Help for Ohio

No. Your lights and heat stay on.

Your power company still brings power to your home and fixes outages.

It still reads your meter. In most cases it still sends your bill.

The company that sets your price is not allowed to shut off your power.

If that company goes out of business, your power company keeps your power on. You go back to its standard price.

Gas works the same way. Your gas company still delivers your gas and sends your bill.

Not always. Savings are not promised.

Ohio's consumer office says that, in the past, people who switched spent more than people who did not.

Some prices can go up each month. Some plans have fees.

That is why we check the math for you, fees included.

No. That is against the law. It is called slamming.

If it happens, call your utility and the PUCO.

You should not have to pay any fees for a switch you did not ask for.

You call the company that will set your new price. You do not call your electric or gas company.

That company tells your utility for you.

You can also sign up on the company's website.

Have your bill ready.

The company will ask for a number from your bill. Which number depends on your utility.

On Judy Saves, the steps under our pick tell you where to look.

Only give that number to a company you have decided to switch to.

The change happens on the day your meter is read.

For electric, most people see the new price on their bill in 1 to 2 months. Sometimes it takes 3.

For gas, it can take up to 2 bills.

Yes. After you sign up, your electric or gas company mails you a letter.

For electric, you have 7 days from the date stamped on that letter to cancel for free.

For gas, you have 7 business days. Weekends and holidays don't count.

Call the company that sent the letter, at the number on the letter.

Ask for a cancellation number and write it down.

Yes. You can go back any time.

For electric, call your power company and say: "I want to go back to standard service."

For gas, call your gas company or the company that sets your price. Ask to go back to the standard price.

If your contract is not over, the company that sets your price may charge a fee to leave early.

The electric standard price can change a few times a year. The gas standard price changes every month.

The company must mail you a notice 45 to 90 days before your plan ends.

Read it closely. Many plans start again on their own.

The new price can be higher. It can also change every month.

If your plan does not start again, you go back to your utility's standard price.

Look for a letter that talks about your contract "expiration."

Check the new price and the number of months.

If you do nothing, you may be moved to a price that changes each month.

For gas, a plan that starts again on its own may bring a second notice. It must show the new price.

Come back to Judy Saves when the letter comes. We will check your choices again.

Some plans charge a fee if you leave early.

When we last counted electric plans in FirstEnergy areas, most had no fee.

The rest charged up to $200.

The gas plans we looked at charged from nothing up to $220.

We did not find a top limit on this fee in Ohio's rules.

The fee must be listed before you sign up.

If you move out of the company's area, you can leave with no fee.

Some plans add a set charge every month. It is on top of the price for your electricity or gas.

When we compare plans, we count it in our math.

Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison do not charge you to go back.

The other power companies say you can go back any time.

Your old contract may still have its own fee to leave early.

"I'm with the power company." A company selling price plans may not say it is your power company.

"I'm from the city" or "This is a government program." Sellers must say which company they work for.

"Can I see your bill?" or "Read me your account number." That number lets someone switch you. Don't share it unless you have decided to switch.

"You're guaranteed to save." No one can promise that.

"This low price is just for the first month or two." That is a teaser. The price can jump a lot after that.

"You have to decide today." You never have to decide on the spot.

"Everyone has to pick a new company." That is not true. If you do nothing, your utility keeps serving you.

"You can't cancel." You can. After your utility mails you a letter, you have 7 days for electric, or 7 business days for gas.

You never have to open the door.

A seller must wear a photo badge and say which company they work for.

They must leave when you ask.

They may only knock from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., unless your town has other rules.

If someone pushes you or will not leave, call the PUCO.

No. Judy Saves never calls you or knocks on your door.

If someone says they are from Judy Saves, hang up.

Call 1-800-686-7826. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you have trouble hearing or speaking, call 7-1-1.

Call them about pushy sellers, a switch you did not ask for, or other problems.

Call 1-877-742-5622. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This state office speaks up for people who pay utility bills.

Call your power company if the power goes out.

Call your utility to cancel a switch in the time its letter gives you.

FirstEnergy outage line: 1-888-544-4877. This is for Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison.

Other companies list their numbers on your bill.

Yes, if your gas comes from Enbridge Gas Ohio, Columbia Gas of Ohio, Duke Energy Ohio or CenterPoint Energy Ohio.

Your gas company still brings gas to your home and sends your bill.

Only the company that sets the price for your gas changes.

If you never picked a company, you pay your gas company's standard price.

It follows the market price of natural gas, plus a set amount.

So it changes every month.

Your gas company may call it the Standard Choice Offer. Duke Energy calls it the Standard Service Offer.

Your bill shows gas in Ccf or Mcf.

Ccf means a hundred cubic feet of gas. Mcf means a thousand cubic feet.

So 1 Mcf is the same as 10 Ccf.

Enbridge Gas Ohio uses Mcf. Columbia, Duke and CenterPoint use Ccf.

Some gas companies print a company name even on their standard price.

Columbia Gas says you will see a company name on your bill either way.

So a name on the bill does not mean you signed up for a plan.

Judy checks your price against the standard price to tell the difference.

No. If you are on PIPP Plus, you cannot choose a different company to set your electric or gas price.

You also cannot join a city program.

If you join PIPP Plus while you have a contract, you go back to your utility's standard price.

There is no fee for that.

Some cities and counties buy power or gas for everyone in town as a group.

If your town does this, you are put in the program unless you say no.

To say no, send back the "opt-out" form by the date printed on it.

If you already have your own contract, you should not be added automatically.

Send back the form anyway if you want to keep your contract.

Your utility will also mail you a letter. The letter says how long you have to stay out.

Many city programs let you leave any time with no fee.

Check your program's rules to be sure.

For electric, you also get a chance to leave every three years with no switching fee.

For gas, that chance comes every two years.

To find out if your town has a program, ask your town office or call the PUCO.