Is it safe to switch my electric supplier? (Your power stays on)

This is the question I hear most: "If I switch, will my lights go off?"

No. Switching only changes who sets the price for the electricity you use. The wires to your home stay the same.

What stays the same (Ohio)

When you switch to a new company in Ohio, your power company (such as Ohio Edison, AEP Ohio or Duke Energy Ohio) still:

• brings power to your home,
• fixes outages, and
• reads your meter.

If the power goes out, you still call your power company, just like before.

In most cases you still get one bill from your power company. The new company's charges show up as their own section on it. A few companies send a separate bill instead, so ask which way they do it.

A supplier is not allowed to shut off your power or threaten to. And if a supplier goes out of business, your power company keeps your power on and moves you back to its standard price.

You can change your mind (Ohio)

After you sign up, your power company mails you a letter. You have 7 days from the date stamped on that letter to cancel for free.

To cancel, call your power company (not the new company) and ask for a cancellation number. Write that number down.

If you cancel, you stay with whoever you had before.

You can go back (Ohio)

You can go back to your power company's standard price at any time. Your power company does not charge a fee for this. But if you leave a contract early, the company you signed with may charge a fee to cancel, so check your contract first.

In Pennsylvania

The rules are a little different in Pennsylvania:

• Changing your mind: you have 3 business days after you get the company's written terms (called the disclosure statement) to cancel at no cost. You can cancel in writing, by phone or online.
• A letter from your utility: your utility mails you a letter to confirm the switch by the end of the next business day.
• How fast it happens: the switch usually takes about 3 business days after your utility gets the request.
• Going back: call your utility and ask to return to default service. A fee from your contract may apply.
• Door-to-door sellers: they must show a badge, tell you they don't work for your utility, and leave when you ask them to.

You can see the offers for your area at papowerswitch.com (opens a new tab).

Who to call with questions

• 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.

Judy Saves will never call you or knock on your door. If someone says they are "from the power company" and wants your account number, you can hang up or close the door.

For more plain answers, see the Help page.