Preble 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 Preble County?
Preble County is split among two investor-owned utilities: AES Ohio serves the largest share, with Duke Energy Ohio serving other areas. Two electric cooperatives also serve rural parts of the county. Municipal electric systems operate in Eldorado. Businesses on an investor-owned utility can choose a PUCO-certified generation supplier; co-op members and municipal-system customers generally cannot. Preble County is in southwest Ohio, with its county seat in Eaton and 40,999 residents (2020 Census).
| Provider | Type | Can businesses choose a supplier? |
|---|---|---|
| AES Ohio | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| Duke Energy Ohio | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| Butler Rural Electric Cooperative | Electric cooperative | Generally no (member-owned) |
| Darke Rural Electric Cooperative | Electric cooperative | Generally no (member-owned) |
| Eldorado | 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.
Default prices for the utilities in Preble County
| Utility | Small-business default generation price | Period |
|---|---|---|
| AES Ohio | Varies by rate schedule (on your bill); residential reference 10.86¢ | June 2026 – May 2027 annual average |
| Duke Energy Ohio | Historical class reference: 11.36¢/kWh, DM (first 2,800 kWh) rate | effective June 1, 2026 |
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 Preble County
- Split the bid by utility. Suppliers price AES Ohio and Duke Energy 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.
Preble County and its neighbors
Southwest Ohio is split between Duke Energy Ohio (Greater Cincinnati) and AES Ohio (Dayton and the Miami Valley), with municipal systems in Hamilton, Piqua, Lebanon and several villages.
| Neighboring county | County seat | Investor-owned utilities |
|---|---|---|
| Butler County | Hamilton (24 mi from Eaton) | Duke Energy Ohio and AES Ohio |
| Darke County | Greenville (25 mi from Eaton) | AES Ohio and AEP Ohio |
| Montgomery County | Dayton (25 mi from Eaton) | AES Ohio and Duke Energy Ohio |
| Warren County | Lebanon (31 mi from Eaton) | Duke Energy Ohio and AES Ohio |
No city guide on this site is inside Preble County; the closest ones to Eaton are Trotwood (19 mi, AES Ohio), Middletown (20 mi, Duke Energy Ohio), and Hamilton (24 mi, City of Hamilton Electric Utility).
FAQ: Preble County electricity
What electric companies serve Preble County, Ohio?
AES Ohio, Duke Energy Ohio, Butler Rural Electric Cooperative, Darke Rural Electric Cooperative, and Eldorado.
Can businesses in Preble County choose an electricity supplier?
Yes, if the account is on AES Ohio or Duke Energy Ohio. Cooperative members and municipal-system customers generally cannot.
How do I know which utility serves my Preble 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 Preble County
Use a meter schedule rather than one county-wide assumption
Preble County is in southwest Ohio and its county seat is Eaton. 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.
There is no separately maintained city guide in this county’s current city inventory. Use the utility named on the actual bill rather than substituting a nearby city’s information.
The existing county inventory identifies cooperative context including Butler Rural Electric Cooperative, Darke Rural Electric Cooperative and municipal context including Eldorado. 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.