Ohio · electric utility
AEP Ohio Standard Service Offer & rate increases
AEP Ohio is a American Electric Power (AEP) utility serving central, southeastern, and northwestern Ohio (including Columbus) (about 1.5 million customers). AEP Ohio is the state's largest electric utility, formed from AEP's Columbus Southern Power and Ohio Power zones. (source)
Standard Service Offer (current rate)
10.97¢/kWh
Effective (current) · last reviewed
Estimate for comparison — confirm the current rate and all charges with AEP Ohio before acting. Not advice.
Next scheduled reset: · Quarterly (Jan 1, Apr 1, Jul 1, Oct 1). Every utility's reset calendar →
Of the 6 Ohio utilities we track, AEP Ohio's Standard Service Offer is the 4th-lowest — the range runs from 10.69¢ (Duke Energy Ohio) to 11.16¢ (The Illuminating Company (FirstEnergy)). Compare all Ohio rates →
What it means: a AEP Ohio customer on a 17¢/kWh third-party supplier rate pays about $620 more per year than the Standard Service Offer (10.97¢), based on ~860 kWh/month. The audit below checks your actual rate.
The worth-it line: for a switch to save at least $10/month at ~750 kWh, a supplier offer must be a fixed rate below 9.64¢/kWh — with no monthly fee and no cancellation fee. Offers between 9.64¢ and 10.97¢ technically "beat" the Standard Service Offer but save too little to justify contract risk. The full math, all utilities →
Rate history & trends — AEP Ohio
AEP Ohio's Standard Service Offer (Price to Compare) stands at 10.97¢/kWh for the July–September 2026 quarter (supply only). PUCO data shows the rate saw a roughly 28% increase in 2023 and then a 36% spike in 2025 — both driven by PJM capacity auction results, which cleared at $269.92/MW-day in July 2024 (9× the prior year) and $329.17/MW-day in July 2025 (at the price cap).
| Period | Supply rate (¢/kWh) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Current (Jul–Sep 2026) | 10.97¢ | AEP Ohio SSO via PUCO Apples to Apples, verified Jul 19, 2026 |
| Jun 2026 | 10.12¢ | Prior quarter SSO via PUCO Apples to Apples |
| 2025 spike (~36% jump) | — | Pre-spike supply rate estimated ~7.4¢; PJM 2025/26 auction at $269.92/MW-day drove the increase |
| 2023 (~28% increase) | — | Pre-2023 baseline estimated ~5.8¢; rate case and market pressures |
Source: PUCO Energy Choice Ohio — Apples to Apples; AEP Ohio SSO filings. Supply rates reset on regulatory schedules — confirm the current rate with your utility or state commission before relying on any figure here. "est." = estimated from known inputs, not directly published.
AEP Ohio customer service & quick facts
The official ways to reach AEP Ohio for outages, billing, and account help. RateWatchdog is independent and not affiliated with AEP Ohio — these are the utility's own channels.
- Customer service
- 1-800-672-2231
- Pay your bill
- Pay AEP Ohio bill online →
- Start, stop, or move service
- Start / stop service →
Verified · confirm on AEP Ohio's siteHere to check if your rate is too high? Jump to the audit ↓
Is your supplier charging more?
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Where is this on my bill?
On your bill, find the supply rate in ¢/kWh. Your utility's standard rate is the “Standard Service Offer.” If your supplier charges more than that, you're overpaying.
Comparing suppliers against AEP Ohio's Standard Service Offer?
Ohio's official comparison tool is Apples to Apples, run by PUCO. Ohio's official comparison tool shows every licensed supplier's rate next to the default SSO — our guide explains how to read it and when switching actually saves money.
How to use Apples to Apples — the full guide →Is AEP Ohio a monopoly? Can you switch?
For delivery, yes — it's a monopoly. AEP Ohio is the only company that runs the poles and wires to homes in its territory, so you can't pick a different company to deliver your power. That part is a regulated monopoly: AEP Ohio, owned by American Electric Power (AEP), can only charge what the PUCO approves in a rate case.
The electricity itself, though, is open to competition. You can buy your supply from a third-party supplier, or do nothing and stay on AEP Ohio's default rate — the Standard Service Offer the PUCO oversees. Switching suppliers doesn't change who delivers your power or who you call during an outage; it only changes the supply line on your bill. And if a supplier is charging more than the Standard Service Offer, you can drop it and return to that regulated rate, usually within one or two billing cycles — no fee to the utility.
How often does AEP Ohio's power go out?
