Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/07/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This is my second year with American Power& Light the first year the payment was not sent correctly and so they tried to tell me that I owed way big amount for a covered the whole year which nobody let you go a whole year. Oh now they’re trying to make me pay I pay half of the money upfront to keep the service on. I was told that as long as I keep my current, my that wasn’t true. They scheduled me a payment arrangement without my knowledge. And that’s where it went sour my doctor was telling them that I have a medical condition that I cannot be disconnected and he sent things to them. I don’t know what they’re trying to do but they’re not scamming me.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/19/2024

  Ms. ********* resided in an address within the ******** ***** Apartments complex, and relocated to a different unit within the same complex. When she transferred units, an outstanding balance owed to APL was still due on the resident's previous account. As this account had been closed the balance was transferred to the new account for payment. Our customer service staff encouraged Ms. ********* to enter into a payment arrangement for the transferred balance to pay this down over the course of 3 months, while also paying the current charges issued to keep the active account from falling into disconnection status. Ms. ********* did receive a 14-day disconnect notice on 1/9, but only for the what was billed for the service period of 11/7-12/6, not for the transferred balance. This balance has been paid, and the resident is now back on track, only having the current charges due. Since this past due balance was paid there is no longer an active 14-day notice open on the account. The transferred balance has also been paid in full. We do have a medical certificate on file for Ms. *********. APL follows the Ohio guidelines for medical needs and the disconnection of electricity. The medical certificate, per the state of Ohio, prevents disconnection of the unit for 30 days. The resident is able to use 3 medical certificates in a rolling 12-month period, and Ms. ********* has the 2 more available to her between now and 11/8/2024. We hope this response fully answers the resident's questions and concerns. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/12/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Wow. Wondering why my electric bill is so high at my apartment. Come to find out the owners of AP&L are also related to the owners of my apartment complex. It is obviously in AP&L best interest to price gouge our bills. Seems like it should be illegal. Going to look more into the legality of this.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/14/2023

  American Power & Light bills the individual units for their electric usage and maintains the electric distribution facilities for ******* ****, where Mr. ******* resides. The owners of this complex chose APL from a number of companies to provide this service for their residents. APL is in no way related to the ownership other than wanting to use our services. Mr. ******* contacted APL on 12/12 about the increase in his most recent bill, which went from $208.56 to $295.61. It was explained that this is most likely due to the colder temperatures bringing the need for increased furnace usage, which can cause a significant increase on the utility bill. We directed the resident to our website to find energy saving tips for the winter season, as well as provided them with our flyer that has more information broken down on how to save costs during the winter heating months. APL is regulated by the Public Utilities of Ohio as to what we can charge per kwh. We must charge the resident what the default utility would charge them for their amount of usage. In the case of ******* ****, American Electric Power would be the billing provider if APL was not chosen for this. AEP has an area on their website where residents can double check their rates to make sure they are being fairly charged for their usage. Mr. ******* can use the following link: (link redacted) to double check his APL charges. They'll need to click the Submetering Bill Calculation Spreadsheet and enter their usage into the corresponding date AEP provides. Plugging the resident's usage of 1,460 kwh into the December column tells us that AEP would have charged Mr. ******* $289.14 for their electric usage, which if you look at the attached invoice, is what we also charged the resident for their electric usage. Please use this tool provided by AEP to check our charges, and we hope ythe resident will follow up with questions if they require further information. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/20/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  APL is massively price gouging us. I've looked at the past complaints and I see that they respond to price gouging complaints by claiming that their base rate is the same as AEP's. But whether the gouging is in the kilowatt hour rate or all the extra fees they add on, the end result is the same. We pay more than we would if our apartment complex allowed us to do business directly with AEP. Our electricity bill each month for a two bedroom apartment is consistently more than friends and family who are heating and cooling entire houses!

