Do you have higher bills in the winter? A lot of factors impact how hard your furnace has to work to combat the cold Ohio temperatures –– from how well your home is insulated to the age of your furnace. 

There are also a few other factors that can impact what you pay each month:

Extra Billing Days

It’s normal for the number of days in each billing cycle to change from month to month. More days per cycle will cause your bill to be higher. You can see the number of days in your billing cycle on the front page of your bill.

Energy Supply Rates

AEP Ohio delivers energy to your home and maintains power lines and equipment. Customers who select another company to supply their power through our lines may have different rates. See page three of your bill to learn about choosing who generates your power and visit EnergyChoice.Ohio.gov for energy providers and their rates.

What You Can Do

Keep your payments consistent throughout the year with our Average Monthly Payment (AMP) plan. It balances out your bill by making minor adjustments each month, so you don’t experience extreme highs and lows.

Have a smart meter? It can help too.

Your smart meter can help you take control of your electric usage. View your energy usage dashboard at AEPOhio.com/Account to:

  • Pinpoint when your usage is highest so you can make adjustments
  • Sign up for high bill alerts and get notifications if your bill is trending higher than normal
  • Get tips to help you save energy and money

If you have questions about any of these options or are having trouble paying your bill, please contact our Customer Solutions Center at 1-800-672-2231. Visit AEPOhio.com/WinterBill for additional information and energy saving tips.

75 responses to “Electric Bill Higher Than Normal?

    1. Hi Kathy. Yes, smart meters are installed in apartment buildings. If you go to AEPOhio.com/smartmeter you can see an interactive map that shows where and when we are bringing them to your area.

      1. What does it mean if my electric bill is 32% higher this month? And how can I help even it out? We live in an older house in our furnace is from the 90s along with our air conditioner it literally runs all day

    1. Hi Mike. Sorry to hear about that. We can absolutely take a look. Please call us at (800) 672-2231 and we can check out your account to see what’s up.

  1. I want to thank you for your communications. They are very helpful. Also the energy bridge is very helpful and I am so glad that you implemented it. Although it is difficult to compare my house to others because I have an electric hot water heater which seems to be the biggest energy drain. Please keep up the good work!

    1. Theres definitely ,something wrong with my bill ! I haven’t use my furnace and such , this needs fixed as soon as possible, I know for a fact .

      1. Thanks for writing, Lori. If you give us a call at 800-672-2231 or contact us through Facebook or Twitter someone will be able to pull up your account info and take a closer look at what’s going on.

        1. Diane, I have passed your message to our customer service team for help so you should receive a message shortly. If you ever have questions about your bill you can always call us at (800) 672-2231 or send us a message on Facebook or Twitter.

  2. Question
    Is installing a smart meter simple to do or do I have to hire an electrician? Where can I purchase a smart meter?

    1. Hello. Our technicians are installing smart meters across our service territory — you don’t have to do anything! You can check AEPOhio.com/smartmeter for an interactive map to see when you will be receiving one.

  3. MY WIFE PASSED LAST YEAR ON 5-12-2019 I LIVE ALONE I DON’T USE THE STOVE MUCH, I ONLY USE THE WASHER AND DRYER ABOUT EVERY 3 WEEKS 95% OF THE TIME THERE IS 1 LIGHT AND TV ON SOME TIMES I AM GOING OVERNIGHT, I AM USING 10 TO 12 K W MORE THAN LAST YEAR, I DON’T KNOW HOW THAT CAN BE. CAN YOU HELP ME. THANK YOU CLARENCE MCCUTCHEON

    1. Hi Clarence. I’m so sorry to hear about this. We are going to have someone get in touch with you as soon as possible to try and figure out what’s going on.

  4. I have a Carnival line exposed in my yard. I have grandchildren playing in my yard. I want to avoid an accident that could be viewed as willful negligence.

    1. Hi Steven. If you have a safety issue in your yard please call us right away at (800) 672-2231 so we can investigate it and no one gets hurt.