Federal reliability data, reported by the utility to the U.S. government. SAIDI is the average total time a customer is without power in a year; SAIFI is the average number of outages.
In 2024, including major storms
4 hr 32 min
without power, across about 1.1 outages
What the average customer actually experienced.
On a typical day (storms excluded)
2 hr 38 min
without power, across about 1 outages
Normal operations, with major event days removed.
For AEP Ohio, major storms drove roughly 42% of 2024's total outage time — the gap between the two numbers above is weather the utility couldn't fully control.
On normal-day reliability, AEP Ohio is the least reliable of the 6 Ohio utilities we track — the range runs from 1 hr 35 min (Toledo Edison (FirstEnergy)) to 2 hr 38 min (AEP Ohio) of typical-day outage time per year.
Source: U.S. EIA Form EIA-861, 2024 reliability data (IEEE 1366 standard), for Ohio Power Co. eia.gov →
How often does AEP Ohio disconnect customers for nonpayment?
Utilities report this to the federal government. It counts residential service disconnected for unpaid bills. A high rate isn't proof of wrongdoing — it's shaped by local poverty, climate, and how strong a state's shutoff-protection rules are, as much as by the utility itself.
Disconnections in 2024
172,411
times AEP Ohio disconnected residential customers for nonpayment
Per 100 households
12.9
disconnections for every 100 residential customers it serves
That's the highest disconnection rate of the 6 Ohio utilities we track — the range runs from 2.9 per 100 (Ohio Edison (FirstEnergy)) to 12.9 per 100 (AEP Ohio).
Counts disconnection events — one household can be shut off more than once. From AEP Ohio's own filings to the U.S. EIA (Form EIA-112, Residential Utility Disconnections Survey), first collected for 2024. eia.gov →
Where your bill money goes: how AEP Ohio earns its profit
Because AEP Ohio is a regulated monopoly, its profit isn't set by competing for customers — it's set by regulators. The PUCO authorizes a target return on equity (around 9.5% to 10.5% for U.S. electric utilities) on the money it sinks into poles, wires, substations, and meters. It's a target, not a guarantee — a utility can earn above or below it — but a low-risk regulated monopoly reliably lands close. You pay that return back, plus the investment itself, through the delivery charge on every bill.
AEP Ohio is owned by American Electric Power. In 2024, American Electric Power reported about $3.0 billion in net income — its profit across all of the utilities it owns, not AEP Ohio alone. Source: American Electric Power's annual report (SEC Form 10-K, fiscal year 2024). SEC EDGAR →
That authorized return is set by regulators on the utility's investment — independently of how reliable the service is or how many customers are disconnected, the two measures above.
Rate cases & increases
- 25-392-EL-AIR effective
AEP Ohio's base distribution rate case. Filed May 2025 seeking ~$97 million; PUCO adopted a settlement effective April 1, 2026 raising base distribution revenue by only ~$11 million — and combined with a ~$105 million federal tax refund over 18 months, the net effect is roughly a $58.7 million annual revenue decrease.
Common questions about AEP Ohio
- Who is the cheapest electricity supplier in Ohio?
- Ohio is deregulated — certified retail suppliers (CRES) can serve AEP Ohio customers. Use PUCO's official Apples to Apples comparison tool at energychoice.ohio.gov to see current offers versus AEP Ohio's Price to Compare. After the 2025 PJM capacity spike, many supplier offers track close to the default rate.
- Why is AEP Ohio so expensive?
- AEP Ohio's supply rate is set by auction, and the PJM capacity market — the grid's retainer fee for backup power plants — cleared at $269.92/MW-day in 2024 and $329.17/MW-day in 2025, roughly 9× and 11× the 2024 baseline respectively. AEP Ohio passes these costs through with no markup. The delivery side (set by PUCO rate case 25-0392-EL-AIR) actually settled as a small decrease.
- Does AEP Ohio have off-peak hours?
- AEP Ohio's standard residential Price to Compare is a flat rate with no time-of-day variation. AEP Ohio does offer opt-in time-of-use programs for customers with smart meters who want to shift usage to cheaper off-peak hours. Contact AEP Ohio or visit aepohio.com for current TOU program options.
- What will the AEP Ohio rates be in 2026?
- AEP Ohio's current Price to Compare is 10.12¢/kWh for supply (as of June 2026). The supply rate resets on PUCO's auction schedule. A distribution case (25-0392-EL-AIR) settled as a small delivery-side decrease. The 2026/27 PJM capacity auction cleared at $329/MW-day — slightly higher than 2025 — which may keep supply rates elevated into 2027.
