Is the Ohio Energy Choice Program a Scam? How to Tell

Is the Ohio energy choice program a scam?

No. Energy choice lets many Ohio households pick the company that supplies their electricity or natural gas, while the local utility keeps delivering it, reading the meter and handling outages. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) says you do not have to choose a supplier, and that you keep the same service from your utility if you do not (Energy Choice Ohio FAQs).

The risk sits in how an offer is sold and what it costs, not in the program. PUCO says switching does not come with a promise of lower bills, and the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) warns about teaser rates, automatic renewals at higher prices and early termination fees.

What do Ohio rules require of door-to-door and phone sellers?

The rules for electric sellers sit in OAC 4901:1-21-05 and OAC 4901:1-21-06. They apply to suppliers and the agents who sell for them.

• Anyone selling at your door must wear a valid photo ID from the supplier, in a format PUCO staff approve in advance, and keep it visible. The supplier must have an independent contractor run a criminal background check on every agent who sells door to door.
• Without local rules, door-to-door selling is allowed only from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Agents must follow local ordinances and must leave your property when you ask.
• A door-to-door sale needs an independent third-party verification, a separate recorded check that you agreed, before the supplier sends it to your utility. OCC says some suppliers verify digitally under a waiver, and you should be offered a phone check instead. The agent must be off your property during the check, and the verifier has to confirm that.
• Phone sellers may not call residential customers before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m. They must use the federal Do Not Call registry and may not call numbers on it unless exempt.
• A phone enrollment must be recorded. The recording must state that the seller is not your electric utility, and cover the price, the length of the contract, any fee to cancel early, and your seven days to cancel.
• A seller may not suggest it works for your utility, or for anyone other than the supplier itself. No seller may claim a price advantage or savings that does not exist.
• A seller must tell you the price per kilowatt hour for a fixed offer, any other charges, and that your utility's delivery charges come on top.

A seller that breaks these rules is a reason to walk away and report it. A seller that follows them can still offer a poor deal, so read the contract as well.

What are the warning signs of an energy sales scam in Ohio?

Each sign below ties to an Ohio rule or to guidance from PUCO or OCC. Some break a rule outright, such as claiming to be your utility; any one of them is reason enough to stop and check.

• Claims to be from your utility. Ohio rules bar a seller from leading you to believe it acts for your utility or any other entity.
• Wants your bill or account number up front. OCC advises you not to share personal or account information, or show your bill, unless you intend to switch. If you do enroll by phone, the recorded call may ask for your account number.
• Pushes you to decide now. OCC says you are not required to open your door or decide on the spot, and Ohio rules ban unfair, deceptive and unconscionable sales practices.
• Will not leave. A seller must leave your property when you ask.
• Shows no valid photo ID. Door-to-door agents must wear and display a valid supplier photo ID.
• Is vague about price and terms. A fixed offer must state its price per kilowatt hour, and a variable offer must explain the factors that move the price. Ask for them in writing.
• Offers a contract to someone on PIPP. Suppliers may not knowingly enroll participants in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan.
• Lists a supplier you do not recognize on your bill. OCC calls an unauthorized switch slamming and advises you to contact your utility.
• Sends you to a look-alike website. OCC warns of sites made to look like PUCO's, and says to confirm the web address ends in .gov.

A supplier whose certification PUCO has suspended or rescinded may not solicit customers at all (OAC 4901:1-21-05).

What about people calling to lower gas rates in Ohio?

A caller who offers to lower your gas rate is usually selling a contract with a gas supplier, and no seller may claim to act for your gas utility. Ohio's rules for natural gas sellers are close to the electric ones (OAC 4901:1-29-05).

• Calls may not come before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m., and the seller must use the federal Do Not Call registry.
• A seller may not lead you to believe it sells for your gas utility or any other entity.
• Door-to-door agents must show a valid photo ID, follow local ordinances and leave when asked. Without local rules, they may not sell before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m.
• An offer must state its price per Ccf or Mcf, whichever your gas utility uses on its bill, plus any other charges. It must also say the rate leaves out taxes and your gas utility's service and delivery charges.

Ask for the rate in the unit on your gas bill and set it beside your utility's default, which is the Standard Choice Offer or, at Duke Energy Ohio, a standard service offer. Our natural gas rates guide explains the default, Ccf and Mcf. A gas customer can cancel within seven business days following the postmark on the gas utility's notice (OAC 4901:1-29-10).

How do you check out a caller or door-to-door agent before you agree?

PUCO says all energy marketers and suppliers must be certified by PUCO (Energy Choice Ohio FAQs). Get the company's name before you talk further, then check it.

1. Write down the company name, the agent's name and any phone number or ID shown.
2. Look the company up on PUCO's regulated company list, which Energy Choice Ohio links to as its list of certified suppliers.
3. Or call the PUCO Call Center at (800) 686-7826. PUCO lists that line for supplier complaints and Energy Choice questions.
4. Compare the offer you were given with PUCO's Apples to Apples chart. A supplier that makes residential electric offers must furnish at least one current offer to the chart (OAC 4901:1-21-03).

Certification is a minimum. It tells you a company may sell, not that its offer suits you. Ohio Energy Savings is not PUCO, and our site is not a .gov address, so use PUCO's own pages for the check. Our page on electric suppliers in Ohio explains what certification covers.

What should you do if you think you were scammed or switched without consent?

1. Stop the conversation. Hang up or close the door. You do not have to open it or decide on the spot.
2. Call your utility at the number printed on your bill, not a number the seller gave you. Ask whether a switch request is on your account.
3. If a switch is pending and you did not agree to it, say so and ask to cancel it. For electric, you have seven days from the postmark on the utility's notice, and the utility must give you a cancellation number.
4. If you were switched without approval, ask your utility to return you to your original agreement and to remove the related charges, as OCC advises. Tell PUCO which company switched you.
5. Report it to PUCO. Call (800) 686-7826 or file a complaint online.
6. You can also contact the Ohio Attorney General's Help Center at (800) 282-0515. The Attorney General's office takes consumer complaints and scam reports.
7. To cut down repeat calls and visits, register your numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, ask your utility not to share your information with marketers, and ask your city, township or county whether it runs a no-solicitation program.

Our switching guide explains the seven-day cancel window and what the utility's notice must say.

What is the difference between a scam and a bad deal?

A scam breaks the rules: it lies about who is selling, claims a price advantage that does not exist, or switches you without consent. A bad deal follows the rules and still costs you more than the default. Both cost money, and only the first is against the rules.

OCC warns about three legal but costly terms: teaser rates that start low and are soon replaced by higher ones, evergreen contracts that renew on their own, sometimes at much higher prices, and early termination fees that make leaving costly. Our guide to fixed and variable electric rates shows how to read each term.

A rate that looks low can still be a poor deal. Set every offer beside your price to compare on PUCO's Apples to Apples chart, and add any monthly fee and early termination fee before you decide. Our guide to the chart and our guide to the standard service offer explain what you are comparing.

If a high bill is the reason you are shopping, Ohio's energy assistance programs are separate from supplier offers, and people on PIPP cannot choose a supplier. Our Ohio energy choice guide covers who can shop.