Pickaway County, Ohio Electric Utilities & Business Choice
Who provides electricity in Pickaway County?
Pickaway County is split among two investor-owned utilities: AEP Ohio serves the largest share, with AES Ohio serving other areas. One electric cooperative also serves rural parts of the county. Businesses on an investor-owned utility can choose a PUCO-certified generation supplier; co-op members and municipal-system customers generally cannot. Pickaway County is in central Ohio, with its county seat in Circleville and 58,539 residents (2020 Census).
| Provider | Type | Can businesses choose a supplier? |
|---|---|---|
| AEP Ohio | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| AES Ohio | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| South Central Power Company | Electric cooperative | Generally no (member-owned) |
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 Pickaway 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 |
| AES Ohio | Varies by rate schedule (on your bill); residential reference 10.86¢ | June 2026 – May 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 Pickaway County
- Split the bid by utility. Suppliers price AEP Ohio and AES Ohio 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.
Pickaway 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ross County | Chillicothe (18 mi from Circleville) | AEP Ohio and AES Ohio |
| Fairfield County | Lancaster (19 mi from Circleville) | AEP Ohio |
| Fayette County | Washington Court House (27 mi from Circleville) | AES Ohio, AEP Ohio, and Ohio Edison |
| Hocking County | Logan (28 mi from Circleville) | AEP Ohio |
City guides in Pickaway County
- Circleville — AEP Ohio
FAQ: Pickaway County electricity
What electric companies serve Pickaway County, Ohio?
AEP Ohio, AES Ohio, and South Central Power Company.
Can businesses in Pickaway County choose an electricity supplier?
Yes, if the account is on AEP Ohio or AES Ohio. Cooperative members and municipal-system customers generally cannot.
Which utility serves Circleville, the county seat?
AEP Ohio. See the Circleville guide.
How do I know which utility serves my Pickaway 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 Pickaway County
Use a meter schedule rather than one county-wide assumption
Pickaway County is in central Ohio and its county seat is Circleville. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Circleville | AEP Ohio | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
The existing county inventory identifies cooperative context including South Central Power Company and municipal context including no separately listed municipal system in this dataset. 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.