Want to save money on your electric bill? Check out these tips

Residents in Ohio's Muskingum Valley are experiencing sharp increases in their monthly electric bills due to rising electric rates. Officials attribute these higher costs to increased generation costs, elevated demand from data centers and electric vehicles, and limited power supply. While aggregation programs aim to secure lower rates, communities are finding fewer competitive offers. Regulators have also approved modest increases in transmission and distribution fees, and utilities, such as AEP, state they are passing along expenses related to maintaining and upgrading the power grid. To help mitigate these rising costs, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) recommends visiting energychoice.ohio.gov to compare rates and provides a customer service number for assistance with programs, disputes, or finding new suppliers. Additional tips include sealing doors and windows, using energy-efficient appliances and lighting, maintaining HVAC systems, turning off lights and heaters when not in use, and adjusting thermostat settings. AEP also offers a program capping monthly electricity bills at 5% of monthly income for eligible customers and provides grants up to $350 through its Neighbor to Neighbor program for low-income individuals significantly behind on bills.