  5. We have used energy efficient light bulbs for several years, purchased NEW energy efficient washer/dryer and refrigerator in November 2019 and do all we can to conserve electric (two people ages in 80’s), however we live in an apartment building with VERY OLD AND INEFFICIENT furnace and air conditioner, a self-cleaning stove that does not work right and with half the burners not working. I believe all of these units are 30 years old or more. I am disappointed that there is no recourse when renting that landlords are not required to upgrade such old units, nor are they required to upgrade electric in these units . The new Maytag washer and dryer takes a long time to wash and dry clothes which is not necessary (most all settings an hour or longer) which kind of defeats the energy efficient part of them. I would like AEP to address these issues with the powers that be in communities that could help resolve the high usage rates and have outdated fire prone appliances.

  6. The owner sold this building last year. They had previously by the old owner put new furnaces in this section, with the exception of my apartment, then it was sold.

  7. I live in a city that is making another provider the cities choice and I just received a letter and am to send in an opt out if I want to stay with AEP. I am very satisfied with your company, but I am afraid if the bulk the city goes with this other electric provider that if I stay with AEP my rates will go up because you have few customers in this area or I won’t receive the same service because of it. It is very confusing, so I don’t know whether to go with the cities choice or stay with AEP. I will e talking to neighbors to see their plan. Any information would be helpful.

    1. Hi Norma. I know this can be confusing but the good news is we have lots of information on this subject. Please check out AEPOhio.com/choice to learn more about your options.

    1. Hi there. There could be several reasons why your bill is higher this year. Please give us a call at (800) 672-2231 so we can take a look at your account.

  8. I don’t understand why my electric bill was over 200 dollars in the month of February.my wife passed away in July of 2019.I downsize to a much smaller 2 bed room house.there is no one else lives in the house.the house that me and my wife lived in was at least 2 times larger than the house i live in now .any help would be appreciated.thank you.

    1. Hi Clarence. I am so sorry to hear about this. We will get someone in touch with you as soon as possible.

  9. I live alone and use almost no electricity. My bills have been strange for a while. Over the past four months, my bill has gone from $25 to $52 to $90 and this month it is predicting it will be over $130. I don’t use air conditioning and do the same things month to month. I keep everything unplugged and only use one light in a room at a time. The landlord has had an electrician out and tells me that i am using almost no electricity. What can be going on?

    1. Thanks for the note, Timothy. We’ll be happy to take a look at your bill and usage. Please give us a call at 800-672-2231.

  10. Why is the “delivery charge” always almost two times the amount of the “supply charge”? I live in a one bedroom apartment and each month it says I only use ~$30 of electricity but it is also charging me ~$60 for “delivery charge”? Is this normal or is there anyway I can decrease this delivery charge?

    1. Hi Johnny. Thanks for asking — good question. The delivery charge is the cost to move the electricity across transmission and distribution lines. The cost of the delivery charge depends on the amount of energy used and applicable riders and tariffs. You can reduce your delivery charge by reducing the amount of energy you use.

      1. I do not understand why the delivery charge exceeds the charge for actual electric used. Why would it cost more to deliver electricity than to use it? Your solution to the above comment was to use less electricity but that doesn’t solve the problem or answer my question. I would like to know the process you use to determine the cost of delivered electricity.

        1. Sammy, we understand that the process can be confusing. You should know that there are three parts to a typical electric bill: distribution, transmission and generation. Distribution and transmission rates are set through a process where regulators review the costs and investments utility companies put into the wires and substations that deliver electricity.

          Ohio’s electric generation market was deregulated in 2001. Under deregulation, AEP Ohio is not allowed to own power plants and the price customers pay for the generation portion of their bill is either set by the supplier they choose or is determined through the market-based auction process. Customers can compare current offers from electric generation suppliers at energychoice.ohio.gov.

  11. My mom has noticed that her energy bill has gone up, and she really wants to get some lower rates. Talking to a professional about how she can lower the prices, and switch could be really useful. Thanks for your tips about how a smart meter can help her make adjustments when she isn’t staying on track with the usage target.

  12. Hi, recently I moved to a new apartment in different community. In my previous apartment I use to get less bill around $20. In the new apartment I am getting $120 which is too much high. Why my electricity bill is this much high?

    1. Hi Srinath. It’s difficult to know what’s going on without taking a closer look at your electric usage. Please give us a call or reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter. The teams there will be able to access your account and help you. Thanks for checking in — have a nice day!

  13. Please tell me that the Smart Meter is not the new name for the Demand Meter that set the whole monthly billing rate for one high usage day.

