Fixed Rate
Non-Renewable
Variable Rate
Renewable
CenterPoint Energy History
The Dayton Gas Light and Coke Company began supplying Dayton with coal-gas for street lighting in 1848. But after 40 years of monopoly it was challenged by the Dayton Natural Gas Company which bid to pipe cheap natural gas from gas fields in northwestern Ohio to Dayton. In 1893, this company had changed its name to Dayton Gas & Fuel Company.
In March, 1910 the battle between coal gas and natural gas ended when Dayton Gas & Fuel Company mergered with the Dayton Gas Light and Coke Company to form the Dayton Gas Company. The new company then set about supplying the city with both artificial and nature gas without competition. Ultimately, however, the rival electric utility, Dayton Power and Light (DP&L), bought the Dayton Gas Company in 1925.
In 2000, deregulation woes forced DP&L to sell its natural gas business to Vectren Energy of Indiana for $425 million. In 2018, Vectren announced it was merging with CenterPoint Energy, Inc. of Houston, TX. This merger was completed in 2019 and May of 2021, CenterPoint Energy announced it had retired the Vectren Energy name. CenterPoint Energy now uses its name and logo throughout its Ohio service territory.
The new CenterPoint Energy Company now serves 4.5 million homes and businesses in eight states. About 1.4 million of its natural gas customers live in southwestern Ohio and the greater Dayton area.
Of course, energy is not the only way to serve Ohio energy customers. CenterPoint Energy continues its community involvement in Ohio by aiding nonprofit organizations and helps to expand opportunities to encourage education, sustainability, and economic growth in the communities it serves with sponsorships, grants, and other corporate contributions.
CenterPoint Service Territory
CenterPoint services 1.4 million customers in some or all of these southwestern Ohio counties.
| Auglaize | Fayette | Pickaway |
| Butler | Greene | Preble |
| Champaign | Highland | Ross |
| Clark | Logan | Shelby |
| Clinton | Miami | Warren |
| Darke | Montgomery |
CenterPoint serves these cities:
Shop for CenterPoint Natural Gas Suppliers In Your Area.
Fixed Rate
Non-Renewable
Variable Rate
Renewable
Compare CenterPoint Natural Gas Rates
Compare alternative supplier natural gas rates
in the CenterPoint service area.
- Enter zip code.
- Select energy type.
- Choose "residential" or "business".
- Click "Shop for Rates".
Some Ohio energy service territories overlap. If the tool reports that it has found more than one serving your zip code, don't worry! Just choose your local utility from those listed.
You'll then get to see the listing of all the energy suppliers' plans available in your area, along with rates, term lengths, and links to more detail information.
How to Start New CenterPoint Service
Start your new service by calling CenterPoint customer service at 1-800-227-1376.
You can request new service by creating your CenterPoint Energy Delivery account submitting a request on-line at least one week in advance. You will also need to provide:
- Your name
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Bill delivery preferences
- Email address
- Phone number
- Address where you want service
- Landlord name and phone number if you rent the dwelling
- Date you want service to start
- Instruction for accessing the inside of the property
- Pet information
- Contact details
Once CenterPoint recieves the service request, it takes 1-3 business days to complete.
Will I Need to Pay a Deposit?
CenterPoint checks your credit worthiness before setting up an account and to determine whether you will need to pay a deposit.
Typically, CenterPoint performs an Experian credit inquiry. Typically, deposit is not required if you pass.
TIP -- Be sure to unfreeze your credit. If you have frozen your credit with any of the major credit agencies, you will need to have it temporarily unfrozen before you submit a new service request.
If CenterPoint's credit inquiry is unsuccessful, you can establish creditworthiness through one of these methods:
- The customer demonstrates they are the property owner or meets the legally-accepted practices to verify credit.
- The customer has had a prior account with CenterPoint for the same class of service within the past two years and, in the prior year of service, did not have a late bill more than twice and did not have service disconnected for nonpayment, fraud or tampering.
