Franklin County, Ohio Electric Utilities & Business Choice
Market-reference note: Numerical default-price examples below retain their cited 2026 reference period. They are historical class-level context, not a current account quote. Confirm the applicable business rate, components and effective dates on your bill before comparing an offer. How to establish your benchmark.
Who provides electricity in Franklin County?
Franklin County is split among two investor-owned utilities: AEP Ohio serves the largest share, with Ohio Edison serving other areas. Three electric cooperatives also serve rural parts of the county. Municipal electric systems operate in Columbus (Division of Power), Obetz, and Westerville. Businesses on an investor-owned utility can choose a PUCO-certified generation supplier; co-op members and municipal-system customers generally cannot. Franklin County is in central Ohio, with its county seat in Columbus and 1,323,807 residents (2020 Census).
| Provider | Type | Can businesses choose a supplier? |
|---|---|---|
| AEP Ohio | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| Ohio Edison | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| Consolidated Cooperative | Electric cooperative | Generally no (member-owned) |
| South Central Power Company | Electric cooperative | Generally no (member-owned) |
| The Energy Cooperative (Licking Rural Electrification) | Electric cooperative | Generally no (member-owned) |
| Columbus (Division of Power) | Municipal electric system | Generally no |
| Obetz | Municipal electric system | Generally no |
| Westerville | Municipal electric system | Generally no |
Utility boundaries follow service-territory maps, not township or city lines, so two buildings a mile apart can have different providers. The utility name on each bill is the final word. What co-op and municipal customers can do instead of shopping is covered in municipal and co-op areas.
AEP Ohio begins operating under the name Ohio Power Company on October 1, 2026 (website OhioPowerCo.com). The utility says rates, service, account numbers and supplier choice don't change.
Default prices for the utilities in Franklin County
| Utility | Small-business default generation price | Period |
|---|---|---|
| AEP Ohio | Varies by rate schedule (on your bill); residential reference 10.97¢ | July 1 – Sept 30, 2026 |
| Ohio Edison | Historical class reference: 9.38¢/kWh, GS rate | June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027, annual average |
All of these utilities sit in PJM, where the capacity price that feeds into generation costs is $329.17/MW-day for June 2026–May 2027 and $333.44 for 2027/28, versus $28.92 in 2024/25.
Buying for several sites in Franklin County
- Split the bid by utility. Suppliers price AEP Ohio and Ohio Edison accounts separately, so a single county-wide price isn't realistic.
- Pull out co-op and municipal meters. They generally can't be enrolled with a retail supplier; sending them wastes suppliers' credit reviews and slows quotes.
- Check aggregation status. Accounts at 700,000 kWh a year or less may already be in a community aggregation program; note each account's current supplier and end date.
- Co-term contracts. Aligning end dates lets you re-bid the whole portfolio at once instead of renewing one site at a time.
Franklin County and its neighbors
Central Ohio is dominated by AEP Ohio, whose territory includes the data-center and manufacturing build-out around Columbus, New Albany and Licking County. Ohio Edison and AES Ohio reach the northern and western edges, and several co-ops serve rural townships.
| Neighboring county | County seat | Investor-owned utilities |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware County | Delaware (13 mi from Columbus) | AEP Ohio, Ohio Edison, and AES Ohio |
| Union County | Marysville (21 mi from Columbus) | AES Ohio, Ohio Edison, and AEP Ohio |
| Madison County | London (27 mi from Columbus) | Ohio Edison, AEP Ohio, and AES Ohio |
| Morrow County | Mount Gilead (32 mi from Columbus) | Ohio Edison and AEP Ohio |
City guides in Franklin County
- Columbus — AEP Ohio; aggregation: Clean Energy Columbus (city program)
- Dublin — AEP Ohio
- Gahanna — AEP Ohio; aggregation: SOPEC (member community)
- Grove City — AEP Ohio
- Hilliard — AEP Ohio
- Reynoldsburg — AEP Ohio; aggregation: NOPEC (listed member community)
- Upper Arlington — AEP Ohio; aggregation: SOPEC (member community)
- Westerville — Westerville Electric Division (municipal)
Multi-site guides by industry in Franklin County
- Apartment buildings & multifamily across Franklin County
- Auto dealerships across Franklin County
- Breweries across Franklin County
- Car washes across Franklin County
- Churches & places of worship across Franklin County
- Cold storage & refrigerated warehouses across Franklin County
- Data centers across Franklin County
- Fitness centers & gyms across Franklin County
- Grocery stores & supermarkets across Franklin County
- Hotels & motels across Franklin County
- Laundromats across Franklin County
- Manufacturing across Franklin County
- Medical offices & outpatient clinics across Franklin County
- Nursing homes & senior living across Franklin County
- Office buildings across Franklin County
- Restaurants & food service across Franklin County
- Retail stores across Franklin County
- Schools & universities across Franklin County
- Shopping centers & strip malls across Franklin County
- Warehouses & distribution centers across Franklin County
FAQ: Franklin County electricity
What electric companies serve Franklin County, Ohio?
AEP Ohio, Ohio Edison, Consolidated Cooperative, South Central Power Company, The Energy Cooperative (Licking Rural Electrification), Columbus (Division of Power), Obetz, and Westerville.
Can businesses in Franklin County choose an electricity supplier?
Yes, if the account is on AEP Ohio or Ohio Edison. Cooperative members and municipal-system customers generally cannot.
Which utility serves Columbus, the county seat?
AEP Ohio. See the Columbus guide.
How do I know which utility serves my Franklin County building?
Look at the name printed on the bill's delivery section. If you're buying or leasing a new site, ask the landlord or seller for a recent bill before comparing costs.
Decision worksheet: service areas within Franklin County
Use a meter schedule rather than one county-wide assumption
Franklin County is in central Ohio and its county seat is Columbus. A county portfolio should begin with each legal customer, utility name and service address. Investor-owned utility coverage, municipal systems and cooperative service do not stop neatly at the same administrative boundaries.
| Local guide | Starting utility context | Enrollment check |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus | AEP Ohio | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
| Dublin | AEP Ohio | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
| Gahanna | AEP Ohio | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
| Grove City | AEP Ohio | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
| Hilliard | AEP Ohio | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
| Reynoldsburg | AEP Ohio | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
| Upper Arlington | AEP Ohio | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
| Westerville | Westerville Electric Division | Municipal account: review city rates, not retail supplier enrollment |
The existing county inventory identifies cooperative context including Consolidated Cooperative, South Central Power Company, The Energy Cooperative (Licking Rural Electrification) and municipal context including Columbus (Division of Power), Obetz, Westerville. This is not an exhaustive address-level determination; confirm service directly before enrolling a meter.
Assign responsibilities before a portfolio bid
Give one person ownership of the service-address list, another responsibility for expected operating changes, and a named signer responsibility for contract authority. These roles may be held by one person, but they should not be assumed from who receives the monthly invoice. Tenant, franchise and property-management arrangements deserve a separate authority check.
Keep non-shoppable accounts in the operating-cost review while excluding them from retail-supplier enrollment schedules. For eligible accounts, compare start dates, included supply components, additional fees and site-removal rights. A master agreement is a contractual structure, not a guarantee that every meter receives the same price or automatic savings.
Use the comparison tools without sending financial inputs to the website. The first inquiry needs only business, utility and the decision you want help with. For definitions, consult PUCO’s customer-choice guidance.