  Business Response

  Date: 10/03/2023

  Per PUCO regulations, American Power & Light charging structure matches that of the areas default utility. In the case of this resident's address their utility supplier would be AEP if APL was not their billing service.  Because of this our rates come directly from AEP for the amount of usage the resident is billed. To verify this, the resident can visit AEP's website to verify that are rates match theirs. The customer will enter the web address of www.aepohio.com/company/about/rates/. If they scroll down to the bottom, they will find the Submetering Bill Calculation Spreadsheet. Once they have opened AEP's spreadsheet they'll enter the usage they are checking into the corresponding month. Since they have only received one bill so far, they will enter the usage of 681 into the September 2023 row and compare AEP's cost to our Electric Generation, Transmission, and Distribution line item. They cost of the electric should match what AEP's spreadsheet lists, which in this case it does. AEP charged $141.68 in the month of September for 681 kwh, which is the amount listed on our invoice. Please use the attached website to verify the information we are providing you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/14/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My electric account is past due. My hours were cut down at work and now I’m part time. I had a disconnection on the account for the end of august 2023 and everyday I called to find out the disconnection date since I didn’t have all the funds. Last week I was told that my services would be disconnected 9/15/23 if account not paid for $230. On 9/12/23 I received an email from ap&l that said disconnection was on 9/14/23 if I did not pay $485.07. On 9/13/23 I called to confirm and was told if I paid the $230 by 9/13/23 my services would not be disconnected. On 9/13/23 I paid $50 with a credit card and on 9/14/23 I paid $38 with another credit card and after those 2 payments the system did not allow me to make any more payments. I called to make sure my services were still scheduled to be disconnected on 9/14/23 and the ****** who answered the phone told me that now I had to pay $370.96 to avoid disconnection and not the $230 he told me the day before. I tried to pay again and it did not allow me to do it since it would only accept a payment of $666. So I called back for the third time and now ****** said even though my services were not disconnected and the disconnection person was not even in my neighborhood yet I now had to pay $428 which includes a disconnection fee even though my services were never disconnected. I know it’s my fault my account was past due but it’s horrible I was charged for a disconnection that never happened. This company does not work with the customers at all

  Business Response

  Date: 09/14/2023

  American Power & Light is a submetering company that provides a service to the owner(s) of the complex *** *** resides, by billing the electric usage to the individual units. We take pride in our ability to make sure the residents receive the correct information from us when inquiring about their accounts.
  
  Originally, a 14-day notice was issued on 8/10/23 stating that $230.10 needed to be paid by 8/24/23 to avoid disconnection on or after that date. *** *** did contact us on 9/7, and was told that the past due balance could be paid on 9/15 to avoid disconnection. After this conversation a final notice was issued on 9/12/23, with an updated balance of $485.07, stating this needed to be paid by 9/13/23 to avoid disconnection on 9/14/23. The disconnection of the address had not actually been scheduled as of the original conversation on 9/7. Another bill had become past due at the time the final notice had been issued, which is why this amount was included on the notice. The notice still should have read that $230.10, and not included this most recent past due balance.

  
  With the updated disconnection date moved to 9/14/23 with the final notice, the full account balance is due on the date of disconnection, and is stated as such on the final notice. We cannot accept the past due balance on that date to avoid disconnection or to reconnect the service, meaning that amount due on 9/14 to either stop the disconnection, or to resume service for this account would have been a total of $474.32 including the disconnection fee. A bill for the newest service period had also populated on the account as of 9/13, which we did not include in the disconnect balance to be paid. We removed the 2 most recent late fees from the account at the time of the disconnect payment, and will also credit the $53 disconnection fee because of the confusion caused to *** ***. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/14/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have Been using this company for over a year now through this new complex. I have Been falling behind on payments due to job changes and things of sorts which everyone goes through. However i have Paid the balance extremely down with the company and i still Cannot get any help on arranging my payments so i can Make it 0 i pay A amount one day then next day i have Another disconnect stating now you owe 300 more which does not make since… i have Had AEP in past and never had an extremely large light bill like this 100 or more a month which is insane i feel Like my meter is also being read wrong and i demand Someone come check it on your part. I live Ina little apartment compared to someone living in a house which that would make more since. I was Told by a rep via phone to pay this amount and i did Now i get Another email stating pay again over 300 or we shut them off with no help or payment arrangements. All they can say is well sorry pay it or sit in dark which during this time we are all struggling as bills are high . I just Got back from a furlough on my job and cannot get any help with my bill at-least to get me back on my feet. Also to be told by a rep ( well you can find somewhere else to sleep for the night , since the lights are off ) that is very unprofessional.. coming from a corporate manager that works at call center .. I have medical conditions and is in and out of the hospital sometimes I miss work extremely and do not have a full check to make this payments back to back. I would like someone to CALL ME! A REAL MANAGER! That can atleast take some time of consideration. Since I am working to pay my bill down!!! I have Screenshots and other info can be provided once I get CALLED! I do Not want to be emailed I would like to be called to get help.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/20/2023

  The customer was notified on 9/18 that they had been placed in a payment arrangement. A detailed email, as well as a discussion over the phone going through the details has also occurred. Our system automatically generates disconnect notices, so if one is received the resident is able to contact us to get this closed for them while they are on this payment arrangement. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/28/2024

