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Understanding Your Bill

As a Clean Energy Columbus customer, you will continue to receive one bill each month from your local utility, AEP Ohio. The amount that you owe for your electricity through Clean Energy Columbus will be listed on your bill under the energy provider for the program, AEP Energy.

 

Check out a sample bill below and click on the (lightbulb icon) icons for additional details on each section of the bill.

Overview of a sample AEP Ohio utility bill for Clean Energy Columbus customers
AEP Ohio sample bill header section
Current bill summary showing previous balance, payments received, current charges, and total amount due.
AEP Ohio sample bill – payment return slip – click to view details
Payment methods section explaining available payment options including online payment, mail payment, auto-pay, and in-person payment.
Account information section showing customer account number, billing address, and account details.
Line Item Charges

AEP Ohio, the local utility, uses the 17-digit Service Delivery Identifier (SDI) to track your account. The SDI will be needed when you are opting out or opting in to the program and/or when you are calling customer service for assistance Note, there is NOT a “Generation Service” charge on your bill when the account is being serviced by a supplier, like AEP Energy. Generation Service will be listed if you are being served by AEP Ohio.

Line item charges breakdown diagram

Line Item Charges

Line item charges: Transmission, Distribution and Customer Charge explained

For the AEP Ohio territory the utility uses Service Delivery Identifier to track your account. This is important when you are Opting Out or Opting In to the program and when you are calling customer service for assistance

Note too that there is NOT a “Generation Service” charge on your bill when the account is being service by a Supplier. Generation Service will be listed if you are being served by AEP Ohio.

Transmission
Moves high voltage electricity from the generation sites over long distances to substations closer to areas of demand for electricity. You may recognize transmission lines as the larger, taller poles/towers carrying many wires over longer distances.

Distribution
Reduced to lower voltage levels by electricity distributors before it can be delivered to a residence or business. Power, specifically the voltage level, sent through transmission lines is reduced, or “stepped down,” via transformers and sent through distribution lines, which are then connected to homes and businesses.

Customer Charge
The fixed monthly basic distribution charge to partially cover cost for billing, meter reading, service line maintenance and equipment.

Current Supplier Charges

Current supplier charges showing AEP Energy generation charges

This section shows the Supplier charges (“Generation”) when you have an alternative supplier to using the utilities default service.

In the case of the Clean Energy Columbus AEP Energy will be shown. AEP Energy is an alternative supplier to the utility AEP Ohio (they are separate companies. AEP Energy is a supplier and AEP Ohio is the utility).

Total Balance Due

Total balance due showing full amount owed to AEP Ohio

The total amount owed which will be paid to the utility AEP Ohio. AEP Ohio is responsible for forwarding on your payment to the Supplier.

Usage Details

Usage details: 12-month historical energy usage chart

Here you can find your historical usage for the pervious 12-months. Page one of your statement shows this information in a chart format.

Also you’ll find Average Monthly usage. This can be used too when considering solar energy for your home.

Meter Read Details

Meter read details showing service period usage amounts and total kWh

When you add up the two Service Period usage amounts you get the total kWh usage for the month. The total amount is again show in Section 3 under Generation Supplier Charges.

Price to Compare (PTC)

Price to Compare showing default utility rate versus supplier rate

If you want to know what the default rate with the utility is compared to the rate being paid with the Supplier of choice you can find that here. The PTC is normally in bold. Please note the PTC price here is simply an example, and not necessarily reflective of the current PTC, which can vary throughout the year.

Rate Riders

Rate riders showing PUCO approved utility charges and billing adjustments

The utility, along with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) frequently approve and adjust charges that we the rate customers pay through their bill. The utility provides description of the charges and estimates how the new charges affect your billing.

Current Bill Summary

Current bill summary showing kWh usage and charges split between utility and supplier

A summary of both kWh and current charges is shown with a visual circle graph of the split between utility charges and supplier charges.

Usage History (kWh)

Usage history bar graph showing 13 months of energy use

AEP Ohio provides a bar graph to see a 13-month history of energy use for a specific meter. Since the first month and last are stated it’s easy to see how much power is being used for a specific month year over year.

Payment Return slip

Account information section showing customer account number, billing address, and account details.

Again, a summary of the total charges paid to AEP Ohio. Note, you pay the full amount to the utility and the utility will make payment to the supplier. One payment.