Ohio · Electric and Gas
How to use Apples to Apples in Ohio (and what to skip)
Written by Judy
· 8 min read
If you live in Ohio and have ever tried to shop for electricity or gas, someone has probably told you to "check Apples to Apples." It is a good tip. But the list can be long, and it is easy to pick the wrong offer.
Here is how I read it, one step at a time.
What is Apples to Apples?
Apples to Apples is the State of Ohio's own list of offers. It is run by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), the state office that oversees power and gas companies. You can find it at energychoice.ohio.gov (opens a new tab).
The list shows every offer from companies the state has approved to sell in your area. In the state's words, it lets you "compare prices, contract terms and other plan differences."
A few things are good to know before you start:
- There is no deadline. The state says there is no deadline to choose a supplier. If you never choose one, you still get the same reliable service.
- Savings are not promised. When the state is asked if you are sure to save, its answer is "No, there is not a guarantee."
- Not everyone can shop. Members of electric co-ops, people on PIPP (the Percentage of Income Payment Plan), and customers of city-owned power systems are not part of this program.
A quick word on names. Your utility is the company that brings power or gas to your home, such as AEP Ohio or Columbia Gas of Ohio. A supplier is a company that can sell you the power or gas itself. Your utility still delivers it either way.
Step 1: Have your bill ready
Before you open the list, grab a recent bill. You will want three things from it:
- The name of your utility. It is at the top of the bill.
- How much you use. For electric, look for kilowatt-hours (kWh), the unit that measures electricity. For gas, look for Ccf or Mcf, the units that measure gas.
- Whether you already have a supplier. If another company's name and price show up on your bill, you may already be in a contract. Check it for a fee to leave before you change anything.
A few bills are even better than one. Use goes up and down with the seasons.
Step 2: Pick electric or gas, then your utility
On the state's site, choose Compare Electric Offers or Compare Natural Gas Offers. Then pick your utility from the list. Most people will pick "residential," which means a home.
Make sure you pick the right utility. Offers are different in each area, so the list for your neighbor across the county line may not match yours.
Step 3: Find the standard price at the top
At the top of each list, the state shows your utility's own standard price. This is the price you pay today if you never picked a supplier. It is the price to beat.
- For electric, it is called the Price to Compare. It is also printed on your electric bill. I wrote more about it in What is the Price to Compare on my Ohio electric bill?
- For gas, it is called the Standard Choice Offer, or SCO. Duke Energy Ohio calls its version the Standard Service Offer. Either way, it changes every month. See Why your Ohio gas price changes every month.
The Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC), the state office that speaks up for home utility customers, gives the same advice. For electric, compare offers to the Price to Compare on your bill. For gas, compare them to the Standard Choice Offer on Apples to Apples.
Keep in mind that the standard price moves too. The OCC suggests looking at old bills to see how it has changed over time.
Step 4: Read each offer, column by column
Each row on the list is one offer. Here is what the columns mean:
- $/kWh, $/Ccf or $/Mcf. The price for each unit of electricity or gas. Gas companies use different units. 1 Mcf is 10 Ccf.
- Rate Type. Fixed means the price stays the same for the whole contract. Variable means it can change, often every month.
- Renewable content. How much of the power comes from sources like wind or sun.
- Introductory price. Tells you if the first price is a short-term starting price that will change later.
- Term Length. How many months the contract lasts.
- Early Termination Fee. What you pay if you leave the contract before it ends.
- Monthly Fee. A set charge added to each bill, no matter how much you use.
- Promotional offers. Gift cards, points or other extras.
You can sort by any column. You can also filter, for example to show only fixed prices.
Which offers should I be careful with?
The lowest price at the top of a sorted list is not always the best deal. These are the ones I look at twice.
Introductory prices
The OCC calls these teaser rates. It says a teaser rate is "low for a brief period, perhaps one to three months, then increases to a higher price for the remainder of the contract." Before you pick one, find out what the price will be after the first few months.
Variable prices
A variable price can change each month. The OCC suggests asking how often it can change and if there is any limit on how much it can go up. If the company can't explain what makes the price move, that is a warning sign. There is more on this in Fixed vs variable electric rates.
Offers with a monthly fee
A monthly fee can wipe out a lower price, especially in months when you use less.
Offers with a big fee to leave
The OCC says early termination fees "can be $100 or more." A fee like that makes it costly to leave if a better price comes along. You can read more in Early termination fees and how to leave an energy supplier.
Gifts and extras
The OCC has found that sign-up gifts like gift cards or cash back "come at a high price to consumers." Look at the price, not the prize.
Plans that renew on their own
To learn what happens when a contract ends, you have to open the company's terms. The OCC warns that many contracts "automatically renew to significantly higher monthly variable rates" if you don't act. Read the terms before you sign, and mark the end date on your calendar. See Your electric supplier contract is ending for what to do when that letter comes.
How do I do the math with fees?
To see if an offer really saves you money, do this for each month:
- Take your standard price and subtract the offer's price. That is how much you save on each unit.
- Multiply that by how much you use in a month.
- Subtract any monthly fee.
Here is a made-up example, just to show the steps. Say an offer is 1 cent per kWh below your Price to Compare. You use 800 kWh in a month. That is $8 saved. But the offer has a $5 monthly fee. So you save only $3 that month.
Now think about the whole contract. Is the price fixed the whole time, or does it jump after an intro period? Will your standard price go down during the contract? If you want out early, what is the fee?
If that sounds like a lot of work, you are right. That is why I built Judy Saves.
Or let me do the math for you
When you send me your bill, I read your utility, your use and your current price. Then I go through every offer on the state's list for your area, fees included. If nothing beats what you have by enough to matter, I tell you to keep it.
Judy Saves is not part of the State of Ohio or any utility, and I don't sell electricity or gas. I just read the state's list so you don't have to.
What to do next
- Run the free check. Send a photo of your bill and I'll compare it to every offer for your area.
- See the offers for your area: Ohio, or go straight to your utility:
- Questions? Call the PUCO at 1-800-686-7826 or the Ohio Consumers' Counsel at 1-877-742-5622. The Help page has more plain answers.