  This company does not help in any way . we are in an inflation time and we cant even get a payment arrangement at all!!! i get a recent bill for over 600 and some dollars to be paid like are u kidding me? with rent being due 2 days . and my only option is pay or we shut off that is ridiculous there is hard times in this world they should be very helpful with iv had AEP and never went through this! i got referred to companys to help with paying my bill and they no longer assist .. so I AM SEEKING A PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT i would like a manager to call and follow up with me i will not agree with my BBB TILL THIS IS HANDLED. i would at least seeking help with getting arrangements to get my bill down!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 04/10/2024

  American Power & Light has reached out to the resident via phone and email to enter a payment arrangement on 3/29, as well as again on 4/1 confirming that the last date to setup a payment arrangement is 4/15/24. We've also provided the resident with information regarding energy assistance programs. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/10/2025

   

  BBB NOTE: Consumer filed a new complaint online that was flagged for review as a possible duplicate complaint.  BBB Complaint Acceptance guidelines do not allow your BBB to validate additional or duplicate complaints from the same consumer against the same company involving the same account or marketplace issues, as we report both the number and nature of the complaints that we process.  

  
  

  We have closed the duplicate complaint and copied the additional information submitted and we have manually posted it to the original complaint case below. Based upon this new information we are resuming BBB **************************** We appreciate the patience and understanding of the parties. 

  
  

  I have Been living here for the last 3 going on 4 years and this has been the worse experience ever! The bill is extreme high and i live Here only by myself no one is home majority!!! Now my bill is 300 and up every month what am i paying For the whole complex? Then i get A 10 day notice to get another one for paying on the 11th and my first email was for the 14th I only get paid twice a month and need 2 options! Payment plan asap that is reasonable and affordable for the both of us or an extension period! I caught My bill to 0 months ago to come back and see its back at 800 dollars within a couple weeks due to high a** plans you are charging for. If you all cant resolve i will Be getting a lawyer and proceeding with attorney general. Please advise asap. Bc there will be a problem if my lights cut off. I have Been told different information constantly ! Spoke with ***** last week told me i had Till the 14th of March to keep getting different date notices. Fix the issue or i will! And i have all screenshots i can provide.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/20/2025

  The resident was offered a payment arrangement on 3/10/25 and has started this arrangement as of 3/16/25 for their account balance. The first payment will be due with the due date of their March statement, around 4/18. Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/11/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ever since they switched to the new portal I can't pay my bill online it says there's an error occurring I need it fixed so I can pay my bill online

  Business Response

  Date: 06/15/2023

  American Power & Light strives to provide our customers with the best in service and we are sorry to hear that Mr. ***** has had these issues with our new customer portal. This portal is an update that is supposed to make it easier for on our users to manage their accounts with us. We have deleted Mr. *****'s payment profiles in our system, and ask that he delete any saved payment methods on his side through our portal. Once this has been completed, he'll be able to save this form of payment again. We are confident this will solve the problem they have been experiencing. We apologize for this inconvenience, and please email us at [email protected] if this does not solve your probe,

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/30/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have been a customer of APL for over two years. Consistently, each month, we are getting automatic payment failure notifications even though our automatic payment is being set up again each month. We have been getting these for the past year. I have called and reentered my payment information each month, with the promise that it would work the following month. Now, upon entering my payment manually AGAIN this month (April 30th, 2023), I have found that I am unable to make a payment online. I am using a MasterCard, which APL claims on their website to accept. During the payment process, when I enter the card information, I select "MasterCard" under the card type drop-down menu. I then enter all the correct information for my card, including the billing address. However, in the final confirmation screen before the payment goes through, their website lists the card type as Visa, which I did not select, and which is incorrect. I cannot change this, no matter how many times I go back and try to re-select the MasterCard option. I have reloaded the page and used multiple browsers, and yet the problem persists. It seems to be a fundamental error within their website itself, rendering us unable to pay our bill online at all. This is a ridiculous failure on APL's part, on top of ONGOING automatic payment issues that the website acknowledges via a banner, but does not fix. I would like the website issue resolved as soon as possible, so that we are FINALLY able to pay our electric bill.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/01/2023

  We apologize that the customer is having issues with the auto-payment feature available through our website. The reason for the payment declines is because the billing address the customer has entered is not the correct address that is registered to the card. We have attached this response to our message. We've also emailed the customer this response as well each time it has declined. Please visit your account settings to manage your saved payment methods and enter the correct billing address that is registered to your credit card. An example of where to find that is also attached. We hope this information helps.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/01/2023

  The address provided is the same address used for my banking details, and is listed as the primary address on my card. It is actually the only address I have ever provided that bank. Additionally, I am able to use this address to complete purchases with the card provided online everywhere else, proving it to be the up-to-date address for the card. Like I said, I receive the automatic payment failure notifications each month, but when I go and manually enter the SAME card information and SAME address, I am usually able to make it go through. Now, the website will not let me enter MasterCard, which is the current issue. But the address coming up as wrong, despite being correct, seems to be another in a slew of issues with their online payment system. 

