ROANOKE, Va., April 8, 2010 – Spring is a great time to sign up for a payment plan with Appalachian Power. As a result of the long, cold winter in Virginia many customers recently had higher than normal electric heating costs.
 
Appalachian is reminding customers that it has a number of payment options that can help them manage their monthly budget and eliminate spikes in their electric bill. Some of the options include:
 
·         Average Monthly Payment (AMP) plan – With AMP, customers are billed based upon a rolling 12-month average, eliminating spikes in bills during high usage months and adjusts monthly.
·         2010 Enhanced Payment Plan – A new payment option for Virginia customers that includes a down payment toward the existing balance, then spreads the additional payments out over the next several months.
 
With higher electric usage this winter Appalachian encouraged its customers to consider using one of its payment options.
 
In just a matter of weeks more than 13,000 Virginia customers contacted the company and took advantage of the offers. However, there are still some customers who have ongoing unpaid balances and have not contacted the company.
 
It is important for customers with unpaid balances to contact Appalachian and discuss payment options to avoid a disconnection of electric service.
 
The toll-free number for Appalachian Power’s Customer Solutions Center is 1-800-956-4237.
 
Appalachian Power provides electricity to 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). It is a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning nearly 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined.
 
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