What Ohio households pay for electricity and heat, by provider

Residential rates by utility (EIA-861, average all-in ¢/kWh)

Average price = residential revenue ÷ residential sales from each utility's federal EIA-861 filing (bundled service — supply + delivery + riders, not a quoted tariff rate). State average = 16.62¢/kWh, volume-weighted across these utilities (2024). Your distribution utility is fixed by address; these gaps measure what households in different territories actually paid. A further 73 competitive suppliers / solar lessors report energy-only or behind-the-meter sales in Ohio; their prices cover only part of the bill and are not comparable to the all-in figures above.

Can you choose your electric company in Ohio?

Electric supply choice: yes  ·  Gas supply choice: yes

Electric and gas choice statewide (Energy Choice Ohio apples-to-apples charts; SSO/SCO = price-to-compare).

How to switch suppliers in Ohio (3 steps)

1. Find the price to compare (default supply rate) on your utility bill — you only save when an offer beats it for the same period.
2. Compare licensed supplier offers on the state's official shopping site: energychoice.ohio.gov. Check term, early-exit fees, and whether the rate is fixed or variable.
3. Sign up with the supplier — they handle the switch. Your utility still delivers the power, owns the wires, and responds to outages; only the supply line of the bill changes.

Heating: which fuel is cheapest per million BTU in Ohio?

Utility natural gas is the cheapest heating fuel in Ohio at $12.35/MMBTU — heating oil costs 2.8× as much per BTU. Conversions: 1 kWh = 3,412 BTU; 1 therm = 100,000 BTU; heating oil 138,500 BTU/gal; propane 91,452 BTU/gal. Site-energy prices — appliance efficiency changes delivered-heat cost: a 95% AFUE gas furnace delivers heat near the gas figure, while a heat pump at seasonal COP 2.5–3 cuts the effective electric figure by 60–70%.

Electricity price trend, last 12 months

Ohio's average residential price went from 15.83¢/kWh in Feb '25 to 17.52¢/kWh in Feb '26 — up 11% year-over-year. The 12-month peak was 17.85¢ in Oct '25.

Head-to-head utility comparisons in Ohio

• Ohio Power Co vs Duke Energy Ohio Inc — who's cheaper?
• Ohio Power Co vs Ohio Edison Co — who's cheaper?
• Ohio Power Co vs Dayton Power & Light Co — who's cheaper?
• Ohio Power Co vs Cleveland Electric Illum Co — who's cheaper?
• Ohio Power Co vs South Central Power Company — who's cheaper?
• Ohio Power Co vs The Toledo Edison Co — who's cheaper?
• Duke Energy Ohio Inc vs Ohio Edison Co — who's cheaper?
• Duke Energy Ohio Inc vs Dayton Power & Light Co — who's cheaper?
• Duke Energy Ohio Inc vs South Central Power Company — who's cheaper?
• Ohio Edison Co vs Dayton Power & Light Co — who's cheaper?

Questions people ask

Who has the cheapest electricity in Ohio?

South Central Power Company, at an average 14.9 cents per kWh for 2024 among Ohio utilities with at least 50,000 customers (EIA-861). The most expensive, Ohio Power Co, averaged 19.3 cents — a difference of about $482 per year at 10,800 kWh.

Can I choose my electric company in Ohio?

You cannot choose the utility that delivers power — that is set by your address. Ohio does allow residential supply choice: you may buy the supply portion from a licensed competitive supplier if it beats your utility's price to compare. The official shopping site is energychoice.ohio.gov.

Is gas or electric heat cheaper in Ohio?

Per million BTU of site energy, utility natural gas was $12.35 (Feb 2026) versus $51.35 for electric resistance heat, $34.12 for heating oil. A heat pump delivering 2.5-3 units of heat per unit of electricity brings electric heating to roughly $17-21 per MMBTU.

What is the average electric bill in Ohio?

At Ohio's February 2026 average price of 17.52 cents/kWh and typical usage of 900 kWh per month, a household pays about $158 per month ($1892 per year) for electricity. Actual bills vary with usage, utility territory, and tariff.