Dayton OH Electric Choice: How to Compare AES Ohio Rates
If you live or run a small business around Dayton, your electric bill has two different jobs on it. One part pays for the poles, wires, and trucks that keep the lights on. The other part pays for the electricity itself—the generation, or "supply." In Ohio, that second piece is often shoppable. You can stay on your utility's default supply rate, join a city or county buying group, or sign with a competitive supplier. The delivery utility for Dayton and much of the Miami Valley is AES Ohio¹, formerly Dayton Power & Light. This guide walks through how electric choice works in AES Ohio territory, what the Price to Compare (PTC) means in plain English, and how to line up offers without getting tripped by fees or fine print.
What "electric choice" means in Dayton
Ohio opened retail electric generation to competition through legislation commonly known as Senate Bill 3, enacted in 1999. Competitive suppliers can offer the generation portion of your bill; transmission and distribution stay with the local utility that owns the wires in your neighborhood, as the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) explains². Think of shopping for generation like choosing which online store ships a package, while the same local roads still deliver it.
Energy Choice Ohio³, the PUCO's consumer shopping site, puts it simply: you may shop for who supplies your electricity while your local utility continues to deliver it and maintain the system. Choice is optional. If you never switch, you still receive service under the utility's default generation product—the Standard Service Offer (SSO)—according to the Energy Choice Ohio FAQ⁴.
Shopping is common statewide. The PUCO reports that over two-thirds of Ohio residents² already have a competitive supplier, either chosen individually or through government aggregation (citing Ohio Customer Choice Activity as of March 2026). Generation is a big share of what you pay—roughly half of a typical bill in the PUCO's description—so comparing supply prices can matter even when delivery charges do not change.
You are not eligible for retail choice if you are on certain assistance arrangements such as the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP), or if you take service from a municipal utility or rural cooperative that does not participate, as noted in the Energy Choice Ohio FAQ⁴ and on the Apples to Apples electric category page⁵.
AES Ohio: wires company first, default supplier second
In February 2021, Dayton Power & Light rebranded as AES Ohio, the PUCO announced in Dayton Power & Light is now AES Ohio⁶. For customers, the practical takeaway is continuity: same wires company, same outage number habits, new brand name.
AES Ohio's role splits cleanly when you shop. It remains your electric distribution utility—the company that delivers power, restores outages, and bills for delivery. Separately, if you have not chosen another supplier or an aggregation product, AES Ohio also provides default generation through the SSO. AES Ohio states that customers can select supply from any PUCO-certified supplier¹, and that the PUCO's Apples to Apples tool is the place to compare offers.
Outages and wire problems still go to AES Ohio no matter who generates your power. The Energy Choice Ohio FAQ⁴ is explicit: switching suppliers does not change your distribution company, and you call the local utility when the power is out. Ohio law also treats the utility as provider of last resort—if a competitive supplier cannot meet its commitments, the utility keeps service flowing under the SSO and notifies you in writing, per the same FAQ.
On your bill, look under supply charges to see which company is currently selling you generation. AES Ohio notes that customers can identify their supplier in that section of the statement, and that community aggregation programs—if your city or township runs one—typically mail opt-out or enrollment notices when they start or renew.
The Price to Compare and AES Ohio's SSO rate
The Price to Compare is the default generation rate your utility charges if you do not shop. It is shown in dollars per kilowatt-hour ($/kWh) on residential bills and is the baseline the PUCO wants you to use against competitive offers, as described in Shopping for electricity².
For AES Ohio residential customers, the typical PTC for June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027 is $0.1086 per kWh, according to both the PUCO's shopping briefing and the Energy Choice Ohio AES Ohio residential comparison chart⁷. AES Ohio's own energy-supply page rounds the same period's typical residential PTC to about $0.109 per kWh¹. Always use the PTC printed on your own bill if it differs—heating customers and usage patterns can change what applies to you.
Energy Choice Ohio also publishes a seasonal heating figure: for qualifying electric heating residential customers, the PTC for November 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027 is $0.0918 per kWh, and it notes that the PTC is an annual weighted average that can look lower when winter usage is high. That detail sits on the same AES Ohio Apples to Apples page⁷.
