Ohio Energy Choice: Save 10-20% on Your Electric Bill (2026)

Most Ohio households overpay for electricity. Not because they use too much. Because they never shopped.

Since 1999, Ohio has let you choose who generates your power.^[1] Your utility—AEP Ohio, Duke Energy, or FirstEnergy—still owns the wires. They still read your meter. They still fix outages at 2am. That never changes.

What changes is who produces your electricity. And what you pay for it.

About 4.5 million Ohio households have this option. Most ignore it. They pay the default "Standard Service Offer" rate and move on. But those who spend five minutes comparing? They find rates 10-20% lower. On a $150 monthly bill, that's $15-30 back in your pocket. Every month. Same apartment. Same AC blasting. Just a different company name on line 3 of your bill.

Your Ohio electric bill has two parts. You can only shop for one.

Delivery is the infrastructure. Power lines. Transformers. The truck that shows up when a tree takes out your power. PUCO sets these rates. You pay the same no matter who supplies your electricity. No shopping here.

Supply is the actual electricity. This is where competition happens. Stick with your utility's Standard Service Offer rate, or pick a CRES (Competitive Retail Electric Service) provider who charges less.

Nothing physical changes when you switch. Same wires. Same meter. Same crew. The only difference shows up on your bill: a different company name and a lower rate per kilowatt-hour.

PUCO keeps electricity suppliers honest. That's why you can shop without worrying.

Every company selling electricity in Ohio needs PUCO certification.^[2] Background checks. Financial reviews. Ongoing compliance monitoring. PUCO runs the Apples to Apples comparison website and investigates complaints. They've revoked licenses from bad actors. They'll do it again.

Supplier giving you trouble? Call 800-686-7826. PUCO picks up. They investigate. They order refunds. They pull certifications. Not a rubber stamp—actual teeth.

Apples to Apples lists every certified supplier offer in Ohio. Free. Run by PUCO.

Go to energychoice.ohio.gov. Pick your utility. See every plan available: price per kWh, contract length, cancellation fees, green energy percentage. Sort by price or filter for renewables.

Two caveats. Apples to Apples updates monthly—hot deals might be gone by the time you click. And the site doesn't calculate your actual savings. You'll need your current SSO rate from your bill to do that math yourself.

For faster comparisons, ElectricRates.org pulls real-time rates and calculates your savings automatically.

Switching takes five minutes. I've timed it.

Grab your bill. Find your account number and current rate. Compare offers on Apples to Apples or ElectricRates.org. Pick a plan. Enroll online or by phone.

That's it.

Your new supplier notifies your utility. You don't call anyone. The switch takes one to two billing cycles. Lights stay on the whole time. No one comes to your house. Nothing changes except that number on your bill—the one that's now lower.

Six utilities serve Ohio. Where you live determines which one.

AEP Ohio: Columbus and central/southern Ohio. 1.5 million customers.^[3]

Duke Energy Ohio: Cincinnati and the southwest.

AES Ohio: Dayton area (formerly Dayton Power & Light).

FirstEnergy runs three utilities: Ohio Edison (Akron/northeast), Cleveland Electric Illuminating (Greater Cleveland), and Toledo Edison (northwest).

Each utility has its own SSO rate that changes through PUCO auctions. Your utility determines which suppliers compete for your business.

Ohio electricity rates split into two pieces: supply (shoppable) and delivery (fixed).

Supply runs 5-8 cents per kWh depending on utility and market conditions. That's your benchmark. Beat it, you save. Miss it, you don't.

Two plan types dominate. Fixed-rate plans lock your price for 6-36 months. Predictable bills. No surprises. Variable-rate plans change monthly based on wholesale markets. Sometimes cheaper. Sometimes they spike when summer hits and everyone cranks the AC.

Watch the monthly fees. A plan advertising 5.5¢/kWh with a $9.99 monthly fee costs more than 6.5¢ with no fee—for most households. Quick math: divide any monthly fee by your usage to find the true per-kWh cost.

Ohio law protects you. Know these rules.

Suppliers must disclose everything before you sign: rate per kWh, contract length, early termination fees. In writing. Don't trust verbal promises.

7 days to cancel. Any new supplier contract. No penalty. Changed your mind? Call within that window. Done.

"Slamming" (switching you without permission) and "cramming" (sneaking charges onto your bill) are illegal. Report violations to PUCO.

Your utility can't shut off your power because of a supplier dispute. PUCO investigates complaints and orders refunds. Real teeth. Use them.