Ohio Apples-to-Apples vs Our Ranking: How to Compare Fairly
Ohio shoppers hear two names constantly: Apples-to-Apples (the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio chart) and comparison sites like this one. They are not rivals. One is the regulatory source of record for what offers exist; the other is a cost calculator that turns those offers into an estimated bill at your usage. Using only one of them is how people lock a "cheap" rate that costs more than the default.
What Apples-to-Apples actually is
PUCO publishes Apples-to-Apples lists so every certified competitive offer for a utility territory shows up in one place — electric and gas, with disclosed rates, terms, and early-termination fees. It is the right place to confirm a door-to-door pitch is real, to see the full market, and to spot offers that never appear in ads. It is not optimized to answer "what will I pay at 780 kWh?" in one glance. That arithmetic is on you unless a tool does it.
What our ranking adds (and does not)
- Estimated monthly supply cost at a usage you control — so a low ¢/kWh with a fat monthly fee does not outrank a slightly higher rate that wins at your real volume.
- Side-by-side with the default — electric offers judged against the Price to Compare; gas against the SCO. Beating the ad is meaningless if you do not beat doing nothing.
- Term and exit-fee context — a 12-month fixed that saves $4/month and charges $150 to leave is a different product than a month-to-month that saves $2.
We do not replace PUCO. We do not invent offers. If something is not on Apples-to-Apples for your utility, treat it as unverified until you confirm certification.
The fair comparison checklist
- Know your utility territory and fuel — AEP Ohio electric is not Columbia Gas. Offers do not transfer.
- Use your last 12 months of usage (or a realistic average), not a round 1,000 kWh if you use 650. See how to read the bill.
- Include monthly fees in the all-in cost. A 0.1¢ "win" evaporates under a $10 base charge.
- Read the term and ETF before celebrating the rate. Variable products can leave the SCO looking brilliant by month three.
- Check aggregation — you may already be on a city/county rate. Compare that supplier the same way (aggregation guide).
- Only then enroll — and keep the utility confirmation so you can use the 7-day rescission window if the paperwork surprises you.
Where people get misled
Teaser introductory rates, "savings vs. national average" claims, and conflating delivery charges with supply are the usual traps. Apples-to-Apples reduces the first problem by forcing disclosure; it does not stop a salesperson from pointing at the wrong line on your bill. If the pitch is about lowering delivery, walk away — delivery is not shoppable.
Bottom line
Use Apples-to-Apples as the official catalog. Use our tables to price that catalog at your kWh or Ccf and against the PTC/SCO. The plan that wins is the one with the lowest honest all-in supply cost for your usage after fees and exit risk — not the loudest ¢/kWh on a flyer. When nothing beats the default by enough to matter, staying put is a valid Apples-to-Apples outcome.