The Short Version
- Your utility's default electric price is called the Price to Compare. It's on your bill. A supplier offer has to beat it to save you money.
- Many Ohio communities buy power for residents and small businesses through an opt-out aggregation. You may already be in one, and it isn't automatically your best price.
- Ohio gives homes and small businesses 7 days to cancel a new supply contract, and 45 to 90 days' notice before an automatically renewing contract ends.
- The easiest way to get it right: let us compare offers for you. It's free.
Your Bill Has Two Parts
Delivery always stays with your utility: the poles, wires, pipes, meter, and outage repairs. Supply is the electricity or natural gas itself, and in Ohio you can choose who provides it. If you've never chosen, you're on your utility's default price or your community's aggregation.
Switching suppliers doesn't change who delivers your energy or who you call in an outage.
Ohio's Electric Price to Compare, October 2026
Residential prices, from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO):
| Utility | Price to Compare (per kWh) | Good through |
|---|---|---|
| AES Ohio | 10.86¢ | May 31, 2027 |
| AEP Ohio | 10.19¢ | Dec 31, 2026 |
| Duke Energy Ohio | 10.49¢ | Oct 31, 2026 (monthly) |
| Ohio Edison | 11.07¢ | Dec 31, 2026 |
| The Illuminating Company | 11.24¢ | Dec 31, 2026 |
| Toledo Edison | 11.26¢ | Dec 31, 2026 |
Source: PUCO Energy Choice Ohio, checked October 2, 2026. Electric heating customers and business accounts have different prices, and default prices change often, so always check the one on your latest bill before comparing offers.
See the full details, what it means for your business, and how to beat it on each utility's page: AES Ohio, AEP Ohio, Duke Energy Ohio, Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison.
Natural Gas Works the Same Way
Ohio's four large gas utilities, Columbia Gas of Ohio, Enbridge Gas Ohio (formerly Dominion), CenterPoint Energy Ohio (formerly Vectren), and Duke Energy Ohio, let you choose a gas supplier. Their default prices change often. Enbridge Gas Ohio's default residential price is $3.607 per Mcf from September 10 to October 8, 2026, up from $3.425 the month before. A fixed gas price takes that month-to-month swing off the table.
Are You Already in an Aggregation?
Many Ohio cities, villages, townships, and counties buy electricity, and sometimes gas, as a group for residents and small businesses. When voters approve it, eligible customers are enrolled automatically unless they opt out, and Ohio law gives you a chance to opt out every three years without a switching fee.
- How to tell: your bill lists a supplier name. If you never picked one, it may be your community's aggregation.
- It isn't automatically your best price. Aggregations are priced for a whole community. A business can often do better with its own contract, especially one with steady usage.
- Larger businesses aren't enrolled automatically. Businesses using more than 700,000 kWh a year join only if they choose to.
Before you leave an aggregation, check when its current term ends and whether there's any fee. We'll check it for you.
How to Compare an Offer
- Start with your Price to Compare, or your aggregation price. An offer only saves you money if its price is lower.
- Fixed or variable? A fixed rate stays the same for the whole term. A variable rate can change, sometimes after a low first month or two.
- How long is the term? Know exactly when the price ends.
- Is there a cancellation fee? Know the amount before you sign.
- What happens when it ends? Ohio contracts can renew automatically. Know what the renewal price is based on.
- Any monthly fees? A fixed monthly charge can erase the savings from a slightly lower rate.
Your Rights in Ohio
These protections cover residential and small commercial customers:
- Time to change your mind. You have 7 calendar days to cancel a new electric contract after your utility's confirmation notice, and 7 business days for natural gas.
- Notice before renewal. If your contract renews automatically, the supplier has to send you notice 45 to 90 days before it ends.
- No longer than you signed for. A renewal term can't be longer than your original term.
- Your say on bigger fees. If the renewal carries a cancellation fee over $25, the supplier needs your consent. If you don't respond, you go back to your utility's default service.
Sources: Ohio Adm.Code 4901:1-21 (electricity) and 4901:1-29 (natural gas); R.C. 4928.20 (aggregation).
Watch out for "your utility sent me." Door-to-door and phone sellers sometimes imply they're from your utility. Your utility doesn't sell supply contracts. Don't share your account number with anyone who knocks or calls uninvited, and never sign on the spot.
Why Let Us Shop for You
You can compare supplier offers on your own. Most people don't have time to read every contract, and the fine print is where the costly surprises hide. Here's what you get when we do it for you:
- Offers side by side. We collect offers from licensed suppliers and compare them against your Price to Compare or your aggregation price.
- The fine print, read for you. We flag teaser rates, cancellation fees, and renewal terms.
- Someone watching your end date. We reach out before your contract ends, so an automatic renewal never catches you off guard.
- Free to you. The supplier you choose pays us. If nothing beats what you pay now, we'll tell you.
Or skip the form: send us a photo of your bill.
For Larger Businesses
Ohio treats businesses using more than 700,000 kWh a year as mercantile customers. The protections above are written for homes and small businesses, so a larger business's contract terms are whatever it negotiates. That's where a careful read of the contract pays for itself.
Ohio's utilities are in PJM, so demand-metered accounts also carry a capacity charge set during the grid's busiest summer hours. See what happened to PJM capacity costs and how to reduce your capacity tag.
Free 10-minute checklist When does your energy contract end, and what will you pay the day after? Get the Energy Contract Checkup →FAQ
Will my power or gas go out if I switch?
No. Your utility still delivers your electricity or natural gas and handles outages. Only the supply price changes.
Where do I find my Price to Compare?
On your bill. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio also publishes each utility's current figure.
How do I know if I'm in a community aggregation?
Check the supplier name on your bill. If you never chose a supplier, it may be your city, township, or county's aggregation program.
Can I leave an aggregation?
Yes. Ohio law gives you a chance to opt out every three years without a switching fee. Check the program's terms before leaving mid-term.
Do Ohio's consumer protections cover my business?
Yes, if you're a small commercial customer. Businesses using more than 700,000 kWh a year are mercantile customers and negotiate their own contract terms.