Ohio · Help with quotes

Help with quotes

Getting quotes for commercial natural gas or electricity? The price per unit is only part of it. Here’s what to ask, how to compare offers on the same terms, and the contract terms to watch for.

What to ask before you choose

1. Is the price fixed, variable or index-based?

   If it moves, what does it move with, and how often?

2. What’s included in the price?

   For electricity: are capacity and transmission included, or passed through separately? For natural gas: is delivery to the utility (the pipeline and balancing costs) included?

3. When does it start and end?

   Does the start date line up with your current contract end date, so there’s no gap on the default rate?

4. What happens at the end?

   Does it renew automatically? At what rate, and for how long?

5. What does it cost to leave early?

   Is there an early termination fee, and how is it calculated?

6. What if your usage changes?

   Is there a usage band (often called swing or bandwidth), and what happens if you go above or below it?

7. Are there monthly fees or other charges?

   Ask for every charge in writing.

Compare offers on the same terms

• Same usage. Price every offer on your actual 12 months of usage, not a sample.
• Same unit. Ccf, Mcf, Dth and kWh aren’t interchangeable. Convert before you compare.
• Same term and start date. A 12-month price and a 36-month price aren’t the same product.
• Same components. Compare like with like: supply only, or supply plus capacity and transmission.
• Against the default. Use the Price to Compare on your electric bill, or the Standard Choice Offer for natural gas, as the baseline.

The PUCO’s Apples to Apples charts on Energy Choice Ohio show posted offers with their term length, early termination fee and monthly fee, which is a useful way to see how terms differ.

Contract-term red flags

• Automatic renewal onto a month-to-month variable rate.
• Pass-through or “regulatory change” clauses that let the price change mid-contract.
• Early termination fees with no cap, or fees based on the full remaining term.
• Tight usage bands with penalties for using more or less than expected.
• A start date that leaves a gap, or overlaps your current contract.
• A quote with no written terms, or terms that don’t match what you were told.

Especially when it comes to contracts, small wording matters. If the terms aren’t written in correctly, you can end up paying for something you never agreed to. We’re glad to read a contract with you before you sign.

Utility names are used just to identify service territories. U.S. Energy Sales Ohio is not affiliated with or endorsed by any utility named on this site.