This morning I sent this email addressed to each of the local representatives and senators on behalf of the citizens of Eastern Kentucky who are AEP customers.
Dear [Representative/Senator] [Last Name],
My name is Raymond Ratliff, and I am a resident of Pike County. I am writing to you because families in Eastern Kentucky are facing unsustainable electric bills that far exceed what Kentuckians are told to expect from a “low-cost electricity state.”
My most recent Kentucky Power bill shows an effective residential rate of 30.8 cents per kWh—a rate higher than the average paid by residents in New York, a state widely known for high energy costs. This is not an isolated case. It is the result of a rate structure that stacks riders, surcharges, and legacy costs on top of an already high base rate.
What this looks like in real life
- Usage: 1,238 kWh
- Residential charges: $381.06
- Effective rate: 30.8 ¢/kWh
- Riders and surcharges added: Fuel Adjustment, DSM, Environmental Surcharge, Securitized Surcharge, Purchased Power Adjustment, School Tax, and more.
These add-ons alone account for more than $65 of the bill, and they disproportionately impact customers in Eastern Kentucky—one of the most economically challenged regions in the state.
Why this is a legislative issue
Kentucky Power’s service territory includes some of the lowest-income counties in the Commonwealth. Many households:
- Rely on electric heat due to lack of natural gas access
- Live in older homes that are difficult to weatherize
- Have no alternative utility provider
- Use more electricity in winter out of necessity, not choice
Yet these same households are being charged big-city, high-cost-state prices for a basic necessity.
This is not simply a regulatory issue—it is a regional economic crisis. When families are forced to choose between heat, medicine, and groceries, the system is not functioning as intended.
What I am asking you to consider
I respectfully request that the General Assembly explore legislation that would:
1. Cap the cumulative impact of riders and surcharges on residential customers.
2. Require greater transparency in how utilities calculate and apply riders.
3. Mandate tiered or seasonal rate structures that protect high‑usage households during extreme weather.
4. Strengthen oversight of securitization and environmental cost recovery, ensuring that corporate and legacy costs are not unfairly shifted onto consumers.
5. Expand weatherization and efficiency programs specifically for Eastern Kentucky, where housing stock and climate drive unavoidable high usage.
Why your leadership matters
Eastern Kentucky families are doing everything they can to stay afloat. But no amount of budgeting can overcome electric bills that exceed those in New York while incomes remain among the lowest in the nation.
Your voice and your leadership can help ensure that the people of our region are not left behind or priced out of basic utilities.
Thank you for your time, your service, and your attention to this urgent matter. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further or provide additional documentation.
Sincerely,
Raymond Ratliff
Ashcamp, Kentucky
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