- Have a guarantor who is a customer with the utility company and can pay your bills within 60 days if you fail to do so
Ohio utilities are limited in the amount they can charge for a deposit. Customer deposits can be no more than the estimated average 30-day bill plus 30%.
Understand CenterPoint Delivery and Supply Charges
In Ohio, residential customers pay for their natural gas in cents per hundred cubic feet (ccf). As with other Ohio natural gas utilities, CenterPoint requires customers to pay Delivery Charges and Gas Supply charges
Understand the CenterPoint Standard Choice Offer (SCO)
The Standard Choice Offer (SCO) is a PUCO-approved default rate for the natural gas supply that you can select if you don't want to shop for retail supplier. Though how rates are determined might seem confusing, the process helps keeps prices low.
- Each April, CenterPoint sets a retail price adjustment in cents per ccf after an auction to choose SCO suppliers.
- Suppliers that place the lowest bids are selected to provide the natural gas to SCO customers.
- Each month, CenterPoint determines rates by adding the NYMEX month-end natural gas settlement price to the retail price adjustment.
- This price is then passed directly to SCO customers without mark up. By law, CenterPoint of Ohio is prohibited from profiting.
As a result, the SCO gas supply price varies from month-to-month. Sometimes it's low, sometimes it's high. And though the SCO suppliers are also competitive retail suppliers, they are bound by law to charge the SCO rate to all of CenterPoint's SCO customers.
CenterPoint Current SCO Rate
Residential: 0.369 cents per ccf
Expiration date: 6/30/2023
Customers who have signed up for the CenterPoint SCO rate in 2020 are currently served by one of four suppliers:
- Constellation New Energy-Gas Division
- DTE Gas Supply
- Ohio Natural Gas (Southstar)
- Spire Marketing, Inc.
NOTE: Some Ohio municipal utilities purchase power for their local residents. Usually residents need to pay an opt-out fee if they don't want their natural gas service to be aggregated. Check with your local government to learn how you might be effected.
How Much Does The CenterPoint SCO Cost?
According to PUCO's estimates, the average Ohio home uses roughly 100 ccf per month.
Assuming the average Ohio monthly usage rate of 100 ccf, an average CenterPoint SCO bill roughly breaks down like this:
| Rate per 100 ccf Used | Monthly Customer Charge | Total | |
| SCO Supply Rate | 0.369 cents | 0 | $36.93 |
| Monthly Distribution Charges | $0.035595 | $4.00 | $30.69 |
| Total Bill | $67.62 |
Understand Ohio Energy Choice
Ohio natural gas consumers are free to choose their own competitive retail natural gas supplier (CRNG). These alternative suppliers shop deals with different producers on the wholesale market to offer competitive rates. As such, their rates are not controlled by PUCO. This way, retail suppliers are able to offer competitively priced fixed rate plans for a variety of term lengths.
Though it can seem confusing, shopping natural gas plans is an easy process. The trick is finding the one that meets your needs. That's why retail natural gas suppliers in Ohio offer two types of plans:
Understand Your CenterPoint Usage
In the east north central region of the U.S., up to 55% of an average home's energy usage goes to space heating. The rest is used for heating water, running clothing dryers, and cooking. Natural gas makes up 65% of energy used for home heating in Ohio, putting it among the top 10 natural gas-consuming states.
According to PUCO's estimates, the average Ohio home uses roughly 100 ccf per month.
The best way to cut your gas bill is to reduce your usage:
CenterPoint offers its customers with CenterPoint.com accounts access to a free on-line suite of energy assessment tools to help your pinpoint ways to save energy in your home by using actual billing data from your energy bills.
Understanding Your CenterPoint Bill
Your CenterPoint bill also comes packed full of useful information to help you better understand your usage and rate. But all these different line items that can be confusing to customers. Here is where we break down the most important items. Below is a sample CenterPoint Natural Gas bill.
CenterPoint Sample Bill
- A: Account summary features the the date of the bill, the amount and date the payment is due, and the amount due if payment is late.
- B: Current charges show the supply charges, CenterPoint delivery charges, plus any past-due amounts.
