Ohio Electricity Rates: How to Compare Suppliers, Plans and Real Energy Costs

Consumers shopping for Ohio electricity rates have plenty of choices, but finding the lowest advertised price is only part of the decision.

Eligible electricity customers can choose among competitive suppliers while their local utility continues handling electricity delivery, infrastructure and outage response. The challenge is determining whether a supplier's offer actually provides better value than the utility's default generation price.

The best way to compare Ohio electricity rates is to start with your utility's Price to Compare, calculate the supplier's cost using your actual electricity usage, and then review contract length, monthly fees, fixed or variable pricing, early termination charges and renewal terms.

A plan that looks inexpensive in a rate table may not necessarily produce the lowest overall electricity cost.

How Electricity Choice Works in Ohio

In eligible competitive electricity territories, two different companies can be involved in your electric service.

Your electric utility delivers electricity to the property and maintains the local distribution system.

Your electricity supplier provides the generation or supply product.

This distinction is important because choosing another electricity supplier generally does not change the utility responsible for poles, wires, meters or outage restoration.

Ohio's official Energy Choice program explains that eligible consumers can shop among competitive suppliers certified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

That means the main decision is not which company physically delivers the electricity.

It is which supply option offers the best combination of price and contract terms.

Start With the Price to Compare

The most important number to identify before shopping is your utility's Price to Compare, commonly called the PTC.

The Price to Compare is the generation-supply benchmark consumers can use when evaluating competing supplier offers.

Before shopping, locate the PTC on your latest utility bill.

You can also understand how the Price to Compare works before evaluating alternative electricity offers.

Ohio's official Apples to Apples electricity comparison tool specifically recommends comparing competitive supplier offers with the Price to Compare shown on your electric bill.

Current Ohio Price to Compare Benchmarks

As of September 2026, the residential Price to Compare varies depending on the electric utility serving the address.

AEP Ohio's 10.97¢ rate, Ohio Edison's 10.92¢ rate, The Illuminating Company's 11.16¢ rate and Toledo Edison's 11.10¢ rate are effective through September 30, 2026. AES Ohio lists 10.86¢/kWh for its typical residential customer through May 31, 2027, while Duke Energy Ohio lists 10.69¢/kWh for September 2026.

These figures can change, so consumers should always verify their individual bill and the official comparison tool before switching.

Why Comparing Only the Rate Can Be Misleading