Ohio electricity rates
As of May 2026, the average residential electricity rate in Ohio is 19.52 cents per kilowatt-hour, 5.9% above the U.S. average of 18.44¢. That is the 18th highest rate of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Year over year
- ▲ +14.2% from 17.09¢ in May 2025
- Vs. U.S. average
- +5.9% U.S. average 18.44¢
- National rank
- #18 of 51 · #34 cheapest
- Supply market
- PJM Retail choice statewide
Why Ohio pays what it pays
Ohio spent most of the past two decades as a low-rate state. It sits on cheap Appalachian gas, kept a large coal fleet running longer than most of its neighbours, and restructured early enough that generation costs were exposed to competition rather than locked into rate base.
The increase now showing up is a supply-side event, not a delivery one. Ohio utilities buy default generation service through competitive auctions, and those auctions clear against PJM prices. When PJM's capacity auction cleared at record levels for the 2025/2026 delivery year, the cost passed straight into Ohio's standard service offer. Data-centre load growth, fossil retirements and a queue of new generation that has not connected fast enough all pushed that auction higher.
Ohio is itself one of the fastest-growing data-centre markets in the country. Central Ohio's load growth is a meaningful part of why the regional reserve margin tightened in the first place.
How Ohio compares
Ohio ranks #18 of 51 jurisdictions by residential price, making it the 34th cheapest. Within the East North Central division, 1 of 4 neighbouring states are cheaper.
| State | ¢/kWh | YoY | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 18.15 | +7.4% | #20 |
| Ohio | 19.52 | +14.2% | #18 |
| Wisconsin | 19.74 | +4.2% | #17 |
| Michigan | 22.01 | +8.8% | #14 |
| Illinois | 23.85 | +28.4% | #12 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State. Data period May 2026. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
What a bill looks like at this rate
The figures below apply the May 2026 Ohio average to four usage levels. They are arithmetic, not quotes. A real bill also carries fixed customer charges, taxes and any rider specific to your utility.
Estimate your Ohio bill
Multiply your own usage by the May 2026 state average. Enter the kilowatt-hours from your last statement. This is a supply-and-delivery blended average, not a utility quote.
Rate used: …. U.S. average 18.44¢/kWh, May 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
Who sells electricity in Ohio
AEP Ohio serves Columbus and much of the centre and southeast. FirstEnergy's Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating and Toledo Edison cover the north. Duke Energy Ohio serves Cincinnati and AES Ohio serves Dayton. None of them generate the power they deliver to residential customers.
Ohio has full retail choice plus an active governmental aggregation market, and many counties and municipalities negotiate supply on behalf of residents who do not opt out. The state operates the Apples to Apples comparison chart, listing every certified supplier's offer against each utility's price to compare.
What you can actually do about it
Check whether your municipality runs an aggregation programme before you shop individually. Aggregations buy in volume and have generally delivered better residential outcomes than door-to-door switching.
Ohio's price to compare resets on a utility-specific schedule, usually in late spring or early summer. A fixed-price contract signed before a reset only helps if it runs longer than the reset interval. A six-month fix ahead of a June reset just moves the exposure.
Closest states by price
These jurisdictions charge within a fraction of a cent of Ohio, which is useful if you are comparing a move or a multi-state operating cost.
Ohio electricity rates: common questions
What is the average electricity rate in Ohio?
The average residential electricity rate in Ohio is 19.52 cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is +5.9% relative to the national average of 18.44¢/kWh.
How much is a typical monthly electric bill in Ohio?
At the May 2026 average rate of 19.52¢/kWh, a household using 900 kWh a month would pay about $176, and one using 1,500 kWh about $293. Actual bills vary with usage, rate schedule, fixed customer charges and taxes.
Have electricity rates in Ohio gone up?
Ohio rates rose 14.2% over the year to May 2026, from 17.09¢ in May 2025 to 19.52¢.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Ohio?
Retail choice statewide. Residential customers in Ohio can buy supply from a competitive provider while the local utility continues to deliver it and maintain the wires.
Where does this Ohio rate figure come from?
It is the residential-sector average revenue per kilowatt-hour reported by utilities to the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Form EIA-861M and published in the Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A. It blends supply and delivery across every residential customer in the state, so it is a statewide average rather than a quote for any individual household.