- What are off-peak hours for AEP Ohio?
- AEP Ohio's standard Price to Compare is a flat rate — there are no built-in off-peak discounts. AEP Ohio does offer optional time-of-use (TOU) programs for customers with smart meters. Under TOU, off-peak hours typically run overnight (roughly 9 PM–7 AM on weekdays) plus all day on weekends. Visit aepohio.com to ask about current TOU enrollment. TOU is most valuable if you have an EV you can charge overnight or can shift laundry and dishwasher use to evenings.
- How do I use Ohio's Apples to Apples electricity comparison?
- PUCO's free Apples to Apples tool at energychoice.ohio.gov shows every licensed Ohio electricity supplier's current rate next to AEP Ohio's Standard Service Offer (10.97¢/kWh, July–September 2026 quarter). Select AEP Ohio as your utility, compare fixed-rate supplier offers against 10.97¢, and look for offers that are fixed for at least 12 months with no cancellation fee. A supplier rate below 10.97¢ with those terms beats AEP Ohio's default on supply cost.
Programs that can help with AEP Ohio bills
-
HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program)
Ohio's federally funded utility assistance. Apply through your county's Community Action Agency in fall/winter or during the summer crisis period.
-
PIPP Plus (Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus)
Caps your monthly AEP Ohio payment at a percentage of household income, with arrearage credits for on-time payments. Income-qualified enrollment through your county CAA.
-
One-time emergency bill help for qualifying AEP Ohio customers through a nonprofit funded by utility customer contributions.
-
Level monthly payments averaging your annual usage — eliminates summer/winter bill spikes. Enroll at aepohio.com.
Income limits, program calendars, and enrollment rules change — confirm eligibility and current availability before applying. Full bill-help guide for your state →
How Ohio deregulation works for AEP Ohio customers
Ohio deregulated its electricity market in 1999. As an AEP Ohio customer, your bill has two distinct cost layers:
1. Delivery — AEP Ohio owns and maintains the poles, wires, and substations to your home. Delivery charges (distribution, transmission, and the Standard Service Offer gross-up) stay with AEP Ohio regardless of who you buy generation from. A PUCO distribution case (25-0392-EL-AIR) recently settled as a small delivery-side decrease.
2. Supply (generation) — the electricity commodity itself. You can stay on AEP Ohio's default Standard Service Offer (SSO, also called the Price to Compare), or you can choose a certified CRES provider. The current AEP Ohio SSO is 10.97¢/kWh (July–September 2026 quarter; it now resets quarterly).
The key question: is a supplier's offer genuinely below 10.97¢/kWh — and is it fixed for the full term? PUCO's "Apples to Apples" tool (energychoice.ohio.gov) lists all licensed CRES offers side-by-side with the current SSO. Review contract length and cancellation fees before switching — a 6-month intro rate that resets higher isn't a savings.
Source: PUCO — Ohio Energy Choice; AEP Ohio rate case 25-0392-EL-AIR
AEP Ohio service territory
AEP Ohio serves approximately 1.5 million customers across central, southern, and eastern Ohio — the largest electric utility by customer count in Ohio.
- ▸ Central Ohio: Columbus metro and surrounding counties (Franklin, Delaware, Licking, Fairfield, Pickaway, Madison)
- ▸ Southern Ohio: Dayton area (Montgomery, Greene, Clark, Warren counties shared with Duke Energy), Athens, Chillicothe, Portsmouth
- ▸ Eastern Ohio: Zanesville, Lancaster, McConnelsville, and the Ohio River valley counties
- ▸ Northwestern Ohio: Lima area, Defiance, Henry, Paulding, Van Wert counties
- ▸ Does NOT serve northeast Ohio (Ohio Edison/FirstEnergy territory) or the Cincinnati metro (Duke Energy Ohio)
What does a AEP Ohio bill look like?
ESTIMATE — see note below.
| Bill component | At 750 kWh/month |
|---|---|
| Supply / generation (10.97¢/kWh) | $82.28 |
| Delivery, transmission & other riders | see note → |
⚠ ESTIMATE — supply portion only (750 kWh × 10.97¢/kWh = $82.28, July–September 2026 SSO). Delivery charges add approximately $40–60/month. Actual bill varies by usage, season, and riders. Verify current rate at energychoice.ohio.gov.
AEP Ohio rate alerts
Email alerts for AEP Ohio are coming soon — we're setting them up with double opt-in and one-click unsubscribe, and we'll never sell your data. For now, this page and the Ohio hub track every active rate case.