Who are the best Ohio electricity and natural gas providers?
These great electricity and natural gas companies in Ohio won a Gold, Silver, or Bronze award in our semi-annual rankings of Ohio energy providers.
Gold Tier Award-Winning Electricity and Natural Gas Companies
Silver Tier Award-Winning Electricity and Natural Gas Companies
Bronze Tier Award-Winning Electricity and Natural Gas Companies
More Electricity Providers in Ohio
What is an Ohio Electricity Company?
There are actually three different kinds of electricity companies in Ohio that work together to supply the electricity to your home. Generally, you'll be interacting with a "Competitive Retail Electric Service" (CRES for short), which provides retail electric plans to consumers and handles the billing and customer service aspects of your service. Behind the scenes, the generators and utilities will get the power routed to your home safely and reliably.
Ohio Electricity Generators
Electricity Generators build and maintain the power plants that feed power into the Ohio electricity grid, which is then sold to Ohio electricity suppliers. Because Ohio is part of the PJM grid, electricity can come from as far away as New Jersey or Maryland. While Ohio makes most of its own electricity, it doesn't need to come from here.
Your Local Utility
Your local electric utility maintains the meters, wires, poles, and underground cables that bring the electricity from the generators to your home. Similarly, natural gas utilities that must manage and maintain their pipes. Utilities are also responsible for reading your meter and providing that information to your Competitive Retail Electric Service (CRES).
Competitive Retail Electric Service (CRES)
These are the electricity suppliers that purchase electricity on the wholesale market from the generators and sell that supply to you. They make sure you are properly billed for the amount of electricity you use. They provide customer service, billing, and payment functions to you, the consumer. They also create different brands, plans, and products to meet your unique lifestyle needs as a customer.
PJM and PUCO
The PJM Interconnection is the government-regulated entity responsible for managing the Ohio electricity grid. They forecast electricity needs across Ohio and coordinate with generators to make sure there is steady, sufficient power to keep everyone's lights on.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) regulates providers of all kinds of utility services in Ohio and enforces consumer protection laws. Ohio law requires Ohio electric and natural gas utilities to offer default supply service that you can select if you don't want to shop for retail supplier. For that reason, PUCO must also oversee the "Price to Compare" (PTC) default rates offered by Ohio electricity and natural gas utilities.
What is an Ohio Natural Gas Company
There are actually four different kinds of natural gas companies in Ohio that work together to deliver natural gas safely to your home. A Competitive Retail Natural Gas Supply (CRNGS) supplies retail natural gas plans to consumers and handles the billing and customer service aspects of your service. Behind the scenes, natural gas producers, pipeline companies, and the local utilities make sure gas gets to your home safely and reliably.
Ohio Natural Gas Sources
Ohio produces much of its own natural gas. Natural gas producers sell their gas either directly to natural gas supply companies or on the wholesale market. While most of the state's natural gas comes from wells in the eastern part of the state, some is brought up via pipelines from gas wells as far south as Texas and Lousiana. The cost of moving gas through pipelines to your local gas utility is added to the price of the gas.
Local distribution companies (LDCs)
These are regulated utility companies that are responsible for storing and distributing natural gas to customers in Ohio. The LDCs maintain the natural gas supply infrastructure in their service areas. This includes both large pipelines and the local distribution network.
Natural gas suppliers
These are companies that offer natural gas plans and pricing options to customers in Ohio. Customers can choose to purchase natural gas from one of these suppliers rather than their local utility company.
The Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC)
The OCC is an independent state agency that represents the interests of electricity and natural gas customers in Ohio. The OCC provides information and assistance to customers, and advocates for consumer protections in Ohio's electricity and natural gas markets.
Ohio Electricity and Natural Gas Utilities
These companies are primarily responsible for safely and reliably delivering electricity or natural gas to your home. Electric utilities must maintain their poles and wires while natural gas utilities look after their network of pipes and valves.
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CenterPoint (formerly Vectren Energy)
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Cleveland Electric Illuminating
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Ohio Electric Company FAQs
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Can you choose your own energy supplier company in Ohio?
- Instead of being forced to buy electricity directly from the local electric utility, Energy Choice provides Ohio consumers the opportunity to select their own electrical supplier. In Ohio, price reductions, the development of new electric programs, and enhancements to customer service can all result from competition among energy suppliers.
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When can you switch electricity suppliers in Ohio without penalty?
- Providers must notify their customers no less than 45 days before their contract ends. Usually, if the move is made no sooner than 14 days before the contract expiration date specified in the notice, the residential customer will not be charged an early termination fee. However, if the customer does not respond to a renewal notice, some providers will roll them directly into a variable rate which usually has a higher rate.
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Can you switch your Ohio electricity supplier at any time?
- You can change your energy supplier whenever you choose. However, many fixed-rate plans will include an "Early Termination Fee" or ETF if you decide to leave a plan before the end of the agreed-upon contract period.
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How late can you be on your Ohio electric bill before they shut it off?
- In most cases in Ohio, your monthly bill usually comes from your utility. This means you are subject to the utility's policies for late payments. Customers have at least 14 days to pay each month’s bill. If payment is not received by the time the next bill is generated, the utility may begin the disconnection process. The utility must notify customers at least 14 days before disconnection. During winter (between November 1 and April 15), consumers are entitled to a second 10-day notice before any disconnection can occur.
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How do electric companies work in Ohio?
