Ohio utility to provide more information on electricity rates

Ohio utility company American Electric power is going to have to provide more details about where the new charges from higher electricity rates are coming from, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

AEP Ohio came under fire late last year after a new rate proposal led to skyrocketing electricity bills for many small businesses in its service area, and the utility was eventually forced to changes its plan.

However, the utility has resisted offering customers more information about the different reasons for changing electricity prices, particularly how much stems from investments in solar power and the new generating capacity.

While some parts of Ohio have implemented electricity deregulation, AEP is still moving slowly toward consumer choice in electricity rates, but the recent incident has only made customers all the more interested in switching electricity providers, since those competitive companies are generally significantly more inclined to provide up-front information.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that, before AEP finally opens up to electricity deregulation a few years from now, a growing number of industry and consumer groups are expressing an interest in taking part in setting electricity rates.