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Ohio Consumers' Counsel warns Lima residents: AEP Ohio rate case could raise average bills by about $4 per month
Summary
An Ohio Consumers' Counsel representative told Lima City Council that a pending AEP Ohio rate case would raise distribution charges about $4 per month on average, urged residents to attend upcoming PUCO local public hearings and described the advocacy process.
A deputy from the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel told Lima City Council that pending filings by AEP Ohio could result in higher electricity bills for residential customers and encouraged Lima residents to participate in upcoming Public Utilities Commission of Ohio proceedings.
Angela O’Brien, deputy consumers counsel for the state Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, said AEP Ohio’s application would likely increase electric distribution rates by roughly $4 per month on average — about $50 a year — for the typical residential consumer. She emphasized that transmission and supply costs are also rising and called on residents to watch for and attend local public hearings in the PUCO rate case, docket No. 20-25392.
O’Brien outlined the regulatory timeline: AEP filed its application in April; the PUCO staff report typically follows about five months later; parties — including OCC, AEP and other intervenors — will file testimony and objections; and the commission is likely to issue an order in early 2026. She said OCC has intervened on behalf of residential consumers and has filed a motion seeking virtual local public hearings to improve accessibility for residents who cannot travel to in‑person hearings.
Councilors pressed O’Brien on why utilities continue to earn profits while seeking rate increases. She said Ohio law allows regulated utilities to earn a reasonable return on investment for distribution service and that OCC and PUCO staff evaluate whether proposed investments and costs are reasonable. O’Brien said OCC will advocate to limit “gold‑plating” or unnecessary infrastructure investments from being passed fully to residential consumers and urged residents to submit comments to the docket and attend hearings when scheduled.
O’Brien also noted that capacity and transmission costs are affected by broader regional factors — including demand from large users such as data centers — and that those costs are passed to customers through competitive supply and transmission mechanisms regulated at the federal level.
The council asked how residents can make their voices heard; O’Brien recommended attending local PUCO hearings, filing written comments referencing case 20-25392, and using OCC’s website for guidance and consumer alerts. OCC also offered templates and assistance to the council and said it would notify the public when local hearings are set.
Ending: OCC advised that public participation at local hearings and written comments are recorded into the rate-case record and considered by the commission; councilors were given contact information and materials to distribute to Lima residents.
