CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — Appalachian Power said to keep the lights on, they need about $20 extra a month from the average customer, but on Tuesday, customers told the Public Service Commission (PSC) of West Virginia that’s not an increase they can absorb.

Appalachian Power is asking for its first base rate increase since 2019. In an evidentiary hearing Tuesday, the company said that the cost to operate has gone up, and they need the increase to provide safe, reliable power.

However, customers who took the stand said that an extra $20 a month is simply asking too much as other utility rates have increased over the last few years.

“Why not empower Appalachian people instead of trying to squeeze them for more money?” said one customer who took the stand at the hearing.

“There’s nothing I can do to lower my bill but subject myself to dangerous heat and cold, but AEP said I don’t pay enough,” another customer said.

Meanwhile, AEP said it was looking to figure out how to make the change easier for its customers.

“We’ve been hard at work finding ways to mitigate this increase, because no increase is easy,” AEP spokesperson Karen Wissing said.

The PSC is expected to make a final decision on the case this fall.