Business Owners In Shock Over New Electricity Rates

Some small business owners are trying to figure out how they will keep their businesses afloat after seeing recent utility bills, 10TV’s Kevin Landers reported on Wednesday.

American Electric Power raised electric bills for some small business owners after the company received approval from the state to increase rates for small companies while giving a break to larger ones.

Mark Ballard, owner of Sugardaddy’s, which has three central Ohio locations, said that he was in shock when he saw his latest bill.

“We got the bill and opened it and about fell out of a chair,” Ballard reported. “I’m shocked and I’m mad.”

He said he did not receive notice of the pending fee hike and did not know how he was going to run his stores and pay his employees.

“We’re shutting off lights, it’s that dramatic,” Ballard said.

Vinton County officials recently expressed their issues with AEP’s rate hikes in a letter, Landers reported.

“A recent increase in electric rates by AEP could put our local mills out of business. It would be devastating to our county to lose even one of the mills,” the letter said.

The Public Utilities Commission, which unanimously approved the rate hike in December, said that it had received 140 complaints from business owners and school districts outraged over the decision.

“We understand what we’re hearing from our customers, and it’s serious," PUCO said.

AEP officials said that the rate increase was the result of deferred payments that the company did not pass along to small businesses for years but were paid for by bigger electric consumers.

“This case has allowed customers to choose a supplier that could provide them cheaper electricity,” AEP spokesperson Terri Flora said.

AEP said that it encouraged customers to contact them with concerns, and the Public Utilities Commission asked that people contact them in writing and include the specific case number.

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