IGS Energy in Ohio: what it charges, what the fees are and how to leave

IGS's prices range from 12.29¢ upward, depending on your utility and the length of the plan. Each row shows the utility's price to compare, IGS's lowest and highest price in that area, and how many IGS offers beat the utility's price. Prices are cents per kWh for the power only.

IGS's offer text says an early termination fee "allows us to secure this low rate for you for the full length of the term." The phone IGS gives for questions is 877-995-4447. The chart lists each plan's term, so look at the term before you pick the lowest price.

Type the IGS price you were quoted, and your kWh. The tool shows what it costs a month against your utility's price to compare. Use the price on your quote, not the one in our table, if they differ. IGS can change the offers it lists, and your quote is the one you would sign.

1. 1
   Pick your utility.

   It is on your bill.

2. 2
   Type the IGS price.

   Use cents per kWh, such as 10.5.

3. 3
   Add any monthly fee.

   Type 0 if there is none.

4. 4
   Type your kWh.

   Use the "kWh used" line on your bill.

The result is an estimate of the supply price only. It leaves out delivery and taxes. Nothing you type is sent or saved.

It is the gap between the IGS price and your utility's price to compare, times your kWh. Each 1¢ of gap costs about $9 a month at 900 kWh, or $108 a year. It is a premium for the green label, not a sign of better service. At AEP Ohio, IGS's lowest price was 12.69¢ against a price to compare of 10.19¢.

Is that a fair price for green? IGS says its green plans match your use with renewable energy credits. A credit is a certificate that says a megawatt-hour of renewable power was made somewhere. It does not change the power that reaches your home. At NOPEC, a northeast Ohio group program, the same kind of 100% renewable content adds 0.35¢ per kWh to its price. Our green plans guide explains what to ask.

If you want green power, the chart shows other ways to buy it. At AEP Ohio, 35 offers state 100% renewable content, and the middle one costs 11.59¢. Only 2 of them are under the price to compare.

It depends on the plan. The table above shows the highest cancel fee IGS lists in each utility area. Your own contract sets your fee, so read it. If you leave early, a new seller may also have a fee of its own.

1. Find your contractLook for the end date, the price and the cancel fee. Ask IGS for a copy if you lost it.
2. Watch the noticesUnder Ohio's rules, a seller must send notices before a fixed term ends. Our contract ending guide shows when.
3. Compare before you leaveTest your next option in the tool. If a fee is $99, the saving must beat it.
4. Switch or go backPick a new seller from the chart, or return to your utility's price to compare.

Where a plan carries a fee over $25, Ohio's renewal rules apply in a stricter form. Under PUCO's rules, a plan with a cancel fee over $25 cannot renew on its own. The seller must ask for your yes, and with no answer you go back to your utility. The 7-day rule also applies when you sign: your utility must send a letter confirming a switch, and you have seven days from its postmark date to stop it.

Ask for the company's name, the agent's photo ID and the contract in writing. Door-to-door sales of electricity are common in Ohio, and some sellers imply they work for the utility. PUCO's rules say a seller may not claim to speak for your utility when it does not.

Our supplier guide has a free tool that checks whether a name is selling to homes in your utility area. IGS also sells in Pennsylvania, where we score suppliers on public records. Read our Pennsylvania IGS review. A Pennsylvania record is not an Ohio rating.