AEP - Updates, News and Discussions « Columbus Underground Messageboard

Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion

AEP - Updates, News and Discussions

[42 posts] [17 contributors]

Topic Rating:

(Total Ratings: )
Rate this topic:

Started 11 months ago by CalebR
Latest reply from CalebR

Tags:

« Previous 123 Next »

News
Columbus Underground
Login to Send PM

July heat brings bigger power bills
Aug. 8, 2012
Written by
Russ Zimmer
CentralOhio.com

Try not to blow a fuse when you open your electricity bill. Chances are it's going to be much higher than what you're used to. Utility companies and the state regulator say it's likely a result of increased air conditioning usage during the extreme heat in July and not from any significant new charges. Certainly none that would account for the $389 balance that Austin Gearheart saw when he opened his American Electric Power bill for July.

READ MORE: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20120808/NEWS01/208080303

Posted 10 months ago #
geoyui
West Side
Login to Send PM

Another competitor enters the market. Anyone have a provider other then AEP?

Dominion enters the market

Posted 7 months ago #
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
Login to Send PM

geoyui said:
Another competitor enters the market. Anyone have a provider other then AEP?

yes and my bill is still lower (per kwh) than it was even with this new stupid "stability charge" bullshit, but I guess the CEO needed a new wing built on his house.

Posted 7 months ago #
geoyui
West Side
Login to Send PM

Rockmastermike said:
yes and my bill is still lower (per kwh) than it was even with this new stupid "stability charge" bullshit, but I guess the CEO needed a new wing built on his house.

Rockmastermike, mind I ask who your provider is and what your rate is?

Posted 7 months ago #
GW_Justice
Grandview Hts.
Login to Send PM

Here is the direct link to the PUCO "apples to apples" page for electric providers:

http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/index.cfm/apples-to-apples/aep-electric-apples-to-apples-chart/

That Dominion rate is pretty good. I just hate the name of the company, it sounds like a tea-bagging plot to take over the government and let the preachers rule (Dominionism).

Posted 7 months ago #
Twixlen
The Weston District
Login to Send PM

Dominion used to be Virginia Power & LIght, back in the day, so the name does indeed have some historical context.

Posted 7 months ago #
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
Login to Send PM

geoyui said:
Rockmastermike, mind I ask who your provider is and what your rate is?

I'm dealing with Duke now.

My effective rate is currently 12.8cents/kwh with all the bullshit fees included. My last bill with AEP was 15.7cents/kwh with all the bullshit fees included. (just calculated these by dividing the total bill by the kwh from this months bill and the last AEP-only bill that I have on file)

be warned the switch took a month longer than it should have. Which ticked me off pretty good but I guess AEP had to bend me over just one last time.

Posted 7 months ago #
News
Columbus Underground
Login to Send PM

AEP To Pay $8.5 Million, Stop Burning Coal At Three Plants
February 25, 2013
by Steve Brown
89.7 NPR News Morning Anchor

Columbus-based American Electric Power will pay $8.5 million and stop burning coal at three power plants by 2015. The changes are part of a revision to a 2007 settlement between AEP, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and several environmental groups.

READ MORE: http://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/02/25/aep-to-pay-8-5-million-stop-burning-coal-at-three-plants/

Posted 3 months ago #
CalebR
Lincoln Village
Login to Send PM

AEP Ohio says reliability much improved, but still below goal for fixing outages
Jeff Bell | Columbus Business First

The Ohio unit of American Electric Power Company Inc. (NYSE:AEP) says it improved its service reliability by 20 percent last year, although customers left in the dark by major power outages will have a hard time taking comfort in that.

AEP Ohio cited that improvement rate in its annual reliability standards filing with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. The company said the 20 percent improvement rate is for the number of outages and minutes of interruption in electric service.

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2013/04/02/aep-says-reliability-much-improved.html

Posted 2 months ago #
News
Columbus Underground
Login to Send PM

America's 20 Worst Corporate Air Polluters
ENERGY | 6/10/2013 @ 4:18PM

It’s no surprise that the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide in the United States are coal-burning power generators. The Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst has released a new list, based on 2011 data, of the top 100 emitters of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

The top three polluters are American Electric Power, Duke Energy and Southern Company. AEP emits the equivalent of 130 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, accounting for about 2% of the annual total, with Duke at 127 million tons and Southern Co. at 118 million.

READ MORE: http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2013/06/10/americas-20-worst-corporate-air-polluters/

Posted 1 week ago #
CalebR
Lincoln Village
Login to Send PM

Time for AEP to step up to the plate an increase the percentage we get from renewables?

Posted 1 week ago #
Lu
Columbus
Login to Send PM

News said:
America's 20 Worst Corporate Air Polluters
ENERGY | 6/10/2013 @ 4:18PM

It’s no surprise that the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide in the United States are coal-burning power generators. The Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst has released a new list, based on 2011 data, of the top 100 emitters of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

The top three polluters are American Electric Power, Duke Energy and Southern Company. AEP emits the equivalent of 130 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, accounting for about 2% of the annual total, with Duke at 127 million tons and Southern Co. at 118 million.