How does the SSO get set? AES Ohio runs wholesale auctions; winning bids, under PUCO oversight, feed the Price to Compare. AES Ohio states that auction results are outside its control, that it passes through auction-based supply costs with no mark-up on the PTC for SSO customers, and that the blended rate approved for the June 2026–May 2027 year produced about a $14.06 (7.5%) increase for a typical residential SSO customer using 1,000 kWh per month, beginning June 1, 2026—see Understanding energy supply¹. An earlier PUCO alert covered the prior step-up to $0.0945 per kWh effective June 1, 2025 for AES Ohio residential SSO customers not already on aggregation or a competitive contract (PUCO alerts AES Ohio customers to upcoming price changes⁸).
History helps set expectations. The PUCO's AES Ohio historical PTC chart⁹ shows residential PTC levels of $0.0520 (2019–20), a trough near $0.0460 (2020–21), a jump to $0.1091 (2022–23), then $0.0858 (2024–25), $0.0945 (2025–26), and $0.1086 (2026–27). The chart warns that past PTCs are not a forecast. The takeaway for shoppers: the "utility default" is not a fixed forever rate—it resets with auctions—so a multi-year fixed competitive contract can be a hedge or a risk depending on where markets go next.
For statewide context, the PUCO lists June 2026 PTC levels for other Ohio utilities as well—for example AEP Ohio at $0.1012 and Duke Energy Ohio at $0.1070—in Shopping for electricity². Those numbers matter if you are comparing Dayton to Columbus or Cincinnati, but for AES Ohio customers the only rate that belongs on your shopping worksheet is your own PTC.
How to compare offers on Energy Choice Ohio
The PUCO's official comparison tool is Energy Choice Ohio's Apples to Apples charts³. Start at the electric category page⁵, choose residential (or the right small-commercial tariff), then select AES Ohio. The chart is a live feed of certified suppliers actively enrolling customers; suppliers are responsible for their posted terms, and offers can change at any time, per the site's disclaimer.
Steps to Switching¹⁰ reduce the process to four moves: (1) find your PTC and compare offers; (2) contact the supplier you like—the supplier coordinates with your utility; (3) read the full contract; (4) watch for a confirmation letter from the utility and use the rescission window if something is wrong. For electric switches, you generally have seven calendar days from the postmark of that confirmation letter to stop the switch, a consumer protection the PUCO also summarizes in Shopping for electricity².
Before you dial, run the What to Ask Suppliers¹¹ checklist: Is the company PUCO-certified? What is the price per kWh? Fixed or variable—and if variable, how does it change? Any switching fee, early termination fee, or monthly fee? Any intro teaser rate that expires? One bill or two? What happens at renewal? Those questions turn a shiny cents-per-kWh headline into a real cost comparison.
Math tip: multiply the offer rate (and the PTC) by your typical monthly kWh, then add any monthly supplier fee. A plan that looks a tenth of a cent cheaper can lose if it adds a $9.99 monthly charge. Also check renewable content if that matters to you—Apples to Apples columns include renewables percentage alongside term length and fees.
One more honesty check from the FAQ: switching does not guarantee savings. Some people shop for a lower rate, others for a fixed price, others for greener supply. Use the chart; do not assume every offer beats the SSO.
Government aggregation: when your city shops for you
Many Ohio communities buy generation in bulk through government aggregation. An aggregator pools customers so the group may negotiate better terms than a household shopping alone, as What is aggregation?¹² explains. Cities, townships, and counties can run opt-in programs (you enroll) or opt-out programs (you are enrolled unless you decline). Opt-out programs require voter authorization, a plan of operation, public hearings, and notices that state rates and terms. Electric aggregation customers typically get an opt-out opportunity every three years without a switching fee under the rules summarized on that page.
The PUCO estimated about 1.9 million Ohioans¹³ in electric government aggregations in a March 2025 briefing, and it publishes maps and dockets so you can see whether your community participates. Aggregation still only affects generation; AES Ohio (or your local EDU) still delivers and restores power.
If you already have an individual competitive contract, you generally should not be auto-included—and PIPP customers cannot join aggregation or shop individually. If you receive an opt-out notice and want to keep your current supplier, return the notice by the deadline (often about 14–21 days). Miss it, and you still get a utility confirmation letter with another short window to stop the switch, per What is aggregation?¹².
Prefer never to be pooled? Register on the PUCO's electric do-not-aggregate list¹⁴ online or by calling (800) 686-PUCO. That list removes you from future opt-out pools (with some timing caveats); it does not automatically pull you out of an aggregation you are already in.
