CHARELSTON, W.Va. — Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power customers continue to display their opposition against a $265 million rate increase.

Four organizations, West Virginians for Energy Freedom, WV Citizens Action Group, People’s Action Institute and 350 Network Council came together for a ‘Bills Too High Rally’ in front of the AEP Office in Charleston Thursday afternoon to address the increasing power bills.

However, the event was not only a way to address their concerns of the rising energy costs, but advocate for locally-owned and renewable energy solutions. 

Emmett Pepper is an attorney who has been representing various organizations going before the state Public Service Commission on the matter. He said the company’s aim to raise customers rates by 15.4% is very concerning.

“Of course I’m wearing the city council hat too, I’m concerned about the constituents as well, a lot of low-income folks are going to be affected by this,” Pepper said.

Another spokesperson of the event, Tyler Blake last week started an online petition called ‘AEP Stop the Hike’ after he felt something needed to be done. He said the petition has now reached nearly 500 signatures.

Blake said the petition reflects a resounding sense of anger from all who are living pay check to pay check and on a fixed income as it is.

“People in West Virginia who are current rate-payers of AEP or Appalachian Power are aggravated, they’re upset and they cannot afford these rate hikes,” Blake said.

He said he also took the petition door-to-door around different communities from Princeton to Huntington.

The power company filed the request for the increase with the PSC a couple of weeks ago and Thursday’s rally marked a series of several pushback events that have been held in West Virginia since then. If approved, it would increase the average residential bill by approximately $28.72 a month.

Blake said he doesn’t understand how the utility company has the audacity to raise the bill by such an extreme amount considering many are relying on disability checks and social security.

“When I went to the public hearing on Monday at the PSC in Charleston, I was sitting there and I was listening to the stories that people were giving and I mean, they’re absolute tear jerkers, you had people there, mothers there who were crying and begging and pleading to the PSC and to AEP not to allow this rate increase,” he said.

At the same time, AEP is also in the middle of another rate hike and fuel cost case where they are seeking a rate increase of $20.4 million under what’s called the Expanded Net Energy Cost. They held a hearing on Monday for that as well.

Pepper said what’s not being publicized much about that particular case is the fact that it will significantly increase rates for small businesses, churches, and schools by 25 to 30%.

In addition, he said there’s also another concern where the company is not letting those trying to be more energy efficient off the hook either.

“The other thing that may have not been as well publicized that’s concerning is that if an individual looks at a big rate increase like that coming and says ‘well, gosh maybe I should just buy some solar panels so I can cut some of my cost,’ according to the proposal, they actually are making it harder for people to even go solar, slashing the amount of a credit that you get if you have solar panels,” Pepper said.

According to the organizations that were host to Thursday’s rally, West Virginia has some of the highest growing electricity rates in the country due to the state’s dependency on privately owned power companies that prioritize profits over affordable energy solutions.

However, it’s part of a movement across 17 states to secure more affordable energy as well accountability from for-profit utilities. There are currently over two dozen similar events taking place across the country this week.

Blake said people can still sign the petition by going to his ‘AEP Stop the Hike’ Facebook page as well as get up-to-date on the movement.

He encourages everyone to sign it to help remind the power company that they don’t accept the hikes.

“Your voice needs to be heard, you deserve to be heard, you’re the one paying the bill,” Blake said. “We want your voice to be heard, AEP needs to know that you can’t afford these rate increases.”

He said you can also test him at (304)908-0089 and it will automatically send you a link to the petition to sign online.