Last updated Oct 2026 · Written and reviewed by WattKarma, licensed Ohio broker
Apples to Apples is the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's (PUCO) free chart of electric and natural gas offers. It lists certified providers that are actively enrolling customers in your utility's area.[1] To use it, find your Price to Compare at the top of the chart or on your bill. Then look for offers below it after you count the monthly fee, the term and the cancellation fee.[3][10]
PUCO says these charts are the only comparisons in Ohio where providers are required to give accurate, up-to-date offer information.[10] This guide covers each column, what "renewable content" means, and a worked example from the Ohio Edison chart.
Offers and prices were read from PUCO's charts on Oct 23, 2026. They change often, so check the live chart before you sign anything.
How to open the right PUCO Apples to Apples chart
- Go to PUCO's Apples to Apples electric page.[2]
- Pick your customer type: Residential, Small Commercial or Large Commercial/Industrial.[2]
- Pick your utility: AES Ohio, Duke Energy Ohio, Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison or Ohio Power Company (formerly AEP Ohio). Small businesses also pick a rate code. It's on your bill, and PUCO says to call your utility if you can't find it.[2]
- The chart opens with your utility's Price to Compare at the top and the offers below it.[3]
PUCO's Steps to Switching page puts it in the same order. First find your Price to Compare, then use the chart to compare offers.[11]
Ohio Price to Compare by utility (October 2026)
Your Price to Compare (PTC) is the per-kWh supply price you pay if you stay on your utility's standard offer. PUCO's glossary calls it "the price for an electric supplier to beat in order for you to save money."[10]
| Utility | Residential PTC | Period PUCO lists | Offers on the chart | Fixed offers below PTC | ...with $0 cancellation fee, $0 monthly fee, no intro price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Power (formerly AEP Ohio) | $0.1019/kWh | Oct 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | 145 | 25 | 5 |
| Duke Energy Ohio | $0.1049/kWh | Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | 151 | 31 | 8 |
| AES Ohio | $0.1086/kWh (typical) | Jun 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027 | 116 | 47 | 28 |
| Ohio Edison | $0.1107/kWh | Oct 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | 146 | 95 | 56 |
| The Illuminating Company | $0.1124/kWh | Oct 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | 129 | 85 | 59 |
| Toledo Edison | $0.1126/kWh | Oct 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | 131 | 90 | 63 |
Source: each utility's residential Apples to Apples chart, read Oct 23, 2026, about 11:56 AM CT.[3][4][5][6][7][8] Counts are ours. Offers change daily.
Notes PUCO prints on those charts:
- Electric heat: Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison say a qualifying electric heating customer's PTC may be different from Sept 1 to May 31. It's shown in the message section of your bill.[3][7][8]
- AES Ohio: the AES number is a typical figure. PUCO lists $0.0918/kWh for qualifying electric heating customers from Nov 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027.[6]
- Use your bill: your bill shows your own PTC.[6][10]
A lower rate today isn't a promise of savings. Each PTC changes on its own schedule. Duke's runs one month at a time.[5] For the three FirstEnergy utilities side by side, see FirstEnergy Ohio rates at 1,000 kWh.