  This is the ONLY business I have ever had trouble using my MasterCard with. If I truly did not know the address linked to my card, I would not be able to use it for any other online purchases, which is not the case in the slightest. This did nothing to resolve the issue displayed in the original complaint, nor in the screenshots. 
  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/02/2023

  The card you are choosing to have us process each month was originally entered into our site as having a billing address tied to **** **** **** Dr. We will delete the associated payment profiles. Please go back into your payment settings and save the card information again. Thank you. We have not assessed any additional fees, if you do find any please let us know and we will remove these for you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/13/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On December 20th, 2022 I paid $160.33 for my electricity bill on January they were trying to charged me again, I paid and then dispute with my bank by showing them proof that I had already paid the bill so they credited me. This month (February) they are trying to charged me again for the bill of December and February combined I have called them several times on different days but they won’t pick up the phone.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/13/2023

  American Power & Light strives to make sure our customers are satisfied with the service we are providing them. We regret that Mr. ****** feels that we are not providing a service up to our standards, and that of our customers. Mr. ****** originally did make payment on 12/17, totaling $160.33 (including the processing fee). However, our processor notified us of this payment return on as of 1/17/23. The return reason cited "Check Truncation Return Entry" or "Customer Advises Entry Not in Accordance with the Terms of the Authorization", which means an error from their bank with processing and we no longer have the funds from the transaction. The only charge we are trying to recollect, because we no longer have the funds, are from the payment made on 12/17. We have attached the most recent invoice showing the balance forward of $159.33, which was the amount due minus the convenience fee. We have also attached Mr. ******' account ledger to show the bill and payment totals. We advise Mr. ****** to contact his banking institution with further questions. Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this issue. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/11/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I moved into my apartment on July 29,2022. I use to work in a law firm from 9-5 pm. My bill was over $100 and I was never home during that time. Since I started my new job my bill has increased over $100! I keep my heat between 60-70 degrees and I keep everything unplugged and turned off. I do not have the time or the money to be paying a bill over $200 when I know that is not the amount of electricity that I am using. I do not want to hear about what is being charged or what went up or did not go up. I am only paying for WHAT I USE NOT WHAT I DONT USE. I want someone to look at my meter immediately because I won’t be made to feel like I can’t use my electricity in my own home because of a fear that I will be charged expeditiously so this company can make money off of people. I suggest this gets resolved immediately.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/17/2023

  Your customer satisfaction is important to us, and we regret that you are not happy with the services that we have provided to you. We strive to make sure that residents have a good experience with us, and, to the extent a resident is dissatisfied, we want to take steps to fix that situation.

  In your complaint, you indicated dissatisfaction with the charges on your some of your billing statements. As you may know, each billing statement includes the number of kilowatt (kWh) hours for electricity used during the billing cycle, the amount billed for electric generation, transmission and distribution, and a monthly charge for your share of the costs of electricity for common areas within your apartment community. In responding to you complaint, we reviewed each of the billing statements that have been sent to you. 

  When we spoke with you on January 12, 2023, we  provided you with your daily usage history, showing the actual amount of electricity used since the date you moved into your apartment. The number of kWh reflected on your billing statements shows an increase in the months of December and January, and this increase in kWh usage has translated to higher electricity bills. Increases of kWh during the winter months is not uncommon. 
  

