AEP, Duke, AES & FirstEnergy Business Bills Compared
The short answer
All six of Ohio's investor-owned utilities bill the same basic pieces — generation, transmission, distribution, riders, demand and the kWh excise tax — but each groups and labels them differently. The FirstEnergy utilities (Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company, Toledo Edison) print a "Price to Compare"; Duke Energy Ohio prices small-business default generation in kWh blocks; AEP Ohio is moving to a three-part bill (distribution, transmission, generation) in fall 2026; and AES Ohio shows a business price to compare that depends on your rate schedule. Knowing where each utility puts these lines is what lets you compare offers and sites across territories.
This page is the utility-by-utility map. If you're new to reading bills, start with how to read a commercial electric bill, which covers the basic anatomy; for the math behind each charge, see the all-in cost stack; and for catching and challenging mistakes, see Ohio billing errors and disputes.
What every Ohio utility bill has in common
Whichever utility serves you, the same building blocks appear:
- Generation — either the utility's default price (the Standard Service Offer, or SSO) or your supplier's contract price. Default prices reset each June 1.
- Transmission and distribution — the utility's regulated delivery charges. They don't change when you switch suppliers.
- Riders — PUCO-approved surcharges that recover specific costs. One disappeared recently: HB 15 ended the OVEC "legacy generation" rider effective August 14, 2025.
- Demand (kW) — on demand-billed schedules, the highest 15- or 30-minute interval in the month drives part of the delivery charge.
- kWh excise tax — tiered each month: $0.00465 per kWh for the first 2,000 kWh, $0.00419 for 2,001–15,000, and $0.00363 above 15,000. Ohio charges no sales tax on electricity.
- Supplier charges — with utility consolidated billing, your supplier's generation charges print on the utility bill; with dual billing, the supplier sends its own invoice and the utility bill shows delivery only.
Side-by-side comparison
| AEP Ohio | Duke Energy Ohio | AES Ohio | FirstEnergy (OE, CEI, TE) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default generation label | Generation charge; business price to compare varies by rate schedule | Generation charge; Rate DM priced in kWh blocks | Price to compare varies by rate schedule | "Price to Compare" |
| Small-business default price, June 2026–May 2027 | Printed on your bill for your schedule | About 11.36¢/kWh for the first 2,800 kWh on Rate DM (was about 10.59¢) | Printed on your bill for your schedule | GS annual averages: OE ~9.38¢, CEI ~9.45¢, TE ~9.43¢ (were ~8.87–8.90¢) |
| Example schedule names | GS series (e.g., GS-1, GS-2) | DM (small), DS (secondary, demand-billed) | Varies by service voltage; shown on bill | GS (secondary), GP (primary) |
| Layout change | Three-part bill from fall 2026 | — | — | — |
| Latest delivery rate action | April 2026 order: net ~$58.7M annual revenue decrease | Case 26-0132-EL-AIR filed March 2026, ~3% non-residential increase sought, effective ~May 2027 | Nov 2025 settlement |
Net ~$39.4M annual reduction from March 1, 2026 (CEI up, OE and TE down); 2027–2029 plan filed May 2026 |
AEP Ohio: the new three-part bill
AEP Ohio's April 1, 2026 rate order approved a base distribution increase of about $11 million (the company had asked for $97 million), paired with a tax refund of roughly $105 million returned over 18 months — a net annual revenue decrease of about $58.7 million. Treat the refund as temporary: it lowers delivery charges while it runs, not permanently.
Starting in fall 2026, AEP Ohio bills use a new three-part format that groups charges into distribution, transmission and generation. That makes the shoppable portion easier to isolate: the generation section shows either AEP's default price for your schedule or your supplier's name and price, while the distribution and transmission sections are what stays with AEP no matter who supplies you.
AEP's current electric security plan (ESP V) runs through May 2028. HB 15 repealed ESPs going forward, so default service after that will be procured purely through competitive bidding.
Duke Energy Ohio: Rate DM blocks and Rate DS demand
Smaller non-residential accounts are typically on Rate DM, where default generation is priced in kWh blocks. From June 1, 2026 the first 2,800 kWh each month cost about 11.36¢ per kWh; usage beyond that falls into other blocks priced on the tariff. The practical consequence: your effective default price is a blend, not the first-block figure. Divide the generation dollars on your bill by the kWh billed to get the number a supplier offer has to beat.
Larger accounts are usually on Rate DS, a demand-billed secondary schedule where kW drives a meaningful share of delivery charges. Duke's pending rate case seeks about a 3% increase for non-residential customers, expected around May 2027, so budget for delivery to rise even if your generation price is fixed.
AES Ohio: price to compare by schedule
AES Ohio (formerly Dayton Power & Light) prints the business price to compare for your rate schedule on the bill; the widely quoted residential figure (about 10.86¢) is not your business number. On the delivery side, AES has had the largest recent change of the four: a November 2025 settlement added about $168 million a year in base distribution revenue, and a three-year plan filed July 21, 2026 proposes roughly 1% a year after that. A supplier contract doesn't touch those increases, so expect AES delivery lines to carry more weight in your total than they did before the settlement.
FirstEnergy: Ohio Edison, CEI and Toledo Edison
The three FirstEnergy utilities label the default generation price explicitly as "Price to Compare." For small businesses on the GS rate, the June 2026–May 2027 annual averages are about 9.38¢ (Ohio Edison), 9.45¢ (The Illuminating Company) and 9.43¢ (Toledo Edison). Because these are annual averages, a single month's figure can differ; compare offers against the annual average on your own usage.
Delivery changed in March 2026. PUCO's November 19, 2025 order cut the requested increase of about $190 million to about $34 million, and after rehearing (February 18, 2026) the net result was about a $39.4 million annual reduction effective March 1, 2026 — CEI customers saw increases while Ohio Edison and Toledo Edison customers saw decreases. A three-year rate plan for 2027–2029 was filed in May 2026.
If your bill comes from a city system such as Cleveland Public Power rather than CEI, none of this applies; see municipal and co-op service areas.
Comparing sites across utility territories
- Calculate an effective generation ¢/kWh for every account (generation dollars ÷ kWh) — essential for Duke's block pricing.
- Keep delivery separate. Supplier offers replace generation only; comparing them against a total bill overstates savings.
- Record kW and load factor on demand-billed accounts; suppliers price peaky loads higher.
- Use each utility's benchmark — FirstEnergy's annual average, AEP's and AES's schedule-specific figure, Duke's blended block price. See finding your business price to compare.
- Line up end dates with the June 1 default-price reset so you aren't comparing against a price about to change.
FAQ
Why does my AEP Ohio bill look different this fall?
From fall 2026, following its April 2026 rate case, AEP Ohio is using a three-part bill that groups charges into distribution, transmission and generation. The kinds of charges are the same as before; the grouping is what changed.
Is Duke's 11.36¢ the price I need to beat?
Only for the first 2,800 kWh on Rate DM. Your usage above that is priced in other blocks, so divide your generation charges by your kWh to find your actual blended default price.
Is FirstEnergy's Price to Compare the same every month?
The figures published for June 2026–May 2027 are annual averages, so individual months can differ. Compare supplier offers against the annual average using your full year of usage.
Do Ohio businesses pay sales tax on electricity?
No. Electricity is exempt from Ohio sales tax; instead, a tiered kWh excise tax appears on every bill.