For Dayton-area residents, the decision tree is the same as elsewhere in AES Ohio territory: compare the aggregation rate on your notice or bill to the SSO PTC and to individual Apples to Apples offers, then weigh term length, renewable mix, and exit fees—not just the headline cent value.
Fixed vs. variable rates, fees, and renewal traps
Glossary terms from Energy Choice Ohio help keep the jargon straight. A fixed price¹⁵ stays the same for a set term. A variable price¹⁵ can change by hour, day, or month under the contract's rules. The Price to Compare¹⁵ is the utility default generation price suppliers need to beat for a pure savings play. Slamming¹⁵—switching you without consent—is illegal and enforceable by the PUCO.
Contract risk usually hides in four places: early termination fees if you leave early; monthly fees that stack on top of the kWh rate; promotional intro prices that expire into a higher rate; and automatic renewal into a variable product. The Apples to Apples columns surface several of those fields, but the contract controls. The FAQ answer on ending early is blunt: know the termination policy before you sign.
AES Ohio also flags capacity market pressure in the broader PJM region as a driver of higher supply costs for the 2026/2027 delivery year—tighter supply from plant retirements, demand growth (including data centers), and reliability rules—on its energy supply page¹. You do not need to become a wholesale markets analyst; you do need to understand that SSO and competitive offers both sit downstream of those wholesale conditions. A fixed rate locks a retail price for a term; it does not freeze the wholesale world.
Small businesses on AES Ohio
Small commercial customers shop too, but they must pick the correct tariff on Apples to Apples—AES Ohio secondary and other rate codes appear under small commercial on the electric category page⁵. Wrong tariff, wrong offers. Your bill's rate code is the key; if you cannot find it, call AES Ohio before you enroll.
Businesses often care more about term alignment with lease cycles, early-exit flexibility, and whether energy management add-ons are worth a premium. The same PUCO certification, slamming rules, and confirmation-letter rescission rights apply. Nonresidential shopping rates are high across Ohio's utilities in the PUCO's market monitoring¹⁶ overview, which is another way of saying your competitors are probably already negotiating supply—even if you have not.
AES Ohio posts commercial bill calculators (availability noted around the June 2026 rate year) on its energy supply¹ page so you can separate delivery charges from supply when modeling a switch.
Your rights, red flags, and who to call
The PUCO certifies competitive suppliers for financial, technical, and managerial capability, requires recertification every two years, and can fine or restrict suppliers that break marketing rules, as outlined in Shopping for electricity². Your service cannot be switched without permission. Misleading marketing is prohibited. After enrollment, the utility confirmation letter is your safety net—use those seven calendar days if the supplier name or enrollment looks wrong.
Cold calls from unfamiliar companies are common. The FAQ advice is to verify certification on the PUCO's certified supplier list before sharing account numbers. If you suspect slamming or deceptive marketing, contact the PUCO Consumer Call Center at (800) 686-7826. For outages, call AES Ohio—not the supplier and not the PUCO emergency line.
Budget billing, payment arrangements, and state assistance programs remain available through AES Ohio and state channels even when you shop for supply; AES Ohio summarizes several options on its energy supply¹ page, and the PUCO points consumers to utility-help resources in its rate-change alerts.
A practical checklist before you switch—or stay
- Confirm you are an AES Ohio distribution customer and note your current supplier line on the bill.
- Write down your PTC ($0.1086/kWh is the typical residential figure for June 2026–May 2027, but use your bill).
- Open Energy Choice Ohio³, select AES Ohio residential or the correct commercial tariff, and sort by what you value—price, fixed term, or renewables.
- If your community aggregates, compare that rate and term the same way; opt out on time if you prefer SSO or another supplier.
- Ask every supplier the PUCO question list¹¹, then read the contract for exit fees and renewal language.
- Enroll only with a PUCO-certified company; watch the utility confirmation letter; rescind within seven calendar days if needed.
- Recheck before each renewal or SSO reset—Ohio's PTC history shows default rates move.
Electric choice in Dayton is not a scavenger hunt for a secret rate. It is a regulated shopping process with a clear baseline (the AES Ohio PTC), a public comparison chart, and consumer protections that work if you use them. Stay on the SSO if it fits. Join aggregation if the group rate and terms win. Sign a competitive contract if the math and the fine print hold up. Either way, keep AES Ohio on speed dial for the wires—and keep the PUCO's Apples to Apples page bookmarked for the shopping.