As reported by
Elizabeth Smith in The Cool Down and Canary Media, data for the year ending on
May 31 showed that 345,000 power customers in Ohio, both residents and
businesses, had their power shut off due to non-payment of power bills. 7.7% of
power customers were shut off. Since residences often have more than one
person, the cutoffs likely affected around a million people, about 9% of the
people living in the state, or nearly one in ten. That number is pretty
shocking. The power company typically reconnects people after their outstanding
bills have been paid. Nonetheless, it is a pretty high number.
Ohio customers have had a 53%
increase in power costs since 2021. In contrast, the national average rise in
power costs was 32%. The amount owed averaged about $558, up from an average of
$495. AEP had the highest rate of shutoffs, with 15% of customers having their
power shutoff due to non-payment at some point in the year. That number is very
high and is more than one in seven power customers. I am an AEP Ohio customer, so I know there have been real cost increases
and new increases are still occurring. I know someone who had their power shut
off due to non-payment of a deposit that was required for service, but it was
restored after they paid. I was pretty ticked off a little over 15 years ago
when I used to pay my power bill automatically with my credit card, and when I
got a new card and card number due to suspicious activity and charges, I forgot
to update my credit card number for the power company. I immediately paid them
after the payment wasn’t processed, but they still made me send them a physical
check every month for one year. I felt like that was a totally unnecessary
punishment for something that was a simple, unintended oversight. I hope they
don’t have such a policy anymore.
Previous recent year shutoff
rates ranged from 6 to 7%, so it was not a massive increase, but still
significant. According to Canary Media:
“Families are put in an extremely vulnerable position
when electric utilities shut off their electricity for a debt,” said Shelby
Green, a research and communications manager with the Energy and Policy
Institute, a national watchdog group that promotes clean energy. Among other
things, no electricity typically means no ability to cool or heat homes,
refrigerate food, and turn lights on at night.
“Turning off someone’s power is always a last resort,
and we do not disconnect customers during extreme weather,” like heat waves,
said an AEP spokesperson via email. The person did not provide their name or
answer Canary Media’s question about why the company’s disconnection rate was
so high compared with those of Ohio’s other regulated electric utilities.
“Our analysis has shown that areas with high poverty
rates do not always align with areas experiencing the highest number of
disconnections, making local data important,” explained Ohio Consumers’ Counsel
Maureen Willis. “This information helps
OCC identify trends, target concerns, and advocate for solutions that reduce
disconnections and keep consumers connected to essential electric service.”
High-poverty areas in the
cities of Columbus and Canton had the highest disconnection rates. Utility
First Energy noted that they are implementing "more flexible payment
plans, increased outreach to connect people with assistance, coordination with
state and local programs, and expanded protections for vulnerable customers."
I am guessing many people are
not very educated on how to reduce power costs and make their home energy more
efficient. Energy efficiency measures like insulating hot water tanks,
improving home insulation, using electric space heaters less, heating smaller
spaces, and sealing off air leaks can help.
The article in The Cool Down,
citing a report by the Energy & Policy Institute, points out that AEP’s CEO
was paid $36 million last year, by far the highest among utility CEOs, and the
company has been posting good profits. That report also notes that CEO and
executive pay have seen significant increases in the past few years.
References:
In
Ohio, electric bills rose 53%, 345,000 lost power, and utilities still posted
big profits. Elizabeth Smith. The Cool Down. July 18, 2026. In
Ohio, electric bills rose 53%, 345,000 lost power, and utilities still posted
big profits
More
Ohioans are getting their power shut off as energy costs surge: Recent data
reveals an uptick in households losing power because of unpaid utility bills —
yet another sign of the ongoing national affordability crisis. Kathiann M.
Kowalski. Canary Media. July 14, 2026. More
Ohioans are getting their power shut off as… | Canary Media
Utility
CEO pay surges amid higher profits, customer struggles. Jonathan Kim. Energy
& Policy Institute. April 21, 2026. Utility CEO pay surges
amid higher profits, customer struggles - Energy and Policy Institute
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