How to compare electricity rates in Ohio, from price to total cost

Compare five things: the price per kWh, any monthly fee, how long the price holds, what it costs to leave and what happens at the end. Ohio rules say a seller must list every price and fee, the contract length and any penalty for ending the deal early.

A variable price must come with a formula based on public data. If a seller uses a simple list of factors instead, the rule says it cannot charge an early termination fee. That is worth knowing before you sign a variable deal.

The state charts put all of these side by side for your utility. Our guide on reading the PUCO chart explains each column. This page is about the next step: pricing one offer for the full term.

Pick your utility. Enter the offer's price, its monthly fee, its length, its cancel fee and the kWh you use in a month. There is no ZIP box. The tool prices the offer over its term, sets it against your utility's price, and says switch or don't switch.

This is an estimate of the supply part of your bill, not a bill. It uses your utility's price as we last read it, and it shows the date that price ends. After that date the answer can change, so look again. It leaves out taxes, delivery and any fee you do not type in. You can save a reminder for that date or print the result. The tool keeps nothing you type.

Try a hot month and a cold month. Your kWh is on your bill. Ohio homes that heat with electricity use far more in winter, and a flat fee counts for less when you use more.

Under the tool is a snapshot of the state's charts as we last read them. It shows how many offers beat your utility's price today, plus the lowest and the middle price.

Your bill names your utility. Find it in the table. The price is what you pay for power if you pick no seller. The date shows how long that price holds.

Offer counts and fixed prices come from the Energy Choice Ohio charts, last read October 24, 2026, and a robot keeps them current. "Fixed" means a fixed price for 12 months or more; the lowest one is the lowest with no fees. If the "price ends" date has passed when you read this, your bill holds a new price. Use that one.

What does the end date mean for you? A fixed offer may win today and lose after a reset, if your utility's price falls. It may also look weak today and win after a reset, if the price climbs. The tool shows only today's price, so read the end date as a reason to look again.

A low price on the chart can still cost you more over the term. These are the usual reasons.

The charts show a wide range. Today the highest variable price listed is 33.37¢ per kWh. Compare that with your utility's price in the table above. A variable offer is a bet that its price stays low.

Here is a made-up example. A fixed offer is 9.5¢ with a $9.95 monthly fee. At 500 kWh a month, the fee adds nearly 2¢ per kWh, so the true price is about 11.5¢. At 1,500 kWh it adds less than 1¢. The same offer can lose in a low-use month and win in a high-use one.

You can compare supply and the seller's fees. You cannot compare delivery, which your utility sets. Choosing a seller does not change who delivers your power or who fixes an outage.

Many Ohio towns buy power for all homes in the city. That rate is your price to beat if you are in one. Read about NOPEC, Columbus or Cincinnati to see how it works. You can opt out of such a program.

After the numbers, look at the company. Check that it is certified, how clear its contract is, and how easy it is to leave.

This page stays on the math. For details on a single seller, see our guides on IGS Energy, Energy Harbor and Direct Energy.

Find your price and your kWh, list two or three offers, test each one, read the terms, then sign and set a reminder.

1. 1
   Find your utility's price.

   It is on your bill, and the table above lists all six.

2. 2
   Find your kWh.

   Check a winter month and a summer month.

3. 3
   Pick offers of one kind.

   Fixed with fixed. Variable with variable.

4. 4
   Run each through the tool.

   Add the fee and the cancel fee.

5. 5
   Read the contract terms.

   Look at the end date, the cancel fee and the renewal line.

6. 6
   Sign, then set a reminder.

   After your utility confirms the switch, you have 7 days to cancel. Mark the end date of your deal and of your utility's price.

For a list of every offer in your area, the state's chart is free. To see offers on this page, use the plan finder. The finder may not show plans for every Ohio ZIP.