。

Rate increases are inherently unpopular; some utility customers oppose them regardless of how badly they are needed or how frugal the utility is. In Austin, Texas, a public involvement program conducted in concert with a cost-of-service rate study assisted the Austin Water and Wastewater Utility in achieving implementable rates. In this article the authors review business values that enhance the likelihood a public involvement program will succeed, and they describe techniques that strengthen public involvement programs. Among these techniques are assigning the utility a role as moderator of diverse groups, efficiently using professional consultants, and carefully training utility representatives who will interact with public interest groups. In Austin, communication among interested parties was thorough and was conducted at a surprisingly technical level. At the end of the process, the utility and an ad hoc committee agreed on 18 of 22 recommendations made by the rate study team.