COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 27, 1998 -- American Electric Power (NYSE:AEP) will prepare bills in braille for its blind customers. The service will become available beginning Feb. 1 to customers in the seven states served by the electric utility, said Duane Schafer, AEP's customer service credit analyst. Customers in Indiana and Michigan have been eligible for the service for about four years, Schafer said. AEP decided to offer the braille service in all seven states after consolidating its customer service locations. Schafer estimates that 2 percent of AEP's customers are blind. "This is an additional service we want to offer to customers with specialized needs. This should help blind customers interpret their bill," Schafer said. Customers who call the toll-free phone number on their electric bills and request the service will receive their next bill in braille. The braille version will be accompanied by the customer's regular bill. Information on both bills will be identical, although the braille bill will be about three pages. There is no additional charge for the service. Schafer said there are no immediate plans to print informational inserts in braille. AEP, a global energy company, is one of the United States' largest investor-owned utilities, providing energy to 2.9 million customers in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. AEP has holdings in the United States, the United Kingdom and China. Wholly owned subsidiaries provide power engineering, consulting and management services around the world. The company is based in Columbus, Ohio.