  You requested that we check your meter to confirm that it is working properly. We perform routine maintenance and servicing of the distribution equipment serving individual units, including meters. We have no indication that the equipment serving your apartment is in need of repair or malfunctioning in any way. The type of meter for your unit allows us to view electricity usage on a daily basis, in an up to the minute fashion. With your assistance, we are able to turn your meter off remotely, confirm that your meter is working and confirm the electricity usage from the meter is associated with your apartment and not that of another resident in the apartment community. We are happy to perform this check, and ask that you please call our customer service phone number so that you may assist us in this regard.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/25/2023

  I accept the business's response to resolve this complaint.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/23/2022

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Rate Schedule and Price Gouging: a. The rate increase from September 2022 (.12187/kWh) to October 2022 (.16187/kWh) is a 34% increase. This does not include usage- it is the increase of the price/rate only. b. APL's response to complaints about the rate states that the rate is based on AEP’s regulated rate; however, AEP’s rate from residential customers from 10/22-12/22 is .0732/kWh. In September 2022, our charges were 68.6% higher than they would have been with AEP and for October, our charges were 123.8% higher than they would have been with AEP. This is completely unrelated to our usage and is only comparing the rate that AEP is allowed to charge vs. the unregulated rate that APL is charging. d. We are interested in the market rate which APL is able to purchase electricity before reselling to me at a rate well over the public utility regulated rate. We would like an ethical explanation from APL to justify taking something as basic as “heat in winter”, and extracting as much profit as they can (up to 94%) at the expense of Ohio citizens.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2022

  A resident’s satisfaction with and opinion of American Power & Light (AP&L) are important to us, and we regret that you are not happy with the services that we have provided to you. Per the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), AP&L must charge the customer what the area’s default utility residential rate would be for their particular amount of usage. The location of Ms. ************’ property, The Annex at ******, means that AP&L must use the residential rates of American Electric Power (AEP) to calculate their bill each month. Unfortunately all invoices created for The Annex at ****** in September and October did not include the full rate calculation of AEP’s residential rate and were under billed due to this system error. We will not be back billing the residents to recoup this cost however. The system error has been resolved and the November billings are now using the correct residential rate for the site.

  AEP has a submetering bill calculation spreadsheet on their website for customers of submetering companies, such as AP&L, to double check their usage charges against the default residential cost. This can be found at https://www.aepohio.com/company/about/rates/. The bottom of this page contains the Submetering Bill Calculation Spreadsheet. Once you’ve downloaded this you will need to enable editing and content, which Excel should prompt you to do. Please plug the usage totals into the corresponding month on the spreadsheet. You’ll plug 203 kwh into the September 2022 row, 639 kwh into October 2022, and 721 kwh into November 2022. AEP’s charges for these time periods are $42.45, $104.73, and $118.12 respectively, versus AP&L’s charges of $24.74, $74.04, and $118.11.

  AP&L under billed Ms. ************ by a total of $50.40. This was no at no fault of the customers at The Annex at ******, so we will not try to recoup the difference. You can see that AEP’s total charge for 721 kwh during the month of November was $118.12, to which AP&L charged $118.11, showing that the correct rate is now being used. Going forward AEP’s residential rate will be employed to calculate the usage total for Ms. ************. We hope this response has answered your questions and provided clarity on AP&L’s billing practices. We've also attached AEP's spreadsheet for ease of access as well. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/28/2022

  I spoke with the Public Utility Commission of Ohio and they confirmed that the AEP rate is .0732/kWh. Our most recent rate was .16381/kWh. This is 124% higher than the regulated rate. APL is implying that because they are not legally regulated by the Public Utility Commission, that they have no obligation to keep their rates reasonable. I am not satisfied with their answer. The information they gave is public information that I am already aware of. I already understand that submetering companies are not regulated. My complaint is that as an Ohio tenant/customer, it is unreasonable that I should have to pay 124% more than another ohio renter using the same amount of electricity. The PUCO and Ohio Supreme court addressed submetering companies in 2016 and no one took responsibility to protect Ohio citizens and hold these companies accountable. Because of this, I am in the situation I am in with APL. Therefore, I will continue to utilize my resources to hold this company accountable. 

  
  

  Also, APL did not address the market rate at which they are able to purchase the electricity.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2022

  Good Afternoon,

  The rate of .0732/kwh is the generation cost. It does not include their transmission and distribution charge, which is factored into our charge as a single line item- Electric Generation, Transmission, and Distribution- on your invoice. Their transmission and distribution charges are specific to the amount of power used in a cycle, but their base charge is .0732/kwh, which is what ours is as well. We have this built into our rate engine and update it each month to match American Electric Power's. AEP's bill calculation spreadsheet factors in the cost of transmission and distribution, which is why we' encourage you to check your bill totals from AP&L against what AEP would have billed you. Our rate system comes directly from their calculations per the PUCO. Please utilize the spread sheet to see what your total cost would have been over your last 3 invoices if you would have had AEP as your supplier. This bill calculator comes directly from their website. Let us know if you have difficulty using it and we would be happy to help.