How much is the Duke Energy Ohio rate increase?

Duke Energy Ohio's Standard Service Offer (Price to Compare) rose to 10.7¢/kWh effective current (resets on auction schedule).

Is Duke Energy Ohio making more profit from this?

Not from the supply increase itself — that's a pass-through with no markup. Duke Energy (the parent company) reported about $4.5 billion in profit in 2024, but that comes from the delivery/distribution side and its other businesses, not from marking up the power you buy. This lands on the supply (generation) part of your bill, which on a default/standard rate is a pass-through — your utility buys the power and bills it through with no markup. The utility's own profit lives in the separate delivery (distribution) charge, set in a rate case.

Will switching suppliers lower my Duke Energy Ohio bill?

Often not. When the increase is a capacity-driven default rate, a competitive supplier is buying from the same wholesale market — and many switchers end up paying more after a teaser rate resets. Compare any offer against Duke Energy Ohio's Standard Service Offer (Price to Compare) first, and only take a fixed, full-term rate that genuinely beats it.

Rate increases · Duke Energy Ohio

Why is my Duke Energy Ohio bill going up in 2025–26?

Your Duke Energy Ohio bill went up, and it's not your imagination or just the AC. Auction-set default supply, lifted by the 2025 PJM capacity spike.

The key facts

Duke Energy Ohio's Standard Service Offer (Price to Compare) is now 10.7¢/kWh , effective current (resets on auction schedule).
Duke Energy reported about $4.5 billion in 2024 profit — but not from this supply charge (it's a pass-through). See the Duke Energy Ohio Report Card →

Source: Energy Choice Ohio — Apples to Apples (Duke Energy Ohio). Rates reset on a schedule — confirm the current figure before relying on it.

What's actually driving it

Think of the PJM capacity market as a retainer fee. Every year the regional grid operator pays power plants to promise they'll be available on the worst-demand days — the January cold snap, the August heat wave — even if they sit idle the rest of the time. You're not paying for electricity here; you're paying to keep the plants on call. That retainer spiked, and it flows onto the supply line of your bill.

The price went from $28.92/MW-day to $269.92 (about 830%), and the latest auction cleared even higher at $329.17 — the cap. Why? Electricity demand is rising fast — led by data centers, plus electrification and economic growth. Older power plants are retiring faster than new ones can connect to the grid. Source: PJM Interconnection — 2026/2027 Base Residual Auction results (July 2025).

Is Duke Energy Ohio pocketing this?

This lands on the supply (generation) part of your bill, which on a default/standard rate is a pass-through — your utility buys the power and bills it through with no markup. The utility's own profit lives in the separate delivery (distribution) charge, set in a rate case.

Where the utility's profit does live: Duke has a separate pending distribution case (26-0132-EL-AIR) on the delivery charge. That's the part worth scrutinizing — and the part you can comment on at the commission before it's approved.

What you can actually do

Check usage vs. rate. A higher rate and a hot month stack up. Pull your kWh from last month and compare it to the same month last year — it tells you how much is the rate and how much is the weather.
Check whether you're overpaying on supply. If a third-party supplier is charging more than Duke Energy Ohio's Standard Service Offer (Price to Compare), that's a fixable overcharge — but switching rarely beats a capacity-driven default rate, so compare honestly first. Run the free, private audit → Should you shop in Ohio? → How to use Apples to Apples, Ohio's official comparison tool →
If the bill is more than you can cover, there's real help — assistance programs, payment plans, and your shutoff protections. Bill help in Ohio →

The fuller picture on Duke Energy Ohio

A rate increase is one number. Here's the context most coverage skips: in 2024, Duke Energy Ohio disconnected about 5.5 households per 100 customers for nonpayment. Its parent, Duke Energy, cleared about $4.5 billion in 2024.

See the full Duke Energy Ohio Report Card → Compare every utility on rates, reliability, disconnections and profit →

Common questions

How much is the Duke Energy Ohio rate increase?: Duke Energy Ohio's Standard Service Offer (Price to Compare) rose to 10.7¢/kWh effective current (resets on auction schedule).
Why is my Duke Energy Ohio bill going up?: Auction-set default supply, lifted by the 2025 PJM capacity spike.
Is Duke Energy Ohio making more profit from this?: Not from the supply increase itself — that's a pass-through with no markup. Duke Energy (the parent company) reported about $4.5 billion in profit in 2024, but that comes from the delivery/distribution side and its other businesses, not from marking up the power you buy. This lands on the supply (generation) part of your bill, which on a default/standard rate is a pass-through — your utility buys the power and bills it through with no markup. The utility's own profit lives in the separate delivery (distribution) charge, set in a rate case.
Will switching suppliers lower my Duke Energy Ohio bill?: Often not. When the increase is a capacity-driven default rate, a competitive supplier is buying from the same wholesale market — and many switchers end up paying more after a teaser rate resets. Compare any offer against Duke Energy Ohio's Standard Service Offer (Price to Compare) first, and only take a fixed, full-term rate that genuinely beats it.

Last reviewed June 18, 2026. Default-supply rates reset on a schedule and rate cases move — confirm the current figure with Energy Choice Ohio — Apples to Apples (Duke Energy Ohio) or your bill before relying on it. This is general consumer information, not legal or financial advice.

RateWatchdog is independent. We take no supplier commissions and never enroll or switch anyone. See every utility's rate change →