We, the people of Giles county and other nearby counties who are directly affected by AEP, are petitioning to acquire help from a higher power who can help with lowering the cost of our electric bills. For me, and many other citizens, our electric bills were at an all time high this month, all because AEP has the power to raise their prices to whatever they want. We are requesting that someone who has the proper ability and power to investigate the price cap process of this electric company. We further request that we find alternate solutions in lowering our electric bills, such as possibly installing solar energy/wind power energy. Really, I feel that we, the citizens of Giles county, would be open to any suggestions or proposals so long as we receive some kind of help with lowering our electric bills. We plead for help from a higher power who is willing to help us. 

Times lately have been very challenging thanks to the 2019 pandemic that we are still living in, and it only makes matters harder when a company that makes millions of dollars, increases their prices per kilowatt by what seems to be a minimum of 50%, all because they simply can. For example, my electric bill this month was $566. I have not changed a thing between this recent billing month and the month before- my thermostat during both months has stayed on 70 heat. The month before this last billing statement, my electric bill was $300. When I called to inquire why there was such an abundant price jump, the AEP person that I spoke with informed me that the company simply raised their prices on their kilowatts. I was reminded that everyone’s electric bill increases during the winter months, but why did it increase THIS high? Doesn’t there have to be a limit somewhere? What happened with price caps? Another Giles County resident has a family of six. Although this mother has a larger household, this mother is simply trying to keep her family warm during the winter. Her electric bill for the month of February was $1000. Another Giles County resident reports her bill being $456 this February when she used no electric heat whatsoever and instead used propane heat. Last February, her power bill WITH electric heat was $200 cheaper. Yet another Giles County resident stated that she was out of her two bedroom home for a week with many items left unplugged while she was gone. When she returned, she saw an electric bill $100 HIGHER than what it normally is. Another Giles County resident stated that their electric bill for the month of February was $362, and that person is the only one in their household! The families affected by these astronomical prices are endless, and our voices deserve to be heard.

We are asking for a solution to eliminate these extremely high electric bills. There is no reason that we, the hard working middle class people, have to stay indebted in budget plans just to simply keep our families warm in 20-30 degree weather. Although AEP is funded by the majority of our hard working citizens, we are not asking to rob the company of money; we are simply asking for them to lower the amount of profit that they are making from us because frankly, we are drowning. We are open to solutions to this issue, but we are asking for something to be done by a higher power that has the ability to help us make the difference. We are hoping to share this petition with the Giles County Administrator, the Giles County Economic Development Director, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. We are not asking for free electricity, but we are pleading for AFFORDABLE power. Thank you for your time.