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Prairie Township will save money with new AEP contract
The Prairie Township trustees entered into a three-year agreement with AEP Retail Energy to save the township money. AEP Retail Energy is a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP) and according to the AEP Retail Energy Website, AEP Retail Energy was created in 2009 as a competitive retail electric supply affiliate of AEP. Prairie Township has been using AEP, which was charging 9.38 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). AEP Retail Energy will only charge the township 6.79 cents per kWh. This will save the township approximately $6,159 per year. The Township Hall, both fire stations, and the road department will be included in the agreement. The fire department would save $3,714 per year. The road department would save $358 per year. The Township Hall would save $923 each year. Prairie Township Administrator Tracy Hatmaker said the senior center was not included in the contract because its lease ends this summer and officials are unsure of where the new location will be. There is also a steep penalty for breaking the agreement early. “I think this agreement is a good thing for the township. In the period of the three-year contract, we have a potential of saving several thousand dollars overall, depending on the usage amounts of electric. Any savings to the township is a plus,” said Prairie Township Trustee Ron Ball at the trustees’ Feb. 9 meeting.
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