- C: This account profile shows your account info, service address, and including contact info.
- D: Energy tip. CenterPoint includes useful tips on how you can save energy on every bill.
- E: The usage history can help you see your past 13 months of usage. Includes average temperature to help you better understand your usage and estimate future bills. It also shows your next scheduled meter read.
- F: This natural gas service information features the meter-read date, number of days in the billing period, and how the usage amount (in ccf) was determined.
- G: CenterPoint Energy Delivery Charges shows the cost of sending your natural gas through CenterPoint's local pipeline network to your home. This also your monthly customer charge.
- H: Gas supply charge shows the name of your supplier (whether CenterPoint SCO or a retail provider), the amount for your usage and tax.
- I: Usage history breakdown shows the amount of your monthly usage for the past 13 months.
- J: Bill stub that you send to CenterPoint listing the amount due and the amount enclosed.
- K: Contact information and your account number.
CenterPoint Coupons, Energy Promotions, Discounts, Rebates and Promo Codes
As your local natural gas utility, CenterPoint offers several rebate and energy efficiency programs to help customers save money off their monthly bill by upgrading their home's energy performance. Some programs also offer money-saving incentives while others could make paying your monthly bills much easier during those expensive winter months.
| Program Name | Program Type | Benefit |
| Save with rebates on smart thermostats | Rebate Program | Available via the DP&L (now AES Ohio) Marketplace: $50 off Energy Star listed"Smart" Wi-Fi enabled thermostat $30 off "Basic" Wi-Fi enabled thermostat programmable thermostats. |
| Get an rebate for an Energy Star certified residential natural gas heating system. | Rebate Program |
|
| Insulation & Home Sealing Rebates | Rebate Program |
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| CenterPoint Home Weatherization Program | Residential Energy Efficiency | Income-eligible homeowners and renters whose income does not exceed 300% of the poverty guidelines of the Federal Poverty Guidelines may receive energy efficiency improvements to their homes at NO COST: |
| PUCO Winter Reconnect Order | Bill payment assistance | Starting October 5, if your service has been shut off for non-payment or you have a shutoff notice, you can maintain or restore service for just $175 plus a reconnection fee - no matter how much you owe. Call CenterPoint Customer Service. |
| Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) | Bill payment assistance | Federal grant to help pay your winter heating bills.To qualify for HEAP, your annual household income cannot exceed 175% of the poverty guidelines. |
| Winter Crisis Program | Bill payment assistance | Runs from November 1, 2020 to May 1, 2021 for customers whose service is shut off for non-payment or have received a shutoff notice. |
| Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus) | Bill payment assistance | Helps eligible Ohioans manage their energy bills year- round. Payments are based on a percentage of household income and are consistent year-round. To qualify your annual household income cannot exceed 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. |
| Share the Warmth, Inc. | Bill payment assistance | CenterPoint partners with the Share the Warmth Foundation to assist income-eligible households with home weatherization measures to reduce their energy bills. Annual funds are distributed to Ohio Low Income Weatherization Assistance Programs. |
| Equal Payment Plans | Bill payment assistance | CenterPoint offers a variety of payment plans that allow you to avoid spiking mid-winter bills or to pay your past due balance over a period of pre-determined months. |
CenterPoint Reviews
Because CenterPoint serves a large segment market, understanding how it compares to other large-scale incumbant utilities can show just how well it serves its residential customers. CenterPoint (as Vectren in Ohio) is accredited with the BBB. It is well-rated in J.D. Power's 2021 utility residential customer satisfaction study. The utility also rated well in Escalent's 2021 Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential study.
| OH Energy Ratings Score | Better Business Bureau | J.D. Power 2021 Gas Utility Study | Escalent 2021 Utility Study |
| N/A | Not Accredited | 751 of 1000 pts |
666 of 1000 pts |
How do I Get the Cheapest CenterPoint Rate?
Shopping for a new CenterPoint Energy Choice Plan can seem bewildering at first. Once you understand how it works, though, it's an easy and straightforward process. That said, you should have these three things with you when you shop for natural gas.