What each column on the Apples to Apples chart means
Each row is one offer. Here's every column, left to right, as the chart labels it:[3]
| Column | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Click to Compare | A checkbox to print a few offers side by side | Useful for a shortlist |
| Supplier | Provider name and contact, with "Offer Details," "Terms of Service" and "Sign Up" links | Open "Terms of Service" before you enroll |
| $/kWh | The supply price per kWh. Hold this up against your PTC. | Supply only. Delivery stays with your utility. |
| Rate Type | Fixed or Variable. PUCO defines a fixed price as one that "will remain the same for a fixed amount of time" and a variable price as one that "can change, by the hour, day, month, etc."[10] | A variable rate can move after you sign |
| Renew. Content | The share of the offer's power from renewable sources (see below) | Matters if you want greener power |
| intro. price | "No," or "Yes" with a length such as "1 mo." | Click "details" to see the price after the intro |
| Term. Length | Contract length in months | Ask what happens when it ends |
| Early Term. Fee | What you pay to leave early | On the Ohio Edison chart these ran from $0 to $200 on Oct 23, 2026 |
| Monthly Fee | A flat monthly charge. PUCO defines it as a fixed monthly fee "in addition to a rate based on usage."[10] | It can wipe out a low rate (see the example) |
| promo. offers | "Yes" if there's a gift card, reward or other incentive | Judge the price first |
The chart has filters for price, term, cancellation fee, monthly fee, renewable content (0-25%, 26-50%, 51-75%, 76-100%) and rate type. You can export offers to Excel/CSV or XML.[3]
PUCO also notes three things about the charts:[1][2]
- Offers appear in random order, so the top row isn't the best deal.
- Providers are responsible for the accuracy of their own offers.
- Offers can change.
What "renew content" means on Apples to Apples
"Renew. Content" is short for renewable content. PUCO defines it as "the percentage of the contracted generation supply that is provided by a renewable energy source." It defines renewable energy as power from sources "such as wind, water, biomass, biogas, waste heat or solar."[10]
So 100% means all of the power you're buying is attributed to renewable sources. 0% makes no renewable claim.
- It doesn't change your service. Your utility still delivers the power, and you still call it in an outage.[12]
- It doesn't always cost more. On the Ohio Edison chart on Oct 23, 2026, 19 offers listed at 100% renewable were priced below the $0.1107 PTC. Fifteen of them were fixed-rate.[3] Filter for 76-100%, then compare prices within that group.
- Ask for the disclosure. Ohio rules require providers to disclose the generation resource mix and environmental characteristics of their power.[16]
How to compare an Apples to Apples offer to your Price to Compare
The $/kWh column and your PTC are both supply-only prices, so you can compare them directly.[3] Fees are what make it tricky.
Effective price per kWh = offer rate + (monthly fee ÷ your monthly kWh)
Use a 12-month average from your bill if you can.
Worked example: Ohio Edison at 1,000 kWh
Ohio Edison's residential PTC is $0.1107 per kWh through Dec 31, 2026, or $110.70 for 1,000 kWh.[3] These are three real offers from its chart on Oct 23, 2026, with provider names left out:[3]
| Offer A | Offer B | Offer C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $/kWh on the chart | $0.1009 | $0.0899 | $0.0689 |
| Rate type | Fixed | Fixed | Variable |
| Intro price | No | No | Yes, 1 month |
| Term | 12 months | 12 months | 1 month |
| Early termination fee | $0 | $150 | $0 |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $19.99 | $0 |
| Supply cost at 1,000 kWh | $100.90 | $109.89 | Unknown after month one |
| Effective ¢/kWh at 1,000 kWh | 10.09¢ | 10.99¢ | Unknown |
| Supply cost at 500 kWh (PTC: $55.35) | $50.45 | $64.94 | Unknown after month one |
What the example shows:
- Offer B looks cheapest of the fixed offers, but it isn't. Its $19.99 fee adds about 2¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh. At 500 kWh it costs $9.59 more than the PTC, and leaving early costs $150.
- Offer C has the lowest number on the chart, but it's a one-month intro variable rate. The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel warns that short offers "may be teaser rates that can increase quickly."[15]
- Offer A is the plain one: fixed, no fees and below the PTC today. The PTC resets after Dec 31, 2026, so a 12-month fixed rate gives you a known price, not guaranteed savings every month.[3]
What the Apples to Apples chart won't tell you
- What happens at renewal. PUCO's suggested questions include "What happens when my contract expires?"[13] Ohio rules require written notice before a contract expires or auto-renews, generally 45 to 90 days ahead.[19]
- How a variable rate moves. PUCO suggests asking, "If it changes, how does it change?"[13] See fixed vs. variable plans in Ohio.