    1. Hi Robert, a “smart meter” is meter technology that reflects, among other things, the two-way communication capability of an electric energy meter. A smart meter doesn’t define how your bill is calculated nor does it change how your bill is calculated. A residential customer who is billed based on monthly KWH consumption will still be billed based on monthly KWH consumption when their meter is replaced by a “smart” one. Similarly, a demand metered business customer whose bill is based on their monthly, peak 30-minute KW demand and monthly total KWH consumption will be billed the same when their meter is replaced. Bottom line, your bill is determined by electric usage, not by not the meter technology used to capture it.

  14. Our email has doubled every month since oct with no change $700 for one month is a joke. There is no possible way this can be legal!!

  15. I’m trying to figure out why my bill has gotten so high it seems as though it has doubled. I have look at my bill and there’s something called AEP Energy Inc thats charged after my current electric charges I would like to know how this works. It looks like im getting extra charges i didnt ask for.

    1. Hi, thanks for reaching out. Please give us a call or send us a message through Facebook or Twitter and we can take a more detailed look at your account and explain any charges.

  16. It actually seems that my KWPH has just jumped and doubled without me actually using more electricity, are you guys trying to make up for loss profits or what. I AVERAGED 165.00 A MONTH FOR 3 YEARS AND I JUST PAID 268.00 IN JANUARY, I JUST RECEIVED A BILL FOR OVER 400.00. What in the heck is going on, I know it’s winter but I’ve done nothing different than I have in the past 3 years. My furnace is 4years old basically brand new. Why does my bill keep going up without me using more power????? my bill has increases over 100% since my neighbors moved in next door. Are the readings to my place getting read correctly??? Am I paying my neighbors and my bill the past 2 months?? something is very shady with these extremely high bills, it hasn’t even been that cold in Columbus. What is actually going on? I can’t afford 400 dollar monthly electric bills—-Who can actually afford to pay these gouges ??

    1. Hi Cedric. Thanks for reaching out with your concern. The kWh shown on your bill is metered, actual usage. Even when thermostat settings remain the same, electricity usage can fluctuate based on weather conditions – for example, the average temperature last month was 15 degrees cooler than the month prior. This would require your heating system to run longer/more frequently to keep your home the same temperature.

      One thing that I noticed when reviewing your billing is that prior to September, you were enrolled in the Average Monthly Payment or “AMP” plan. This plan helps level your monthly electric bill so that you don’t have spikes in winter months where your usage goes up. If you would like to enroll in this plan again, visit AEPOhio.com/AMP or contact our customer service team at 800-672-2231.

  17. My electric bill is extremely high. Went from about 200 a month to 7 and 800. Something is definitely not right. I need someone to check into this.

    1. Hi Roy. Many customers are seeing a spike in their most recent electric bill. The primary reason for this is due to the extreme cold temperatures in the month of January… on average the month was 15 degrees colder than the prior month. We offer a “Average Monthly Payment” plan that helps reduce these spikes caused by extreme temperatures. To learn more or enroll, go to AEPOhio.com/AMP or contact our customer service team at 800-672-2231.

  18. My electric bill is higher than it has ever been. Never in my life had a bill this high even being behind. It is also saying I’m on an average monthly payment plan, but I paid that long ago. It is saying my bill is 300$ more since I’m on the plan. I understand spikes in temperature, but we have had much colder winters and I’ve never ever in my life had a bill this high. I have me and one other person in a 900 sq ft apartment. There has to be something wrong.

    1. Hi Jesicca. Please reach out to our customer service team at 800-672-2231. They will be able to help you get things sorted out.

  19. Our bill went from $39 last January to $184 in 2022. It has been in the $30-$40 range in January for the previous six years.
    Conditions were exactly the same as the last six years.
    All the increase was over about 12 days, then the daily numbers dropped back down to normal. Has been back to normal for several weeks now.
    AEP called several times but had nothing to explain the dramatic increase.
    Wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem…..???

    1. Hi Scott. Thanks for reaching out. I’ve sent your information to our customer service team to investigate further. Someone will be in contact soon.

  20. Energy Coop Electric customers as of a few days ago are heavily noting 2x bills due to rate changes on Nextdoor.com. People are reporting out of KY, CA, MI, IA that they are seeing a $150 “Environmental Fee” on their electric bill for January.
    Are we AEP customers going to see a jump on our bill in the near future?

