Ohio Natural Gas Suppliers: How the Market Works and How to Compare Offers

Who are the natural gas suppliers in Ohio?

Ohio law calls the service competitive retail natural gas service, so PUCO calls these companies CRNGS providers. A CRNGS provider is a PUCO-certified company that competes for your gas business with its own prices, terms or renewable options (Energy Choice Ohio glossary).

PUCO says customers of four utilities can choose a gas supplier: Columbia Gas of Ohio, Enbridge Gas Ohio, Duke Energy Ohio and CenterPoint Energy Ohio (PUCO's natural gas bill of rights). Each has its own chart of supplier offers. Supplier names change as companies enter and leave, so this page names none and ranks none.

A supplier's name on your bill does not always mean you chose it. PUCO says customers on the Standard Choice Offer (SCO) buy their gas from an approved supplier named on the monthly bill, while Duke's standard service offer (SSO) customers keep buying from the utility (understanding your natural gas bill). Check which rate your bill shows before you assume you have a contract.

How does Ohio certify natural gas suppliers?

Ohio law bars a retail natural gas supplier from selling competitive gas service until PUCO certifies it for managerial, technical and financial capability. It must also give financial assurances that protect customers and gas companies from default (Ohio Revised Code 4929.20).

Certification must be renewed. PUCO may suspend or rescind it after notice and a hearing, and a gas company may not knowingly deliver gas for an uncertified supplier. Certification is not an endorsement of a supplier's prices.

Energy Choice Ohio links its certified gas supplier list to PUCO's regulated company list. Check a caller there before you share your account number. PUCO says its Apples to Apples charts list only certified suppliers that are actively enrolling new customers.

How do you compare Ohio natural gas suppliers' rates?

Start with your utility's default, then set each offer beside it in the same unit. The default is the rate you pay if you never choose a supplier, so it is the yardstick for every offer.

We have no published rate on file for today for Enbridge Gas Ohio. The table shows the last rate we recorded for each, and PUCO's chart states the rate now in force.

Utilities bill in different units. PUCO's chart prints rates per Ccf (one hundred cubic feet) or per Mcf (one thousand cubic feet), and one Mcf equals ten Ccf (Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-29-01). Our natural gas rates in Ohio page shows which utility uses which unit and how each default resets. Each default also has its own price-to-compare page: Columbia Gas SCO, Enbridge Gas SCO, Duke Energy Ohio gas SSO, and CenterPoint Energy Ohio SCO.

A supplier's rate leaves out some of your bill. Ohio's rules require it to say that its rate excludes taxes and the gas company's delivery charges (Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-29-05). So an offer's rate is not your total cost per unit.

How do you find the best natural gas rates in Ohio?

There is no single best rate. The best offer for a home depends on its use, how long the home will stay on the contract and which fees apply. Here is the method PUCO's own tools support.

1. Pick your utility on the Apples to Apples gas chart, and use the filters for rate type, term, early termination fee and monthly fee.
2. Note your utility's default for the same unit and dates.
3. Multiply your own use by each offer's rate, then add its monthly fee and any other fee in the terms, including a broker's service fee.
4. Ask what the rate becomes when the term or an introductory price ends.
5. Check the offer's rate again before you sign, since suppliers update the chart.

PUCO also lets you sign up for text alerts when your utility's default changes (how SCO rates are set). Our Apples to Apples guide and its natural gas page show how to read each column.

What should a natural gas supply contract spell out?

Ohio's rules say a gas contract must list the price, the contract length with its start and end months, whether it renews on its own, and any penalty for ending early (Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-29-11).

• Rate type. Fixed holds for the term. Variable can change, and the contract must give a formula based on public indices or explain the factors and how often it can change.
• Early termination fee (ETF). This is the charge for leaving early. If a variable-rate supplier chooses to explain the factors, and not give a formula, it may not charge one.
• Monthly fee. A flat charge on top of the usage rate. It can erase a lower rate when you use little gas.
• Renewal. It says whether the contract renews on its own, and at what rate.
• Exits without a penalty. You may leave without a penalty if you move outside your gas utility's territory, or if the contract lets the supplier end it for a reason other than nonpayment or force majeure, which means an event outside its control (4901:1-29-10).

Suppliers must warn you before a contract ends, 45 to 90 days ahead for most residential contracts (4901:1-29-10). If a fixed introductory rate turns variable, they must send two notices first and a yearly reminder after (4901:1-29-13).

The cancel window for gas differs from electric. After a supplier sends your gas utility an enrollment request, the utility mails a confirmation notice. You have seven business days from its postmark date to call the utility and cancel, not seven calendar days (Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-29-10).

How do you spot a misleading gas sales pitch?

Ohio's gas marketing rules limit how suppliers may sell (Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-29-05). A pitch that breaks them is a warning sign.

• A door-to-door agent must show a valid supplier photo ID and must leave when you ask.
• Without a local rule, door-to-door sales may not start before 9 a.m. or run past 7 p.m.
• Phone sales to homes may not start before 9 a.m. or run past 9 p.m. Callers must check the federal Do Not Call registry.
• No one may lead you to think they sell for your utility or any other company, or claim a price advantage that does not exist.
• Advertising a price per Ccf or Mcf without all recurring and one-time charges is a deceptive practice under the rule.
• Switching your gas supplier without your approval, called slamming, is illegal.

You do not have to decide on the spot. To report a problem, call PUCO at (800) 686-PUCO (Energy Choice Ohio).

Who can switch natural gas suppliers in Ohio?

Customers of the four gas utilities in the choice program (Columbia, Enbridge, Duke and CenterPoint) can shop, except those on the Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus). Municipal and co-op gas systems are not regulated by PUCO, so they sit outside the program (how SCO rates are set).

A community can also buy gas for its residents. Ohio law lets a city, township or county run an automatic gas program after a vote, and it must let you opt out every two years without a switching fee (Ohio Revised Code 4929.26). This is governmental aggregation. If your community has one, your bill shows who supplies you.

If a supplier fails or leaves the market, your gas utility keeps your gas flowing and notifies you in writing (Energy Choice Ohio FAQs). You can then choose a new supplier.

When is a gas supplier contract not worth signing?

A contract may not be worth signing when it gives you little in return. PUCO says there is no deadline to choose, no promise of savings, and the same delivery service whichever you pick (Energy Choice Ohio FAQs).

Skipping an offer may be the better call when:

• No offer on the chart for your utility sits below the default.
• An offer's monthly fee or early termination fee erases its lower rate at your use.
• You may move before the term ends.
• You do not want to track an end date or a rate that turns variable.

A fixed offer holds its rate for the term. The default changes every month, so it can fall below a fixed rate in some months and rise above it in others. For the electric side of the market, see electric suppliers in Ohio and the Ohio price to compare.