- Whether you're eligible. PIPP PLUS customers can't enroll with or switch to a provider.[1] Co-op and municipal utility customers aren't part of the choice program.[12]
- The fine print. Read the contract before you sign. Here's how to read an Ohio offer before you sign.
After you sign up, your utility mails a confirmation. You have seven days from the postmark to cancel.[11][19] For the full timeline, see how to switch electricity provider in Ohio.
Apples to Apples for small businesses
Small businesses have their own charts. Choose Small Commercial, then your utility and rate code:[2]
| Utility | Small Commercial rate codes |
|---|---|
| AES Ohio | Secondary |
| Duke Energy Ohio | DS, DM |
| Ohio Edison | GS, GP |
| The Illuminating Company | GS, GP |
| Toledo Edison | GS, GP |
| Ohio Power (formerly AEP Ohio) | GS-1, GS-2 |
Three things to know:
- The number at the top may be the residential PTC. On Oct 23, 2026, the Ohio Edison Small Commercial GS chart printed Ohio Edison's residential PTC, $0.1107.[9] The GS generation riders in Ohio Edison's tariff for October 2026 add up to about 10.42¢ (7.2774¢ energy + 2.1012¢ capacity + 0.9846¢ GCR + 0.0036¢ AER + 0.0568¢ NDU, our sum).[17] Measure offers against the residential figure and you'd overstate savings by about 0.65¢ per kWh, roughly $19.50 a month at 3,000 kWh. Use the PTC on your business bill.
- Duke's small-business price changes with usage. Duke's Rate DM generation riders are priced in blocks. In October 2026, the first 2,800 kWh a month come to about 11.15¢ per kWh and the next 3,200 kWh to about 5.18¢. That's our sum of Riders RE, RC, SCR and AER-R.[18] A flat offer can beat the first block and still lose against your blended cost.
- Large commercial and industrial accounts don't get a chart. PUCO says they "are advised to work directly with generation suppliers servicing their area."[14]
For a business quote, see WattKarma for business.
FAQ
What is PUCO Apples to Apples?
It's the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's official chart of electric and natural gas offers at energychoice.ohio.gov. It lists certified providers that are actively enrolling customers, by utility and customer type. PUCO says providers must keep these offers accurate and up to date.[1][10]
What does "renew content" mean on Apples to Apples?
It means renewable content: the percentage of the contracted generation supply that comes from a renewable source such as wind, solar, water or biomass, per PUCO's glossary. It doesn't change how your power is delivered.[10][12]
What is the Price to Compare in Ohio?
It's your utility's per-kWh supply price if you don't choose a provider. PUCO calls it the price a provider has to beat for you to save. In October 2026, residential PTCs ranged from $0.1019 (Ohio Power) to $0.1126 (Toledo Edison).[4][8][10]
How do I use Apples to Apples for Ohio Edison?
Choose Electric, then Residential, then Ohio Edison. The residential PTC is $0.1107 per kWh through Dec 31, 2026. Filter for fixed rates with a $0 monthly fee, then compare each offer's $/kWh to $0.1107.[3]
Is the lowest price on the Apples to Apples chart the best deal?
Not always. Check for a monthly fee, an intro or variable rate, a short term and a cancellation fee. In our Ohio Edison example, an 8.99¢ offer with a $19.99 monthly fee cost more than the PTC at 500 kWh a month.[3]
Does Apples to Apples show business electricity rates?
Yes, for small businesses, by utility and rate code. Large commercial and industrial customers get a list of providers to contact instead of a chart.[2][14]
Do I have to switch, and am I guaranteed to save?
No to both. PUCO says energy choice is an opportunity, not a mandate, and that switching doesn't guarantee savings. If you don't switch, you stay on your utility's standard offer.[12]
What happens if my provider goes out of business?
Your utility is the provider of last resort. It keeps your service on and tells you in writing that you're back on its standard offer. You can then choose a new provider.[12]