Who is my electric supplier? How to tell from your bill

Maybe you said yes to someone on the phone years ago and don't remember the details. Maybe you see a company name on your bill that you don't know. Or maybe you just want to be sure.

Here is how to tell if you have an electric or gas supplier, and what to do if you never agreed to one.

What is a supplier, and how is it different from my utility?

Your utility is the company that owns the wires or gas pipes, reads your meter and fixes outages. You can't change it. It depends on where you live.

A supplier is a company that sells you the electricity or gas itself. In Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois, you can buy that part from a supplier instead of your utility. If you never picked one, you pay your utility's standard price.

Either way, your utility still delivers the power or gas. In most cases you still get one bill from your utility.

Where does a supplier's name show on my bill?

Look at the part of your bill for the electricity or gas itself. It is often called "supply" or "generation." Delivery charges are in a different section.

The Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC), the state's office for home utility customers, says that after someone signs up with a supplier, "most consumers will see the marketer's charges separately identified on their monthly utility bill." (A marketer is another word for a supplier.)

Here is what to look for in each state:

• Ohio electric: look for a section with a company name next to the price for the electricity you used. The OCC says you can also confirm you are on the standard price "by contacting their utility or reviewing their bill."
• Ohio gas: the OCC says to check for "SCO" on your gas bill. SCO stands for Standard Choice Offer, the gas company's standard price.
• Illinois: the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), a consumer group, says to "Check the 'Supply' section of your bill to see if you're with an alternative supplier."
• Pennsylvania: look at the generation or supply part of the bill. If a company other than your utility is listed there, you have a supplier.

Bills change their layout over time. If you can't tell, call the number on your bill and ask, "Am I on your standard price, or do I have a supplier?"

I see a company name, but I never switched. Why?

There are three common reasons.

1. You live in a city or town with a program

Some cities and towns buy electricity (and in Ohio, sometimes gas) for everyone in town. Most of these programs are "opt-out." The OCC says residents "are automatically enrolled unless the household chooses to opt out." So a company can show up on your bill even though you never signed anything yourself.

You should have gotten a letter about it first. You can usually leave. See Ohio energy aggregation: how to opt out or Illinois town programs (municipal aggregation).

2. Your gas company shows a name on the standard price

If you have Columbia Gas of Ohio, you will see a supplier's name even if you never switched. Columbia says of its standard price: "You'll see the name of a gas supplier on your bill." That is normal. It does not mean you signed a contract.

3. You were switched without saying yes

This is called slamming. The OCC says: "Slamming is the unauthorized switch of your energy supplier." Plug In Illinois, the state's electric choice site, says: "The law prohibits switching customers without the customer's authorization."

If I only see my utility's name, do I have a supplier?

Probably not. If the supply part of your bill lists only your utility, you are most likely paying its standard price. That is not a bad thing. The OCC has found that the utility's standard price "is frequently the most cost-effective option in the long-run."

What should I do if I was switched without saying yes?

Act quickly. Here are the steps.

1. Call your utility. The OCC says: "If you believe you have been slammed, or a company is listed on your electric or natural gas bill that you do not recognize, contact your utility and inquire about the change."
2. Ask to be put back. Ask to go back to what you had before, and "for any charges related to the unwanted switch to be removed from your bill."
3. Tell the state. Call your state's utility office and name the company (see the phone numbers below).
4. Write it all down. Note the date, who you spoke with, and any reference numbers they give you.

Will I have to pay a fee if I was slammed?

You should not.

• Ohio: the OCC says: "You should not be charged any penalties by the slamming company and your account should be credited for any switching fees." Ohio's rule (Ohio Adm. Code 4901:1-10-29 (opens a new tab)) says a customer who goes back to the standard price because of slamming "will not be liable for any costs or penalties" for going back.
• Illinois: home customers can leave an electric or gas supplier at any time with no fee to leave, slammed or not. CUB says you "should be able to leave it without paying an 'exit fee,' under Illinois law."
• Pennsylvania: call your utility or the supplier right away. If you report it within your first two billing periods after you should have noticed, and it turns out you never agreed, you don't have to pay the supplier's charges for that time. You also get switched back with no fee. (52 Pa. Code § 57.177 (opens a new tab))

How do I catch a switch early?

When a supplier signs you up, your utility mails you a letter. Read every letter from your utility. If it names a company you don't know, call your utility that day.

In most states, that letter also starts your window to cancel for free:

• Ohio electric: 7 days from the postmark on the utility's letter (Ohio Adm. Code 4901:1-10-29 (opens a new tab)). Call your utility.
• Ohio gas: 7 business days from the postmark on the gas company's letter (Ohio Adm. Code 4901:1-29-10 (opens a new tab)). Call or write to your gas company.
• Pennsylvania: the window starts with the supplier's written terms, not the utility's letter. You have 3 business days after you get those terms (the disclosure statement) to cancel. Your utility still mails you a letter "by the end of the next business day" after it hears about the switch (52 Pa. Code § 57.173 (opens a new tab)). If you never asked for the switch, call your utility that day.
• Illinois electric: 10 days after your utility processes the switch. Plug In Illinois says "The utility will notify the customer in writing of the scheduled enrollment and the name of the new supplier."
• Illinois gas: 10 business days after the date on the gas company's letter. Call the gas company or the supplier. See Illinois gas suppliers: Nicor, Peoples Gas and North Shore.

To lower the chance of being slammed, keep your account number to yourself. Plug In Illinois advises sharing details like your name, address, phone number and account number only when you are ready to change suppliers. See What to do when an energy salesman knocks.

What to do next

• Get a free check. Send me your bill at the free check. I'll tell you if you have a supplier, what you pay, and whether your utility's standard price would cost less.
• Plain answers: the Help page covers scams, slamming and who to call.
• See prices for your state: Ohio, Pennsylvania or Illinois.

Who to call

• Ohio: the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) at 1-800-686-7826, or the Ohio Consumers' Counsel at 1-877-742-5622.
• Pennsylvania: the PA PUC at 1-800-692-7380, or the Office of Consumer Advocate at 1-800-684-6560.
• Illinois: the Illinois Commerce Commission at 1-800-524-0795, or the Citizens Utility Board at 1-800-669-5556.

Judy Saves will never call you or knock on your door. If someone asks for your account number, you can say no.