Electric Customer Choice
Frequently Asked Questions
Electric customer choice allows most electric customers to choose the company that supplies their electricity (the generation portion of their electric bill). However, Duke Energy Ohio will continue to deliver the electricity to customers, maintain power lines, send bills and respond to emergency situations.
Just as you can shop for other products and services, you can choose your electric supplier. You can choose a supplier based on what is important to you. For example, you may simply want the lowest price, or you may want to make a choice based on how electricity is produced. Competition in other industries has often brought better service, and new products and technologies.
Customers who select a different generation supplier no longer pay the following charges to Duke Energy Ohio: Rider RC (Retail Capacity Rider), Rider RE (Retail Energy Rider), Rider AER-R (Alternative Energy Recovery Rider), Rider RTO (Retail Transmission Organization Rider) and Rider SCR (Supplier Cost Reconciliation Rider).
No. You do not have to select another supplier. Because this is a customer choice program, it is voluntary. If you choose not to participate, Duke Energy Ohio will continue to supply you with electricity in the same efficient, safe and reliable manner you've come to expect. There won't be a need to fill out any forms or notify anyone of your decision to remain with Duke Energy Ohio.
There is the possibility that your local government could choose to aggregate its residents with a supplier. However, this would have to be approved through the voting process by the community. If aggregation were approved, you would still have the option to opt off the aggregated list.
Signing with a supplier is between you and the supplier. The supplier may provide you with a contract by mail. Other ways you may be able to sign up are by telephone or on the internet. Your new supplier will contact Duke Energy Ohio for you. We will then mail you a confirmation.
Find suppliers that are certified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) and Duke Energy Ohio on our certified suppliers list:
You can also contact our Call Center for a list of certified suppliers at 800.544.6900.
No. The quality of electric service will not decline. No matter which alternative electric supplier is selected, Duke Energy Ohio is still responsible for getting the electricity to homes or businesses and maintaining electric lines.
You will continue to notify Duke Energy Ohio in the event of an outage, just as in the past. Duke Energy Ohio will continue to maintain all existing power lines regardless of which generation supplier you select.
The supplier will determine if you receive a separate bill for the generation charges or if these charges will be added onto the Duke Energy Ohio bill. If the supplier bills separately, this will be noted on your Duke Energy Ohio bill. Be sure to ask any supplier you consider how they will bill you.
A list of certified suppliers will be maintained online by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) and Duke Energy Ohio. Suppliers may also contact you directly to be your generation supplier. The PUCO requires each utility to provide a customer list to all suppliers on a quarterly basis. The list includes name, address and usage information. You can opt off the list if you choose, however, the information provided to suppliers can determine if they can help you save on your energy bill, a good reason to keep your name on the list. You'll have the opportunity to have your name added to or removed from the list during the quarterly update.
In most cases for residential customers, no. However, you may have the option to have an interval meter that can monitor electric use during specific time periods. If a supplier offers this service, you may benefit from special time-of-day discounts.
No. Once a supplier is certified, a customer may sign with a supplier at any time. To switch to another supplier, contact the supplier directly.
If a supplier fails to deliver power (default), the customer will return to Duke Energy Ohio at the standard service offer rate.
Individual customers on the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) plan are not eligible for customer choice. The Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) administers PIPP. Customers on the Residential Low Income Service rate are eligible to participate in the Choice Customer program.
You can switch suppliers by contacting the supplier directly. Later, you can return to Duke Energy Ohio by contacting our Call Center at 513.421.9500 or 800.544.6900. Before switching, you should be aware of any payment penalties in your supply contract.
Duke Energy Ohio will continue to offer a budget billing payment plan for customers who switch generation suppliers.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, local utilities and potential alternative suppliers will provide information to customers. Duke Energy Ohio also provides quarterly updates in your bill insert.