An Ohio homeowner has raised serious concerns about American Electric Power (AEP) after receiving a shocking electric bill for a property that has been vacant for over a year.
The home, sitting on a rented lot, cannot be subleased and has been kept at minimal energy usage: the thermostat is set to 40 degrees in winter and 82 degrees in summer, with only the refrigerator running.
Despite this, the February 2026 bill showed 5,105 kWh of usage—nearly $1,000 in charges.
This is drastically higher compared to other months, such as March 2025 with 456 kWh, June 2025 with just 52 kWh, December 2025 with 42 kWh, and January 2026 with 66 kWh.
The sporadic spikes, including September 2025 at 986 kWh and March 2026 at 3,438 kWh, have left the homeowner questioning the accuracy and fairness of AEP’s billing practices.
The issue extends beyond one property. The homeowner, who manages nine accounts with AEP, discovered that each property is billed at different rates, even when located in the same county.
For example, one home is billed at $0.19 per kWh, another at $0.89 per kWh, and the vacant property at $0.15 per kWh (or $0.175 per kWh when calculated from total charges).
Even two homes next to each other were billed at different rates. After hours on the phone with AEP, no valid explanation was provided, and calls were eventually disconnected.
In his post, Brandon Hurley emphasized that this is not just a personal issue but one that affects all AEP customers.
He urged everyone to carefully review their bills and question why rates vary so drastically, even among neighboring homes.
Hurley believes that AEP’s rate system is inconsistent and potentially dishonest, and he called for customers to stand together and demand transparency and fairness in how electricity is billed.
Moreover, Brandon concluded his post with a strong call to action,
We need to stand up and come together!
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