Ohio Energy Choice

What is Ohio Energy 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 program, Ohio energy customers can shop around for their Ohio electricity supplier in much the same way as we shop around for deals on a new TV.

How Ohio Energy Choice Works

Under the program, everyone from a single homeowner to a large business can compare electricity supliers in an Apples to Apples manner to find the best deals on their gas and electric supplies. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio oversees the state's Energy Choice program. They certify and license all competitive retail electric service (CRES) who sell plans to customers throughout the state.

For homeowners, in particular, residential electric suppliers OH now number more than ever before. The Ohio Energy Choice market is more competitive than ever, 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.

Your Local Utilities' Role

Before Energy Choice, the local utility generated, sold, and delivered power to all their electricity customers within their service area. Under deregulation, Energy Choice gives customers the opportunity to shop for the energy supplier that meets their needs. So while the local utility still delivers the natural gas or electricity to their home, customers don't have to buy energy from them. They can choose the energy company that offers them the best deal.

Customers don't need to purchase any additional equipment to receive power from a retail electricity supplier. That's because your local utility is still responsible for the actual poles, wires, and control equipment that delivers power reliably to your home. So, if there is a power outage or a downed power line or any other similar problem, you still need to contact them.

Choosing a Supplier

When Energy Choice began, some consumers were cautious about switching to a retail electric supplier because they worried some providers were not approved by state. From the beginning, PUCO's job has been to certify and license all Ohio energy providers. PUCO also requires them to list their plans and offers on the Energy Choice website. This way, the Energy Choice Ohio web site works as neutral agent that lists all approved providers equally and without favoring one over another.

But while the Energy Choice website doesn't favor one provider over another or recommend the best ones, it also doesn't identify which companies get the most customer complaints or those that offer dodgy deals. As the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) warns, "Some offers are good apples. But many can be bad or even rotten.

Better informed consumers always make the best choices. This is why Ohio Energy Ratings helps inform Ohio's energy consumers about the state's energy market. This way, customers find out about the best kind of deals to shop for and what to avoid.

Complaints and Problems

Not every customer will always have the best experience with their provider or their utility. If you have problem with either, it's best to try to resolve it by contacting them directly. However, if you are unhappy about anything regarding your service from your energy provider or your local utility, you can file a complaint through the PUCO website.

Also, if you believe your power supplier has been switched without your consent or you believe you're the victim of a utility-related scam, contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office at 1-800-282-0515 or file an online complaint form at www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov.