So far there have been more than 300 statements in protest of the proposed rate hikes from Wheeling Power and Appalachian Power in West Virginia. The two power companies are seeking a rate increase to cover 297-million dollars in expenses to keep the electricity flowing. Both have said they have actual expenses totaling about 400-million dollars. If approved by the Public Service Commission, the average one-thousand kilowatt-hours customer would see more than an 18-dollar a month increase in their light bill.