GAHANNA — A new feature on AEP Ohio’s energy dashboard gives customers greater insight into what uses the most electricity in their homes and how they can save on their monthly electric bill.

The Energy Dashboard is an an online tool that works with a customer’s electric meter to help them learn more about their energy usage. With usage data displayed as helpful charts and graphs, customers can identify what actions use the most energy throughout their home and make timely changes.

AEP Ohio’s Energy Use Breakdown has been recently expanded to include up to 12 categories — Heating, Cooling, Water Heating, Lighting, Electronics, Oven, Refrigerator, Dishwasher, Laundry, Pool, Electric Vehicle, and Other — that indicate how much customers spend on each for their monthly electric bill. The dashboard also includes helpful energy-saving tips on how to reduce costs for each category.

This information can be especially helpful during the hot summer months when home energy use can increase. Customers can beat the summer heat by using AEP Ohio’s resources and energy efficiency tips to help minimize the impact on their bill.

How the Dashboard Works

First, log into your AEP Ohio account to take advantage of the dashboard’s features.

Next, complete the 5-minute Home Energy Profile. This survey allows us to gather important information about your home including how big it is, what appliances you use and how frequently you use them, how you heat and cool your home, what temperature you set your thermostat, etc.

Finally, check out the landing page on your dashboard, which will provide a quick glance at how your current bill compares to previous ones. You’ll also get an explanation of what may have caused changes in your energy use (and what you can do about it).

Customers with a smart meter can see their usage data in even greater detail, including which days they use the most energy plus a month-by-month usage chart — right down to 15-minute intervals.

Weekly Energy Report and High Bill Alerts

Customers with a smart meter can also sign up to receive a weekly energy report or high bill alerts. The weekly energy email includes a week-by-week comparison of their home’s energy use, a bill projection, daily and hourly energy breakdowns and personalized tips. High bill alerts are sent when their usage is trending higher than usual.

Customers can manage their notification preferences here.

AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power. AEP Ohio provides electricity to 1.5 million customers. News and information about AEP Ohio can be found at AEPOhio.com.

American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is powering a cleaner, brighter energy future for its customers and communities. AEP’s approximately 16,700 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 224,000 miles of distribution lines to safely deliver reliable and affordable power to 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 31,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including more than 7,100 megawatts of renewable energy. The company’s plans include growing its renewable generation portfolio to approximately 50% of total capacity by 2030. AEP is on track to reach an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 and has committed to achieving net zero by 2045. AEP is recognized consistently for its focus on sustainability, community engagement, and diversity, equity and inclusion. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more information, visit aep.com.