COLUMBUS, Ohio — A coalition of activists delivered a petition with over 1,000 signatures to AEP on Monday urging the company not to raise electricity rates.
Activists from Ohio and Indiana gathered outside the company headquarters in downtown Columbus, sharing their concerns for the electricity prices that continue to rise. Those in attendance included members of The Black Environmental Leaders Action Fund & Black Environmental Leaders Association, Columbus Stand Up, 350, Ohio Working Families Party, Green Worker Alliance and Sierra Club.
Gina Beard, a mother of two from Grove City, joined forces with the activists, saying she can’t afford another rate increase. Beard said her groceries went bad after a power outage last week that lasted nearly 13 hours in her neighborhood.
"I don't understand why we would be getting rate hikes when our power is constantly turned off and our infrastructure is so terrible it leaves us at risk,” Beard said. "It's unacceptable, it's unacceptable for something that's so preventable."
The calls for action come after AEP requested a 2.2 billion dollar rate hike beginning next summer through The Electric Security Plan after the company raised rates in June by nearly 30%, increasing each household’s payment by nearly $50 per month.
Morgan Harper, the Co-Founder of Columbus Stand Up delivered the petitions today, stating that she is hopeful the PUCO will stand up for concerned residents.
"What we know is that AEP is asking to increase prices next year about 14% and we already have a lot of people in Central Ohio, Whitehall, Reynoldsburg, that have seen 30% increases in June, small business owners and consumers. We can't take it anymore. We need to stop these price hikes on electricity as everything else is getting so expensive,” Harper said.
A spokesperson from the electric giant sent the following statement to 10TV:
"AEP Ohio's Electric Security Plan balances affordability with our duty to deliver safe and reliable electricity to our customers. We understand that customers are experiencing the impact of inflation on many products and services, and many have shared their thoughts about future rate impacts through the Public Utilities Commission's public hearing and comment process. That feedback has helped us as we work with PUCO staff and other stakeholders to find a solution that will allow us to perform much needed work to keep electricity flowing and offer programs that will help customers reduce their energy use."
AEP customers raise concerns over hike in electricity rates
A coalition of activists delivered a petition to AEP Monday urging the company to not raise electricity prices during a time of inflation.