How to Choose an Energy Broker in Ohio (Vetting Checklist)
The short answer
Check PUCO certification first, then get four things in writing before you sign a letter of authorization: how the broker is paid on your deal, which suppliers will price your load, a sample of the bid comparison you'll receive, and how contracts are reviewed. A broker who won't commit to those in writing is easy to rule out. Use the scorecard at the end of this page to compare two or three candidates on the same terms.
For a definition of what brokers do, see what is a commercial energy broker; if you're still deciding whether to use one, see broker vs going direct to a supplier; and for how compensation is calculated, see how broker fees work.
Step 1: Verify PUCO certification
Ohio requires power brokers and aggregators to be certified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (R.C. 4928.08). Certificates last two years.
- Ask for the firm's exact legal name and certificate number.
- Look it up on PUCO's list of regulated companies: https://puco.ohio.gov/documents-and-rules/list.
- Confirm the certificate is current, not just issued at some point.
- Confirm the certified entity is the one named on your agreement. If the person you're talking to works for a different company than the one holding the certificate, ask how the two are related and who is responsible to you.
- Do the same check on every supplier that ends up on your shortlist.
Certification is a pass/fail gate. It shows the firm is registered with PUCO; it doesn't show competence or fee levels, which is what the rest of this checklist is for.
Step 2: Ask the disclosure questions in writing
Send these before any letter of authorization goes out:
- What is your compensation on my deal, in ¢/kWh and in total dollars over the term?
- Is that amount the same in every supplier's bid?
- Does any supplier pay you more than others, or pay bonuses for volume, term length or renewals?
- Is any of your fee paid up front by the supplier, and would that affect what I owe if I terminate early?
- If I pay you a flat fee instead, will supplier prices exclude any adder?
Verbal answers aren't enough. If the answers change when they're requested in writing, you've learned what you needed to.
Step 3: Test the supplier panel
A broker's value comes from competition, so ask:
- Which certified suppliers will receive my load package? Get names, not a count.
- Are they active in my utility territory and at my size? Some suppliers focus on small accounts priced from a standard matrix; others want mercantile loads (over 700,000 kWh a year) with interval data.
- Do you have any ownership tie, exclusive arrangement or preferred status with a supplier?
- For multi-site portfolios, can you price all my utilities — AEP Ohio, Duke Energy Ohio, AES Ohio and the FirstEnergy utilities — in one process with aligned end dates?
Step 4: Check contract review ability
Ask the broker to walk you through a redacted contract and bid grid from a recent deal. A competent review covers:
- Capacity treatment — fixed in the price or passed through from your capacity tag, and what happens when the tag resets each June 1.
- Bandwidth — what happens if usage moves outside a set range.
- Pass-through list — which costs can be added after signing.
- Material change and early termination — how the supplier calculates damages.
- Renewal — whether the contract rolls to a variable price, and whether the broker tracks your end dates itself — HB 15's two notices (90–60 and 45–15 days before expiration) only go to accounts with demand of 25 kW or less.
If they can't explain capacity at 2026 prices — PJM's $329.17/MW-day for 2026/27, about $120 per kW of tag per year — keep looking.
Step 5: Ask the conflict-of-interest questions
Most broker compensation is tied to volume and term, which creates incentives worth naming:
- Term length. A per-kWh adder earns more over a 36-month term than a 12-month one. Ask the broker to show the 12-, 24- and 36-month prices side by side and explain the recommendation.
- Supplier choice. Ask whether they will recommend the lowest-net-price bid even when it pays them less.
- Product choice. Ask whether compensation differs between fixed and index products.
- Other services. If the firm also sells solar, storage or efficiency projects, ask how it's paid on those.
Red flags
- No certificate number, an expired certificate, or an entity mismatch.
- Fee disclosure offered verbally only.
- "Exclusive rates only we can access," or a single supplier presented without a market check.
- Pressure to sign before you've read the contract. Supplier prices genuinely expire quickly, so a good broker gets contract terms approved before price day rather than rushing you on it.
- Claims to represent your utility or PUCO.
- Savings promised before the broker has seen your bills.
- Promises of utility efficiency rebates — AEP Ohio, Duke, AES Ohio and the FirstEnergy utilities don't currently offer business rebate programs.
- An authorization form that lets the broker sign contracts or switch your supplier on your behalf.
Broker scorecard
Score each criterion 1–5, multiply by the weight, and add. Certification is pass/fail.
| Criterion | Weight | What "good" looks like | Broker A | Broker B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PUCO certification | Pass/fail | Current certificate; entity matches agreement | ||
| Fee disclosure | 25% | Written ¢/kWh and total dollars; identical across bidders | ||
| Supplier panel | 20% | Named suppliers active in your territory and size; no ties | ||
| Bid comparison quality | 20% | Normalized grid: term, capacity, bandwidth, pass-throughs, fee | ||
| Contract review | 15% | Clause-by-clause summary before you sign | ||
| Post-award service | 10% | First-bill audit, renewal calendar, annual capacity-tag check | ||
| Ohio experience | 10% | Multi-utility references; explains default price resets |
FAQ
How do I check whether an energy broker is licensed in Ohio?
Search PUCO's list of regulated companies at puco.ohio.gov for the firm's exact legal name and confirm the certificate is current. Certificates run for two years.
Should I let more than one broker shop my account at the same time?
It usually creates confusion, because suppliers may receive duplicate requests for the same account. Pick one broker per bid cycle after comparing them with the scorecard.
What should I do if a broker won't disclose their fee?
Pause the process. Written fee disclosure is a reasonable condition of hiring any broker, and without it you can't compare net prices across bids.
Is a longer contract always better when a broker recommends it?
No. Longer terms can make sense for budget certainty, but they also raise the broker's total compensation, so ask for the shorter-term prices and the reasoning.