Letter to KY PSC

 

To the Kentucky Public Service Commission,

I am writing to formally oppose the continued rate increases approved for Kentucky Power Company (AEP Kentucky) and to request immediate review and relief for residential customers, particularly those living on fixed incomes in Eastern Kentucky.

I submit my own billing history as clear evidence of the growing hardship these rates impose. In October 2025, my household used 438 kWh of electricity and was billed $113.11. By November, usage increased to 1,000 kWh with a bill of $218.48. In January, winter heating needs drove usage to 2,306 kWh, resulting in a bill of $364.56.

These increases cannot be explained by usage alone. The accumulation of base rate increases, fuel adjustment clauses, environmental surcharges, DSM riders, and other fixed charges has created a compounding financial burden that disproportionately impacts households with limited or fixed incomes. Customers are being charged more not because of waste, but because of unavoidable seasonal need.

Eastern Kentucky residents already face lower median incomes, higher unemployment, older housing stock, and fewer utility alternatives. Yet Kentucky Power customers routinely pay effective electric rates that exceed national averages and are significantly higher than rates paid in other parts of Kentucky and neighboring states. Many TVA-served areas and surrounding states experience materially lower electric costs, even during peak winter months.

For families on Social Security, disability, or retirement income, these increases force impossible choices between heat, food, medicine, and housing. Conservation alone is no longer a meaningful solution when fixed charges and riders continue to rise regardless of consumption.

I urge the Commission to:

• Reevaluate the cumulative impact of recent and past rate increases
• Closely scrutinize fuel and environmental riders
• Prioritize affordability and income equity in future rate cases
• Expand protections for fixed-income and medically vulnerable households
• Require Kentucky Power to demonstrate real cost containment before approving any additional increases

Affordable and reliable electric service is not a luxury — it is a necessity. The Commission has both the authority and responsibility to ensure that rates remain fair, just, and reasonable for the people of Kentucky, not just sustainable for utility shareholders.

Thank you for your consideration and for your service to the Commonwealth.

Respectfully,

Raymond Ratliff
Ashcamp, Kentucky
Kentucky Power Customer