- Your current bill. Your past usage per billing period can help you estimate a how much a plan might cost you each month.
- The current CenterPoint SCO rate and expiration date. Knowing the current CenterPoint of Ohio Standard Choice Offer gives you a price to compare with retail gas suppliers. This way, you can get a better feel for what they're offering, for how long, and if any of their incentives make their price work for your family's need.
- Your CenterPoint of Ohio customer account number. This 19 digit number begins with "0 3". Having it handy lets you sign up for retail supplier offers right away.
CenterPoint Shopping Questions
Often when you know the right questions to ask you'll learn exactly what you need to save money or avoid making a bad choice. When you shop for natural gas service in Ohio, always be sure to ask these important questions:
- Is the rate competitive with the SCO?
- Is the rate variable or is it fixed?
- How long does the plan last?
- What happens when the contract expires?
- Does the plan have any recurring charges?
- Does the plan come with an early cancellation fee?
- Does the supplier offer any customer incentives or rewards?
There are also some other important things to understand ahead of time:
Who bills me? CenterPoint sends a single bill that outlines and adds up your monthly charges.
What are the Terms of Service? The Terms of Service explain and identify specific charges and any fees a customer will face when they sign up for an natural gas plan. Many suppliers offer different rates for plans with different term lengths. All Ohio natural gas customers should read and understand the terms of service and contract summary for any plan they are interested in before they sign on to the plan.
What are early termination fees? Switching retail suppliers before a contract ends can involve paying early termination fees. These can take a chomp out of your checking account you if you want to switch retail providers before your natural gas plan contract ends.
Where can I find more information on my usage? CenterPoint customers can request up to 24 months of their gas usage plus other relevant information free of charge.
Read CenterPoint Customer Reviews
Compare Ohio Natural Gas Rates in Your Area
Natural Gas Service Out? Do You Smell Gas? Contact CenterPoint!
Problems or interruptions with your CenterPoint natural gas supply? Here's the proper people to call:
Aging natural gas pipeline need to be replaced to maintain safety and reliability. If you have a service interruption, not only shuould yo call CenterPoint but you can also check CenterPoint's Projects Map to see if these projects are affecting your service.
What If You Smell Natural Gas?
Natural gas leaks are extremely dangerous. Any kind of spark can ignite an explosion. Leave the area immediately if:
Don't try to find the source of the leak. Just stop what you're doing and move to a safe distance at least 350 feet away.
Call 911 immediately and then notifiy CenterPoint of Ohio at 1-800-227-1376!
CenterPoint of Ohio Providers
| Company | Rating | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Constellation | (4.5/5) |
855-798-9075 |
| American Power & Gas | (4/5) |
866 682 9816 |
| Frontier Utilities | (3.9/5) |
877-291-6554 |
| Energy Harbor | (3.9/5) |
855-848-6477 |
| Tomorrow Energy | (3.7/5) |
888-392-8329 |
| CleanSky Energy | (3.7/5) |
800-581-1016 |
| Santanna Energy Services | (3.6/5) |
866-604-2505 |
| XOOM Energy | (3.5/5) |
|
| Symmetry Energy Solutions | (3.4/5) |
888-549-1087 |
| Direct Energy | (3.3/5) |
844-225-3948 |
| Provision Power & Gas | (3.3/5) |
866-929-2842 |
| Mercury Energy | (3.2/5) |
800-484-2785 |
| NRG Home | (3/5) |
|
| Major Energy | (2.7/5) |
|
| APG&E | (2.1/5) |
|
| Rushmore Energy | (2/5) |
|
| SFE Energy | (2/5) |
|
| ENGIE | (2/5) |
|
| National Gas & Electric | (2/5) |
|
| Sunwave Gas & Power | (2/5) |
|
| AEP Energy | (2/5) |
|
| OHG&E | (2/5) |
|
| 22 results | ||
© 2023 OH Energy Ratings — Rates as of