    1. Hi John. While other rate increases may occur in the future, we don’t expect that AEP Ohio customers will see a significant increase on their bill in the near future. Any increase must first be approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).

      The following case represents the most recent rate changes. In June 2020, AEP Ohio filed a rate case application with the PUCO. In March 2021, AEP Ohio, along with 13 other parties, reached a settlement in this rate case. This settlement was approved by the PUCO on November 17, 2021, and rates were implemented December 1, 2021. The current AEP Ohio tariffs and bill calculation spreadsheets can be found at aepohio.com.rates and additional information can be found at aepohio.com/company/about/rates/2020-base-rate-case.

  21. Why would our business account have moved from a small general service to a medium general service when we used less kWh on the current bill than the previous one? Service charges have now doubled causing a higher bill than previous months with less usage.

  22. Can I find out how much electric is being used by our barn only. Everything is on one meter.

    1. Hi Helen. Great question. In order to know how much electricity your barn is using, you would need to have an energy monitor installed by a certified electrician on the circuit(s) that power the barn. There are a number of energy monitoring devices available on the market, but your electrician may be able to help you choose one that best fits your needs.

  23. Why would AEP cancel service with the generation service provider someone signed up with? I’m honestly not mad about it because I wanted to cancel with Kiwi Energy anyways because they just made my bill double of what it should be, but I thought I was in a “contract” so I was surprised AEP canceled it themselves. I’m just curious as to why?? Did someone catch on to me being ripped off and just helped me out tremendously by canceling for me, or what?? Whatever the reason, I thank you..🙂

    1. Hi Tabitha. I think the easiest way to get your questions answered is to please call us at (800) 672-2231. We can talk through these issues with you. Thanks.

  24. Yes, AEP Ohio July bill jumped substantially but there seems no place online to see calculation and AEP is not answering or returning phone calls. I see also that the supply charge is no longer showing the calculation on the bill. Gotta wonder if you are hiding calculations for a reason or if programmers are fouling up the works. Not unusual these days. Will see what PUCO has to say.

    1. Hi Ken. You can register your account online at AEPOhio.com/Account. After registering your account, you can view your bill, which shows the breakdown between generation, transmission and distribution charges (typically on page 3 of the electronic bill).

  25. Does AEP Ohio have off-peak hours? I would like to know the best time of day to run the washer, dryer and dishwasher, etc. to lower my electric bill. Thank you.

  26. Aep is the worst electric company I have a little cabin with one small heater on and a energy efficient fridge I even turned the hot water tank off. I don’t live there and my bill was 216.00. I have an all electric house I live in and my bill for the same months was 168. How in the heck is that even possible???? And so many service charges and a customer charge really you are making money on the electric. I think we all need to get a lawyer involved this is ridiculous!!! I feel horrible for the older people on fixed incomes.

    1. Thanks for contacting us, Craig. If you contact our customer service team at 800-672-2231 or reach out via Facebook or Twitter, someone will be able to pull up your account info and take a closer look at what’s going on.

  27. Mi bill de la energía está más cara que hace un año cuando vivía en la zona más costosa de Columbus “Upper Arlington” llegó tres veces más Caro, absolutamente absurdo y expensive, así que les pido por favor hagan una corrección de la lectura consumo de energía, vivo sola y es en una zona que no debería ser costoso, gracias.

    1. Hello, our customer service team will reach out to you. You can also call them directly at 800-672-3321 and speak to a Spanish-speaking representative.

      Hola, nuestro equipo de atención al cliente se pondrá en contacto contigo. También puede llamarlos directamente al 800-672-3321 y hablar con un representante de habla hispana.

  28. Why was I out of town for two weeks and my bill went from 60-75$ a month to 106$??? Seems wild that I wasn’t there and I’m paying so much more. What scam are we pulling here ?

    1. Hi Sam, our customer solutions team would be happy to take a look at your account and see what may have caused the difference. Please give them a call at 800-672-2231.

  29. Why are you so greedy? Why did you have to hike our rates so much at the June 2023 auction? How much is your CEO getting paid? Over $1mil gross compensation? Does he have any shame whatsoever?

  30. Why has my electric gone up 300 dollars since last year. My new bill is 547 dollars for the next billing cycle. I pay on time every month and live in a residential home. What is going on?

    1. Hi Tricia. I have routed your message to our Customer Care team and someone will be in touch with you shortly to review your bill.

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