Vectren Energy - Get Cheap Natural Gas Rates

Vectren

What would become Vectren Corporation all started back in 1852 when John Jeffrey, an engineer who designed coal-gas supply systems, won an exclusive franchise to light the streets and stores of Evansville, Indiana. By 1853, Jeffrey incorporated his operation as the Evansville Gas Light Company. Jeffrey would go on to set up fifteen coal-gas plants throughout the midwest and Cuba.

In 1882, the company merged with the Brush Light and Power Company to form Evansville Gas and Electric Light Company. The new company flourished and expanded both its electricity and natural gas supply operations into the next decade.

By 1909, a competitor, Evansville Public Service Company began giving the Evansville Gas and Electric Light Company a run for its money. With energy demand increasing in Evansville's limited market space, it became obvious to the competitors that merging offered the better future. In 1912, both companies were made subsidiaries of the new Public Utilities holding company. But it wasn't until 1920 that the two companies fully merged operations together as Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company (SIGECO).

SIGECO successfully navigated the challenges of expanding demand through the 1930s into the 1950s by improving its pipe network and natural gas storage. The company prospered through the 1960s and 1970s with lower than average operating costs. To adapt to the competition of new deregulated markets in 1999, SIGECO merged with Indiana Gas. The deal created a new $1.9 billion holding company called Vectren Corporation.

After becoming a subsidiary of CenterPoint Energy in 2019, Vectren Energy Delivery (or Vectren) now serves 1.4 million natural gas customers in southwestern Ohio and the greater Dayton area.

Energy is not the only way the company serves its customers. Through its foundation, Vectren funds nearly 400 nonprofit organizations and helps to expand opportunities to encourage education, sustainability, and economic growth in the communities it serves. In 2018, the foundation provided over $5 million in foundation grants, sponsorships and other corporate contributions that supported the environment, education, local economies.

1. Vectren Service Territory
2. Compare Vectren Natural Gas Rates
3. How to Start New Vectren Service
4. Understand Vectren Delivery and Supply Charges
5. Understand the Vectren Standard Choice Offer (SCO)
6. How Much Does The Vectren SCO Cost?
7. Understand Ohio Energy Choice
8. Understand Your Vectren Usage
9. Understand Your Vectren Bill
10. Vectren Coupons, Energy Promotions, Discounts, Rebates and Promo Codes
11. Vectren Reviews
12. How do I get the Cheapest Vectren Rate?
13. Vectren Shopping Questions
14. Read Vectren Customer Reviews
15. Natural Gas Out? Wires Down? Here's who you contact
16. Vectren Natural Gas Service Area Providers
17. Zip Codes with the Cheapest Natural Gas Rates in Ohio

Vectren Service Territory

Vectren services 1.4 million customers in some or all of these southwestern Ohio counties.

Vectren serves these cities:

Shop for Vectren Natural Gas Suppliers In Your Area.

36 Month Fixed Rate

36 month
Fixed Rate
Non-Renewable

Safe Harbor 36

$0.65 per ccf

$0.00 MRC

The 'MRC' or 'Monthly Recurring Charge' is a fee that the provider will add to each of your bills in addition to the gas usage charges.

Check Availability

855-848-6477

More Info

12 Month Fixed Rate

12 month
Fixed Rate
Non-Renewable

Safe Harbor 12

$0.59 per ccf

$0.00 MRC

The 'MRC' or 'Monthly Recurring Charge' is a fee that the provider will add to each of your bills in addition to the gas usage charges.

Check Availability

855-848-6477

More Info

18 Month Fixed Rate

18 month
Fixed Rate
Non-Renewable

18 Month Home Natural Gas Plan

$0.60 per ccf

$0.00 MRC

The 'MRC' or 'Monthly Recurring Charge' is a fee that the provider will add to each of your bills in addition to the gas usage charges.

Check Availability

855-798-9075

More Info

Compare Vectren Natural Gas Rates

Compare alternative supplier natural gas rates
in the Vectren service area.

1. Enter zip code.
2. Select energy type.
3. Choose "residential" or "business".
4. 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 Vectren Service

Start your new service by calling Vectren customer service at 1-800-227-1376.

You can request new service by creating your Vectren 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 Vectren recieves the service request, it takes 1-3 business days to complete.

Will I Need to Pay a Deposit?

Vectren checks your credit worthiness before setting up an account and to determine whether you will need to pay a deposit.

Typically, Vectren 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 Vectren's credit inquiry is unsuccessful, you can establish creditworthiness through one of these methods:

1. The customer demonstrates they are the property owner or meets the legally-accepted practices to verify credit.
2. The customer has had a prior account with Vectren 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.
3. 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 Vectren 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, Vectren requires customers to pay Delivery Charges and Gas Supply charges

Understand the Vectren 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.

1. Each April, Vectren sets a retail price adjustment in cents per ccf after an auction to choose SCO suppliers.
2. Suppliers that place the lowest bids are selected to provide the natural gas to SCO customers.
3. Each month, Vectren determines rates by adding the NYMEX month-end natural gas settlement price to the retail price adjustment.
4. This price is then passed directly to SCO customers without mark up. By law, Vectren 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 Vectren's SCO customers.

Vectren Current SCO Rate

Residential: 0.374 cents per ccf

Expiration date: 1/31/2024

Customers who have signed up for the Vectren 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 Vectren 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 Vectren SCO bill roughly breaks down like this:

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 Vectren 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.

That means the best way to save on your natural gas bill is to reduce your usage by sealing your doors and windows against drafts, adding insulation to your attic, sealing and insulating your basement, and purchasing a programmable or smart thermostat.

Vectren offers its customers with Vectren.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 Vectren Bill

Your Vectren 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 Vectren Natural Gas bill.

Vectren 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, Vectren delivery charges, plus any past-due amounts.





C: This account profile shows your account info, service address, and including contact info.





D: Energy tip. Vectren 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: Vectren Energy Delivery Charges shows the cost of sending your natural gas through Vectren's local pipeline network to your home. This also your monthly customer charge.





H: Gas supply charge shows the name of your supplier (whether Vectren 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 Vectren listing the amount due and the amount enclosed.





K: Contact information and your account number.

Vectren Coupons, Energy Promotions, Discounts, Rebates and Promo Codes

As your local natural gas utility, Vectren 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.

Vectren Reviews

Because Vectren 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. Vectren is accredited with the BBB and was well-rated in J.D. Power's 2020 Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study.

How do I Get the Cheapest Vectren Rate?

Shopping for a new Vectren 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.

1. Your current bill. Your past usage per billing period can help you estimate a how much a plan might cost you each month.
2. The current Vectren SCO rate and expiration date. Knowing the current Vectren 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.
3. Your Vectren 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.

Vectren 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? Vectren 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? Vectren customers can request up to 24 months of their gas usage plus other relevant information free of charge.

Read Vectren Customer Reviews

Natural Gas Service Out? Do You Smell Gas? Contact Vectren!

Problems or interruptions with your Vectren 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 Vectren but you can also check Vectren'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 Vectren of Ohio at 1-800-227-1376!

Vectren of Ohio Providers

Zip Codes with the Cheapest Natural Gas Rates in Ohio