Summit 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 Summit County?
Summit County is split among three investor-owned utilities: Ohio Edison serves the largest share, with AEP Ohio and The Illuminating Company serving other areas. Municipal electric systems operate in Cuyahoga Falls and Hudson. Businesses on an investor-owned utility can choose a PUCO-certified generation supplier; co-op members and municipal-system customers generally cannot. Summit County is in northeast Ohio, with its county seat in Akron and 540,428 residents (2020 Census).
| Provider | Type | Can businesses choose a supplier? |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio Edison | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| AEP Ohio | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| The Illuminating Company | Investor-owned distribution utility | Yes |
| Cuyahoga Falls | Municipal electric system | Generally no |
| Hudson | 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 Summit County
| Utility | Small-business default generation price | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio Edison | Historical class reference: 9.38¢/kWh, GS rate | June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2027, annual average |
| AEP Ohio | Varies by rate schedule (on your bill); residential reference 10.97¢ | July 1 – Sept 30, 2026 |
| The Illuminating Company | Historical class reference: 9.45¢/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 Summit County
- Split the bid by utility. Suppliers price Ohio Edison, AEP Ohio, and The Illuminating Company 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.
Summit County and its neighbors
Northeast Ohio is mostly FirstEnergy territory (Ohio Edison and The Illuminating Company), with AEP Ohio around Canton and parts of the southern tier. NOPEC's opt-out aggregation is common here, and several cities run municipal systems (for example Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Niles, Painesville and Wadsworth).
| Neighboring county | County seat | Investor-owned utilities |
|---|---|---|
| Portage County | Ravenna (17 mi from Akron) | Ohio Edison and The Illuminating Company |
| Stark County | Canton (19 mi from Akron) | AEP Ohio and Ohio Edison |
| Medina County | Medina (19 mi from Akron) | Ohio Edison |
| Wayne County | Wooster (28 mi from Akron) | AEP Ohio and Ohio Edison |
City guides in Summit County
- Akron — Ohio Edison
- Barberton — Ohio Edison; aggregation: NOPEC (listed member community)
- Cuyahoga Falls — Cuyahoga Falls Electric (municipal)
- Green — Ohio Edison; aggregation: NOPEC (listed member community)
- Stow — Ohio Edison
Multi-site guides by industry in Summit County
- Apartment buildings & multifamily across Summit County
- Auto dealerships across Summit County
- Breweries across Summit County
- Car washes across Summit County
- Churches & places of worship across Summit County
- Cold storage & refrigerated warehouses across Summit County
- Data centers across Summit County
- Fitness centers & gyms across Summit County
- Grocery stores & supermarkets across Summit County
- Hotels & motels across Summit County
- Laundromats across Summit County
- Manufacturing across Summit County
- Medical offices & outpatient clinics across Summit County
- Nursing homes & senior living across Summit County
- Office buildings across Summit County
- Restaurants & food service across Summit County
- Retail stores across Summit County
- Schools & universities across Summit County
- Shopping centers & strip malls across Summit County
- Warehouses & distribution centers across Summit County
FAQ: Summit County electricity
What electric companies serve Summit County, Ohio?
Ohio Edison, AEP Ohio, The Illuminating Company, Cuyahoga Falls, and Hudson.
Can businesses in Summit County choose an electricity supplier?
Yes, if the account is on Ohio Edison or AEP Ohio or The Illuminating Company. Cooperative members and municipal-system customers generally cannot.
Which utility serves Akron, the county seat?
Ohio Edison. See the Akron guide.
How do I know which utility serves my Summit 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 Summit County
Use a meter schedule rather than one county-wide assumption
Summit County is in northeast Ohio and its county seat is Akron. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Akron | Ohio Edison | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
| Barberton | Ohio Edison | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
| Cuyahoga Falls | Cuyahoga Falls Electric | Municipal account: review city rates, not retail supplier enrollment |
| Green | Ohio Edison | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
| Stow | Ohio Edison | Confirm the delivery utility at the actual meter |
The existing county inventory identifies cooperative context including no separately listed cooperative in this dataset and municipal context including Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson. 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.