GAHANNA, Ohio, February 1, 2011 – AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), recently introduced its Residential ENERGY STAR® Appliance Program.

In an effort to increase consumer awareness and encourage the purchase of ENERGY STAR® products, AEP Ohio is offering mail-in rebates as a way of reducing the price of ENERGY STAR® qualified products to their customers.

"During the first quarter of 2011, we are offering a $50 mail-in rebate to AEP Ohio residential customers who purchase an ENERGY STAR® clothes washer," said Jon Williams, AEP Ohio manager energy efficiency and peak demand response. "By replacing older or inefficient products with ENERGY STAR® qualified products, consumers reduce energy use, save money and help reduce pollution. ENERGY STAR® clothes washers also use less water thus helping to preserve this vital resource."

The rebate is good for purchases made January 1, 2011 through April 30, 2011. A clothes washer rebate form must be completed and mailed in no later than May 15, 2011. Rebate forms can be obtained at participating retailers or online at www.gridSMARTOhio.com. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, an individual must be a current AEP Ohio residential service customer.

The AEP Ohio Residential ENERGY STAR® Appliance Program is part of the gridSMART® initiative offered by the utility to help residential and commercial customers use less energy, manage their bills and protect the environment. For more information about AEP Ohio’s energy efficiency programs, visit www.gridSMARTOhio.com.

ENERGY STAR® (www.energystar.gov) is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy working with manufacturers to help consumers throughout the United States identify, purchase and use energy efficient appliances, lighting, electronics and other products. The goals are to save energy, save money and reduce pollution. 2009 marked another year of impressive growth and continued success for the ENERGY STAR® program. Americans prevented greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 30 million vehicles from the road and saved nearly $17 billion on their utility bills.

AEP Ohio provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers of major AEP subsidiaries Columbus Southern Power Company and Ohio Power Company in Ohio, and Wheeling Power Company in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power.

American Electric Power is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to 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. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP’s utility units operate as 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 and east and north Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio. News releases and other information about AEP can be found at www.aep.com.