Ohio Price to Compare Explained: Beat Your Utility Rate 2026

The Price to Compare (PTC) represents the generation portion of your electricity rate when you receive service through your utility's Standard Service Offer.

Utilities with PTC rates: AEP Ohio, Duke Energy Ohio, AES Ohio, and the FirstEnergy companies all publish these rates.

What to know: The PTC excludes transmission and distribution charges—those stay constant regardless of supplier. It's required to appear on every customer bill and shows up on the Apples to Apples comparison website.

You need to understand your PTC to know if switching saves you money—ElectricRates.org automatically compares competitive rates against your PTC.

Ohio utilities set the Price to Compare through wholesale auctions run by PUCO oversight.

How auctions work: AEP Ohio, Duke Energy, and other utilities purchase generation supply through SSO auctions. These auctions run quarterly or semi-annually, and winning bid prices establish the generation rate for default service customers.

When it changes: Usually June and December for most Ohio utilities. New auction results take effect periodically.

What's in it: Generation costs, capacity charges, and certain transmission-related costs that competitive suppliers also pay.

You can find your Price to Compare in several places.

Where to look: Check your electric bill—look for the designated PTC section near rate information. On PUCO's Apples to Apples, enter your ZIP code to see current PTC rates for all utilities. Your utility's website also publishes it in the electricity choice section.

By utility: AEP Ohio lists it at aepohio.com under "Generation Price to Compare." Duke Energy Ohio has it on duke-energy.com. FirstEnergy utilities (Ohio Edison, Cleveland Illuminating, Toledo Edison) publish theirs at firstenergycorp.com.

Compare supplier offers against your Price to Compare to see if you'll save.

Example: Say a supplier offers 5.9¢/kWh and your utility PTC is 7.2¢/kWh. That's 1.3¢ per kWh in savings. On 1,000 kWh monthly, that's $13/month or $156/year.

Good practices: Compare same rate types—fixed-rate supplier offers against current PTC. Remember that PTC changes periodically while fixed rates stay constant.

Watch variable rates. They might start low but can jump above PTC when demand spikes.

Ohio utilities update PTC rates after SSO auctions, usually twice a year.

Schedules by utility: AEP Ohio updates June 1 and December 1 each year. Duke Energy Ohio follows similar scheduling aligned with auction cycles. FirstEnergy utilities update based on their specific auction calendars.

What changes mean: PTC can move significantly higher or lower depending on wholesale market conditions. Default service customers experience rate changes automatically. Competitive supplier customers maintain their contracted rate regardless of PTC fluctuations.

Competitive contracts give you stability when wholesale prices jump.

The Price to Compare is just the generation part of your bill, usually 40-60% of the total.

Charges that stay the same no matter who you pick: Distribution charges cover power line maintenance, meter reading, and local infrastructure. Transmission charges pay for high-voltage electricity transportation. Taxes and riders include regulatory fees and special program costs. These charges are the same whether you use the utility or a competitive supplier.

How to calculate savings: If a supplier charges 6¢ and your PTC is 7¢, your actual savings are 1¢ per kWh—on generation only. That's NOT 1¢ off your total rate (which might be 12-15¢ including all charges).

Ohio PTC rates vary by utility.

Current ranges: AEP Ohio runs 6-8¢/kWh for generation. Duke Energy Ohio sits in the 6-7¢ range. AES Ohio varies based on auction results and customer class.

FirstEnergy utilities each publish separate PTC rates: Ohio Edison, Cleveland Illuminating Company, and Toledo Edison.

Check current rates on PUCO's Apples to Apples or your utility website. Rates change after auctions.

Use the PTC as your baseline but look at other factors too.

Things to consider: Fixed-rate contracts protect against PTC increases but lock you in if rates drop. Supplier verification—confirm PUCO-certification before enrolling. Contract terms to review: ETFs, automatic renewal clauses, and introductory rate periods. Savings calculation: Use your actual usage history, not estimates. Green energy options: Consider if environmental impact matters to you.

Get started: ElectricRates.org compares current offers against your PTC with real-time rate data from certified suppliers. See your savings potential in under 2 minutes.