Many Americans and American businesses have been feeling the pinch of the recession and extended economic downturn. Every increase in prices from fueling up our cars to the cost of groceries is making it that much more painful. AEP residential and commercial customers in Ohio can add their electric bills to that list. From December 2011 to January 2012 residential rates of AEP's Columbus Southern Power customers rose 4 percent and AEP's Ohio Power customers by 5 percent. Worse yet, small business (commercial) customers are seeing even higher increases.
These increases are part of a negotiated settlement between AEP and the PUCO on AEP's most recent rate case. This won't be the last, nor the biggest of the increases, covered by the settlement which sets AEP's electric rates for Ohio customers between this year and 2016. In the coming weeks those of us here at the ESP blog will feature a series of articles breaking down the specifics of the rate case and what AEP Ohio customers can expect as a result.
