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Judy Saves

Ohio · Gas

Why your Ohio gas price changes every month

Written by Judy

· 3 min read

Have you noticed that the price on your gas bill is different almost every month? If you never picked a gas supplier, that is normal. Here is why.

The standard price

If you have not signed up with a gas supplier, you pay your gas company's standard price. Most Ohio gas companies call it the Standard Choice Offer, or SCO. It is the standard price for Enbridge Gas Ohio, Columbia Gas of Ohio and CenterPoint Energy Ohio. Duke Energy Ohio calls its version the Standard Service Offer, or SSO.

Two parts, added together

The standard price is made of two parts:

  1. The market price of gas. This comes from a big national market in New York where gas is bought and sold. Near the end of each month, that market settles on a price. That closing price is used for the next month.
  2. A set add-on. Each year, your gas company holds an auction. Suppliers bid, and the result is an extra amount added on top of the market price. The state calls it the retail price adjustment.

Market price + add-on = your standard price.

The add-on stays the same for a year. From April 2026 through March 2027 it is:

  • Enbridge Gas Ohio: 70 cents per Mcf
  • Columbia Gas of Ohio: $2.25 per Mcf
  • CenterPoint Energy Ohio: $1.65 per Mcf

Duke's works in a similar way, with its own add-on of $4.00 per dekatherm (another unit for gas). Duke also has an extra part that it adjusts every few months.

Why it moves every month

The add-on is steady, but the market price is not. It is set again every month. So your standard price goes up when the market goes up, and down when it goes down.

Here is what the standard price was for September 2026:

  • Enbridge Gas Ohio: $3.607 per Mcf (September 10 to October 8)
  • CenterPoint Energy Ohio: $0.476 per Ccf (September 1 to 30)
  • Duke Energy Ohio: $0.9949 per Ccf (September 1 to 30)

Columbia's price for August 27 to September 27 was $0.5157 per Ccf.

Enbridge and Columbia don't use calendar months. Their price periods follow their meter-reading dates.

Mcf and Ccf: two ways to measure gas

Gas is measured by volume. A Ccf is one hundred cubic feet. An Mcf is one thousand cubic feet, so 1 Mcf = 10 Ccf.

Enbridge bills in Mcf. Columbia, CenterPoint and Duke bill in Ccf. When you compare prices, make sure both are in the same unit.

Why winter bills are so much bigger

Even when the price holds steady, your bill won't. Homes use much more gas in the cold months. For an average Ohio home, January alone is about 19% of the gas used in a whole year. July is less than 2%.

A name on your bill doesn't mean you switched

If you are with Columbia Gas and you see a supplier's name on your bill, that does not always mean you signed up with someone. Columbia customers on the standard price are assigned a supplier, and that name shows on the bill.

What you can do

A supplier with a fixed price keeps the same price per unit for the length of the contract, no matter what the market does. That can make your bills easier to plan. Just check for a fee to cancel and a monthly fee before you sign.

You can see every gas offer for your area at energychoice.ohio.gov (opens a new tab). And the Help page has more plain answers about switching.