Ohio Electricity Choice

Shopping around for the best deal is something many of us do for almost all aspects of our life.  We love a bargain and to cut down what we spend on essentials to free up more cash for the luxuries in life.  One of the most essential items is electricity in our homes and under the Ohio Energy Choice scheme, residents of the state can now shop around for their Ohio electricity supplier in much the same way as we shop around for deals on a new TV.

What is Energy Choice?

Under the scheme, everyone from a single homeowner to a large business can compare electricity supliers in an Apples to Apples manor to find the best deals on their gas and electric supplies.  The scheme is overseen by PUCO, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and they give certificates to the companies who are allowed to sell these services across the state.

For homeowners, in particular, residential electric suppliers OH now number more than ever before.  This means that there is more competition in the market with suppliers offering deals, prices and other incentives to get and retain customers.  This also means that customers have far greater control over who supplies them with power.

The place of local utilities

Before Energy Choice, residents simply received their power from whichever of the local utilities covered their geographical area.  Under the new scheme, customers have the right to choose any company offering them a price for their needs.  This means they don’t have to use the local utility if their price isn’t the best or their deal doesn’t suit their needs.

However, the local utility is still responsible for the actual poles, wires and equipment that is required to deliver the power to your home.  So, if there is a power cut, you would go to your local utility to find out what the problem is or to report downed power lines or other problems you have noticed.  You don’t need to purchase any additional equipment to receive power from a different supplier either.

Choosing a supplier

Another reason people have said they were cautious about changing supplier is that they might not get an official recognized company and could have problems.  This is where PUCO come in – they have a list of the approved suppliers in the state so when you look at comparison websites, you can then check the details of the company in question with PUCO to make sure they are licensed.  If you use a quality comparison site, this isn’t an issue anyway as they will only allow approved suppliers to list on the site.

Complaints and problems

If you are unhappy about anything regarding your service, you can approach the company in question while there is also a complaints process through PUCO’s website.  If you think your power has been switched from one supplier to another without your consent, you can contact PUCO who will start a ‘slamming’ investigation – this is the term used for people who have been switched without their consent.