- Generators produce electricity and sell it to Competitive Retail Electric Service (CRES), who in turn sell it to their customers. The electricity is delivered through the Ohio power grid to customers by their utility. The local utility maintains and fixes the power lines that connect to local homes and businesses. The utility also sends your monthly bill. This bill contains both your energy supply charges from your CRES and the distribution charges from your utility.
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How does my local utility charge me?
- In Ohio, there are 6 electric utilities. Each manages and maintains the powerlines that deliver electricity to homes and businesses in its service area. While consumers are free to choose their own CRES, Ohio law requires local utilities to also provide default electricity supply to those customers who choose not to shop for a retail supplier. This also protects customers from service disruptions if a supplier leaves the state.
In Ohio, the default rate is called the Price to Compare. Basically, it's the sum of the electricity supply cost plus the transmission costs for sending bulk power to the utility's switching yards. Because Ohio utilities are prohibited from making money on the default rate, Price to Compare customers are charged what their utility pays for the electricity. -
How much is an electric deposit in Ohio?
- Ohio utilities may not charge a deposit that is more than a customer's average 30-day bill plus 30 percent.
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Who are the best Ohio electricity providers?
The highest-rated electricity companies are Constellation, American Power & Gas, Frontier Utilities, Energy Harbor, CleanSky Energy, Direct Energy, and Spark Energy.
These are Ohio Energy Ratings' Gold Tier Providers. This distinction is only given to energy retailers who offer the best rates with superlative customer service with a wide range of electricity plans to choose from. Customers can rest assured when choosing these providers to be serviced by the most capable and industrious retailers in the Ohio electric market!
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Who are the lowest-cost electricity providers in Ohio?
The Ohio electric companies with the cheapest rates are Public Power with 2 plans starting at 8.7¢/kWh, APG&E with 5 plans starting at 9.3¢/kWh, Constellation with 1 plan starting at 9.4¢/kWh, and Energy Harbor with 4 plans starting at 9.5¢/kWh.
Here is Ohio Energy Ratings' full portfolio of over 90+ electric providers to choose from!-
What are the cheapest electricity plans in Ohio?
The plans with the lowest rates this week are Residential Clean Energy Plan from American Power & Gas starting at 6.9¢/kWh, Electric 12 Month Fixed Rate WITH MRC from Public Power starting at 8¢/kWh, Monthly Plan from Provision Power & Gas starting at 8¢/kWh, and True Simple 4 from APG&E starting at 8.7¢/kWh.
Here are other 90+ electricity companies with affordable plans!-
Who are the best Ohio natural gas providers?
The highest-rated natural gas companies are Constellation, American Power & Gas, Frontier Utilities, Energy Harbor, CleanSky Energy, Direct Energy, and Spark Energy.
These are Ohio Energy Ratings' Gold Tier Providers. This distinction is only given to energy retailers who offer the best rates with superlative customer service with a wide range of natural gas plans to choose from. Customers can rest assured when choosing these providers to be serviced by the most capable and industrious retailers in the Ohio gas market!
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Who are the lowest-cost natural gas providers in Ohio?
The Ohio gas companies with the cheapest rates are Energy Harbor with 4 plans starting at $0ccf, Direct Energy with 2 plans starting at $0.379ccf, Symmetry Energy Solutions with 2 plans starting at $0.599ccf, and Santanna Energy Services with 1 plan starting at $0.669ccf.
Here is Ohio Energy Ratings' full portfolio of over 90+ gas providers to choose from!-
What are the cheapest natural gas plans in Ohio?
The plans with the lowest rates this week are Safe Harbor Gas 12 from Energy Harbor starting at $0ccf, Safe Harbor Gas 15 from Energy Harbor starting at $0ccf, Safe Harbor Gas 24 from Energy Harbor starting at $0ccf, and Safe Harbor Gas 36 from Energy Harbor starting at $0ccf.
Here are other 90+ natural gas companies with affordable plans!
Other Providers
We have not vetted and do not sell plans for these electricity and natural gas companies in Ohio. However, they may still serve customers in Ohio and are included for historical and educational purposes.
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Snyder Brothers Energy Marketing
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How to Compare Ohio Electricity and Natural Gas Suppliers?
Each electricity provider in Ohio tries to offer something different and unique to their customers. They might have Rewards programs for loyal customers. They could offer special products for your home that improve your energy efficiency. Or they might just try to get you a low rate with no frills! (Hey, who doesn't like a good deal!). When you compare these plans and products, think about what kinds of things are important to you - then we can help you find the right company and product for your situation.
Common Ohio Electricity Plans and Prices
Most Ohio retail electricity companies offer the most popular kind of plan - a fixed rate 12 month plan. The 'fixed rate' means that the amount the electricity provider charges you for each kilowatt-hour you use will be quite stable from month to month. The '12 month plan' means that they guarantee you that rate for 12 months, and in exchange, you promise to buy electricity from them for the next 12 months.
There are other types of plans available as well, such as shorter 6-month fixed rate plans, month-to-month plans with variable rates, or even plans that can last for 2 years or more.
How Ohio Energy Ratings Rates Companies
We use our decades of combined experience in the Ohio electricity market to evaluate Ohio electric companies on a variety of factors. We review customer service, plan selection, deposit policies, customer service quality, customer reviews, and other indicators to determine how a given electric provider stacks up against the competition.
After we compile the data, we boil it down to a few key areas, and give each area a score between 1 and 5, with 5 being best. Then we collate the scores and award a Gold, Silver or Bronze ranking for those providers.