Maureen Willis of the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel told the Tiffin City Council on Aug. 18 that American Electric Power has filed an application with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio seeking a distribution-rate increase and that the request would add to ongoing upward pressure on residents' utility bills. Willis said local public hearings give residents an opportunity to provide testimony that the commissioners must consider.

Willis described three components of a typical electric bill—the distribution charge, a transmission charge controlled by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the energy supply charge governed by PJM—and emphasized that rising transmission and supply costs, plus any distribution increase, will raise household bills. "What does this mean for consumers? It means your bills are going to increase," Willis said.

The presentation explained that Ohio allows municipal aggregation programs that can lower supply costs; Willis noted Tiffin participates in an aggregation arrangement and recommended residents consider aggregation or the standard service offer if they are uncertain about shopping for power. She described the OCC's role representing residential consumers before the PUCO and encouraged residents to attend local public hearings and file comments with the commission: testimony at local hearings is accepted as evidence and factors into the commission's decision.

Mayor Lee Wilkinson and council members asked questions about timing and impacts; Willis said the distribution-rate proposal had not yet been implemented and that recent steep increases residents have seen largely reflect energy supply and transmission charges. The OCC offered to provide a draft resolution opposing the proposed $4-per-month distribution increase that council could consider and said OCC staff would forward a draft for council review.

The council did not take formal action on the AEP filing during the meeting; Willis and OCC outreach specialist Amy Carls fielded questions and identified OCC materials and consumer-assistance links available at occ.ohio.gov.

Why it matters: if the PUCO approves the requested distribution increase along with continuing supply and transmission cost growth, many households will face higher monthly utility bills; local testimony and filings are part of the regulatory record that can influence the final decision.