Electric

Wednesday’s approvals by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) of two settlements in AEP Ohio cases and its denial to rehear a decision resulting from an appeal have a mix of results for residential consumers, the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) said.

American Electric Power Ohio (AEP Ohio) customers will not experience an increase to their base distribution rates after the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC), AEP Ohio and other parties reached an agreement Wednesday, that if approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), would settle the utilities’ rate increase now under consideration.

The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) Monday recommended a reduction of $51.8 million in American Electric Power’s distribution revenues as a part of the utility’s currently pending rate case. After evaluation of AEP’s proposal to increase distribution rates by $93 million, the OCC filed testimony at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to recommend a revenue reduction to AEP’s Columbus Southern Power of 12.43 percent and to Ohio Power by 1.37 percent.

American Electric Power customers are only getting a partial return of unjustified costs they have paid the utility as a result of a ruling by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel said.

The OCC advocated for returns and rate reductions of more than $787 million after the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled the PUCO wrongly approved costs that AEP charged its customers. The PUCO ruled only $78 million should be returned to customers.

Electricity refunds and rate reductions that American Electric Power customers are entitled to would be eliminated if the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) approves a settlement filed Sept. 7 by the utility, the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) said in testimony filed late yesterday. The OCC and other parties did not agree with or sign the settlement.

American Electric Power (AEP) residential customers will experience a significant rate increase if the pending electric security plan is approved for Columbus Southern Power and Ohio Power, the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) said in testimony filed this week.

A state watchdog says American Electric Power (AEP) has not completely removed unlawful charges from customers’ rates despite being ordered to do so by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). An analysis by the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) of AEP’s revised rates revealed the utility failed to remove about $54 million in charges associated with its perceived risk to provide backup power for shopping customers.

With a number of retail electric suppliers now competing with Ohio’s traditional electric providers, the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel has developed a new fact sheet that allows residential customers to compare all of their available electric choices.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) suspended certain rates Wednesday that American Electric Power (AEP) was "unlawfully" charging after the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) and other customer groups requested the changes. The rate changes will result in lower bills for customers.

The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) and additional customer groups filed a request this week to protect customers by stopping the collection of $175 million in electric rates. The filing at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) is in response to the Supreme Court of Ohio’s recent unanimous decision that American Electric Power (AEP) was unlawfully allowed to increase several rates.