READ MORE: http://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2013/06/10/americas-20-worst-corporate-air-polluters/

And for this we're charged some of the highest electric rates in the nation. US average is 11.6 cents per kwh. AEP is currently 15.6 cents. Not sure how PUCO justifies those rates for dirty power.

Posted 1 week ago #
bob.os
Columbus *not* Cbus
Login to Send PM

Lu said:
And for this we're charged some of the highest electric rates in the nation. US average is 11.6 cents per kwh. AEP is currently 15.6 cents. Not sure how PUCO justifies those rates for dirty power.

Dirty, unreliable power. AEP does it wrong on all fronts.

Posted 1 week ago #
Twixlen
The Weston District
Login to Send PM

Lu said:
And for this we're charged some of the highest electric rates in the nation. US average is 11.6 cents per kwh. AEP is currently 15.6 cents. Not sure how PUCO justifies those rates for dirty power.

I have no deep love for AEP, but it happens that I had just checked my bill, and I'm currently rated out at 8.7cents/kwh... are you sure you're with AEP, the utility, and haven't changed to their retail arm?

Posted 1 week ago #
NerosNeptune
Goodale Park
Login to Send PM

when looking up rate info I found this page which mentions AEP Energy (a different company technically? They use the same AEP logo so I'm not sure what the difference is) has an option for 100% wind generated power at pretty much the same cost as everyone else.

http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/index.cfm/apples-to-apples/aep-electric-apples-to-apples-chart/

Posted 6 days ago #
Lu
Columbus
Login to Send PM

Twixlen said:
I have no deep love for AEP, but it happens that I had just checked my bill, and I'm currently rated out at 8.7cents/kwh... are you sure you're with AEP, the utility, and haven't changed to their retail arm?

The 8.7 cents/kwh rate you cite is only for generation and transmission. It doesn't include distribution, the "customer charge," or the "retailer stability rider." When you add in those, AEP's total rate is 15.6 cents. The national average of 11.6 cents includes distribution and other fees.

Posted 6 days ago #
Twixlen
The Weston District
Login to Send PM

NerosNeptune said:
when looking up rate info I found this page which mentions AEP Energy (a different company technically? They use the same AEP logo so I'm not sure what the difference is) has an option for 100% wind generated power at pretty much the same cost as everyone else.

http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/index.cfm/apples-to-apples/aep-electric-apples-to-apples-chart/

You know you don't actually get wind power, right? You basically pay for the right to say you have wind power that AEP Retail is required to have a certain percentage of due to law.

Posted 6 days ago #
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
Login to Send PM

Lu said:
The 8.7 cents/kwh rate you cite is only for generation and transmission. It doesn't include distribution, the "customer charge," or the "retailer stability rider." When you add in those, AEP's total rate is 15.6 cents. The national average of 11.6 cents includes distribution and other fees.

Adding up it all up:
- Including AEP's bullshit "retail stability rider" (i.e. the "we're losing customers but we are still a monopoly and can lobby the PUCO for anything we want so screw you even if you "switch" fee).

- the "customer charge" which is apparently a charge for being forced to be a customer of their sub-par distribution service ( http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2013/04/03/aep-system-passes-and-fails-in-state-reliability-test.html )

- and the "phase-in recovery rider" which is the fee to fix the damage to their poorly maintained infrastructure from storms so it doesn't cut into their excessive profits ( http://www.cantonrep.com/newsnow/x1233656032/Court-rules-against-AEP-upholds-excess-profits-law ), which on my bill is admittedly only 6 cents....

The total comes out to 12.8 cents/kwh and I'm only paying 6.5cents for generation. I would be perfectly willing to pay above the national average if we were receiving above the national average of reliability. But we're not.

I'm not even going to go into the horror story that happened across the street here during AEP's pole replacement activity. I dont feel at liberty to give much information but they screwed up royally and badly damaged a local small business.

The PUCO needs to reign these guys in and actually do something about the reliability issues instead of just ignoring the situation (example: http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2012/07/19/columbus-10-investigates-review-of-fallen-power-lines-that-trapped-drivers-slow-to-start.html )

geez. sorry for the rant, but the situation is appalling.

Posted 6 days ago #
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
Login to Send PM

To add to what I posted yesterday, The PUCO has also allowed a perverse disincentive for homeowners to not save electricity.

With the the way the rate structure is set up, because the 'customer charge' is flat and is a significant percentage of the total bill, if a homeowner saves a few killowatt-hours the price per kilowatt-hour increases regardless of who the 'generation' supplier is.

For a real world example, using a second party generation service billing at the rate of 6.5c/kwh a monthly bill for 832 kwh comes to a total of 12.9 cents/kwh after all fees are added. A bill for 547 kwh comes to a total of 13.2 cents/kwh.

The PUCO is truly the best utility regulator lobbyist money can buy.

Posted 5 days ago #
Twixlen
The Weston District
Login to Send PM

Rockmastermike said:

The PUCO is truly the best utility regulator lobbyist money can buy.

Factual statement.

Also, deregulation is as good an idea as feeding cows hamburger.

Posted 5 days ago #