State electric utility regulators have scheduled two hearings on two separate proposals that would increase electric bills for AES Ohio customers.

One is a local February public hearing on a plan that would raise one component of electric rates. And this week, state regulators will look again at a proposed increase on another component of AES Ohio’s electric rates. Parts Of A Chip

Citizens will have a chance to comment on a proposed AES Ohio “electric security” operating plan in a public meeting at 6 p.m. Feb. 2 at Dayton City Hall commission chambers, 101 W. Third St.

That plan proposed in September would, if approved, impose new costs on a residential customer using 750 kilowatt hours (kWh) a month of less than $1, as an “initial impact” — before rising to $4 a month in new costs.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average U.S. residential customer uses about 909 kWh per month. In Ohio, the average is closer to 892 kWh a month.

This plan — sometimes called an “electric security” plan — would (if approved) become AES Ohio’s “standard service offer” default rate — the price for electric generation service for customers who do not participate in a government aggregation program or pick a retail electric supplier on their own.

The plan depends on approval by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), which scheduled the Feb. 2 hearing in Dayton.

You can also address written comments to PUCO at 180 E. Broad St., Columbus, Ohio, 43215. Comments should reference case docket number 22-900-EL-SSO.

And this week: PUCO members Wednesday will consider a separate AES Ohio rate case — a proposal to increase AES Ohio rates for electricity distribution.

A hearing on that is set in Columbus, and it can be seen on the PUCO’s You Tube channel, https://www.youtube.com/@PUCOhio. The hearing is at 1:30 p.m.

The distribution increase first sought by AES Ohio in the fall of 2020 would have amounted to a 14.3% increase in customer bills.

However, PUCO staff recommended reducing the utility’s annual revenue requested by nearly half — from $120 million to a range between $61.1 million and $66.6 million.

If the commission passes what PUCO staff has recommended, a customer using 750 kilowatt-hours a month would see a 5.47% increase in their bill.

AES Ohio provides electric transmission and distribution service to more than 527,000 customers across its 6,000 square mile service territory in west central Ohio.

Component Inspection Thomas Gnau is a business reporter who joined the Dayton Daily News in 2007. He has reported for daily newspapers in Ohio since 1991.