FINDLAY, Ohio (WLIO) - Several members of the public are making their voices heard to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, or PUCO, after AEP Ohio’s request to increase electric distribution rates.
In the request, AEP is seeking a 2.14% increase in distribution base rates for its 1.3 million Ohio customers, following a 36% increase in standard service offer prices this past summer. If the request is approved, the average customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month would see their monthly bill go up by $3.95.
The proposal would also generate around $405.2 million in additional annual revenue, a nearly 41% increase from current revenue values.
Inside Owens Community College in Findlay, the public voiced strong concerns against the plan, including Lima City Council President Jamie Dixon.
"It may look small on paper, but it is real to the real-world, especially to those residents of Lima/Allen County where people are already doing everything that they can to make ends meet month-to-month. And right now, adding this $4 increase could also be the cause before falling off a cliff and causing a major damage to a person's financial stability," says Jamie Dixon, Lima City Council President.
"With rising costs everywhere, $4 may not seem like a lot but the course of how many households and families therein, it's designed to benefit AEP better. I asked it again to not raise these rates. Instead, prioritize people over profits," says Tim Griffin, Office Administrator, Wyandot County Council on Aging.
After Monday night’s public hearing, Your News Now contacted AEP Ohio and received the following statement:
“Without the approval of the PUCO, we will not be able to make the necessary investments, and the existing infrastructure will continue to deteriorate and make the grid more susceptible to failures and weather impacts. If this request is approved, this will help generate $97.5 million to invest in electric infrastructure for our customers. We know affordability is one of the most important issues for our customers. We care about them and their communities. This increase is as modest as possible, lower than inflation, and is needed to keep electricity reliably flowing to our communities,” AEP Ohio told Your News Now.
