What's Actually on Your Ohio Electric Bill (2026)
AEP Ohio. Duke. AES Ohio. The FirstEnergy companies. Different logos, same bill structure. Here's what each charge means and which part of it you can actually do something about.
Why is my bill so high when the rate is only 12.5¢/kWh?
Because the per-kWh rate is only one of six charges stacked on a typical Ohio bill. Supply, delivery, transmission, a fixed customer charge (averaging $5.40/month across 6 Ohio utilities), riders, and taxes all sit on top of each other. Roughly half of the total is the supply rate you can shop. The other half — delivery and fixed charges — stays the same whether you switch or not. Below: each line, what it costs, and which ones you can actually move.
A typical Ohio bill, line by line
For a residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month — the U.S. average — here's what each line on the bill actually costs.
Sample residential bill — Ohio, 1,000 kWh
Statewide averages — your actual bill varies by utility and supplier.
| Generation (1000 kWh × 6.5¢) | $65.00 |
| Distribution (1000 kWh × 4.2¢) | $42.00 |
| Transmission (1000 kWh × 1.4¢) | $14.00 |
| Customer charge (~$5.40) | $5.40 |
| Riders | $11.00 |
| Sales tax (~7%) | $9.50 |
| Total monthly bill | $146.90 |
Statewide average customer charge across 6 Ohio utilities: $5.40/mo. Average default residential energy rate: 12.5¢/kWh. Source: NREL URDB.
What every line means
Utilities use slightly different labels on their printed bills, but every Ohio electric bill includes some version of each of these charges:
Generation / supply charge
The energy portion of your bill — either your utility's default Standard Service Offer rate or a competing supplier's rate. Shop this part.
Distribution delivery charge
Per-kWh charge from your utility (AEP Ohio, Duke, AES Ohio, or FirstEnergy company) for delivering power to your home.
Transmission charge
Per-kWh charge for moving electricity over high-voltage transmission lines, allocated to your utility by PJM.
Customer charge
Fixed monthly charge from your utility. Ohio utilities range from $4 (FirstEnergy) to $8.40 (AEP Ohio).
Riders (universal service, energy efficiency)
PUCO-approved riders fund programs ranging from low-income assistance to energy efficiency incentives. Itemized on every Ohio bill.
Sales tax
Ohio state and local sales tax on the total bill.
The big idea: Ohio runs the largest retail-choice program in the Midwest. You can shop the generation portion of your bill at energychoice.ohio.gov or through our comparison.
What you can change vs. what you can't
Every line on a Ohio electric bill falls into one of two buckets. Knowing the difference is the entire point of bill literacy.
You CAN change
- Your supply / generation rate (shop a competing supplier)
- Your usage — through efficiency, behavioral change, weatherization
- When you use electricity (if you're on TOU)
- Whether you're on the right plan structure for your household
You CAN'T change
- Your utility (it's set by your address)
- The distribution and transmission charges
- The fixed monthly customer charge
- Regulatory riders, taxes, and surcharges
The shoppable portion is roughly half your bill. A 20% improvement on the shoppable half = 10% off your total bill. That's the realistic ceiling of what switching suppliers can save you — anyone advertising "save 50% on your electric bill" is either confused or selling you something.
Why your bill went up
If your Ohio electric bill jumped recently, the cause is almost always one of these four. Walk through them in order:
1. Your usage went up
Cold snap, heatwave, a new appliance, a houseguest, a new EV. Look at the kWh number on this bill versus last month and the same month last year. If kWh is higher, the cost was always going to be higher — supplier switching won't fix it.
2. Your supply rate reset
Your fixed-rate contract expired and you rolled to a month-to-month rate — typically 30-50% higher. Or your utility updated its default Basic Service rate (Massachusetts and Pennsylvania utilities reset their default rate every 6-12 months). This is the most fixable cause.
3. The utility raised distribution or fixed charges
Approved by the PUCO in a base rate case. These changes are announced months in advance and affect every customer of that utility equally. Shopping suppliers won't avoid them.
4. A new rider was added
New energy efficiency surcharge, storm response cost recovery, or transmission upgrade rider. Usually a few percent of your bill at most. Itemized on the bill.
Our Bill Grade tool reads your bill and tells you which of these four caused your increase — and which (if any) you can fix this month.
Ohio utilities at a glance
Customer charge and default residential energy rate for each Ohio utility. Click through to see live supplier rates available in that territory.
| Utility | Customer charge | Default rate | Tariff source |
|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Ohio | $8.40/mo | 12.6¢/kWh | Tariff PDF |
| Duke Energy Ohio | $6.00/mo | 11.9¢/kWh | Tariff PDF |
| AES Ohio (Dayton Power & Light) | $6.00/mo | 13.1¢/kWh | Tariff PDF |
| Ohio Edison | $4.00/mo | 12.4¢/kWh | Tariff PDF |
| Toledo Edison | $4.00/mo | 12.2¢/kWh | Tariff PDF |
| Cleveland Electric Illuminating | $4.00/mo | 12.5¢/kWh | Tariff PDF |
Want to know if your bill is high?
Upload your most recent Ohio electric bill or type in a few numbers and we'll grade it against rates available in your area today. Free, no signup.